ptroct. 



488 . EUNICA. By Dr. A. Seitz. 



apex very prominent, in the i^ the upper surface black, witli dull violet reflection (except the marginal area) 

 and with white fringes. $ darlvbrown with oblique white band of the forewings and 2 or 3 subapical little spots 

 between the band and apex. Beneath the hindwings are subdued speckled red-brown or brownish-black, over- 

 powdered in white, with generally only suggested ring-chains or dentate-stripes, without sharply marked eyes 

 and bands. Rather common, distributed from Colombia to Peru, but local, absent in vast districts, especially 

 in the mountains. The confused markings of tlie under surface changes off enormously, either predominantly 

 grey, or violet, brown or reddish tinged, and on the upper surface the band of the forewings of the $ may 

 be in one specimen broader, in another narrower. — In Venezuelan specimens that were separated as picea 

 Fldr., as a rule, the white overpowdering of the under surface is thinner so that the markings of the rings and 

 bands are still well noticeable below it. 

 ciiijiiiriii. E. empyrea H. ScMff. (lOOBb). Above very similar to the preceding. Smaller, without the white 



fringes, the violet reflection more confined upon the costal area of the forewings. Beneath the wings are much 

 more unicolorous, the hindwings not so much over-powdered, the markings, consisting of dark transverse lines, 

 moi-e distinct. Brazil. 

 lartilis: E. carali's Heir. (100 B b). Like the preceding, larger, the upper surface with hardly distinguishable 



reflection only to be seen distinctly in the sunshine; a quite slightly lighter colour of the bro\^•nish black ground- 

 colour runs bow-shaped before the apex from the costa to the middle of the distal margin. The under surface 

 is rather one-coloured, the hindwing with bands of a silky gloss, on the whole little marked. From Colombia 

 ramiKiiKi. to Peru. — catnpana Fldr. is above quite similar, the ,^ above in the proximal forewing-area a little brighter 

 blue and the apex of the forewing on the under surface of a stronger violet-white; beyond the silky-glossy median 

 band of the under surface of the hindwings. 4 eye-rings are somewhat more distinctly prominent than in Peru- 

 ind'ifinpha- yiau Ciiralis; from Colombia. — indigophana Fldr. from Venezuela exhibits above still brighter blue reflection 

 and is easily recognizable by the J showing above as well as beneath a dark undulate-stripe before the margin. 

 (ir'ihii. — ariba Fruhst. Pretty large (length of forewings 35 mm), the apex still more curved. Wings above of a deep 

 dark-blue with a faint violet hue excepting the submarginal area, the latter light brown, with a faint gloss and 

 a row of blackish-brown, rudimentary, only partially coherent punctiform spots. Hindwings beneath greyish- 

 violet, basal region greyish-reddish, slightly glossy with diffuse narrow median bands, otherwise without mar- 

 kings. Probably from the .Amazon; described according to 1 (J; unknown to me. 

 vohniimi. E. volumna Godt. A group of partly interosculating forms of butterflies. The most common of them 



ii/hoiiia. is tithonia Fldr. from Bahia where the (^(^ are in some years rather common. On the upper surface the rj shows 

 only before the hindwing-margin a narrow iridescent stripe, the dull-blue iridescent $ a white oblique band 

 which is downwards reduced in width. The under surface is distinguished by very variegated colouring, espe- 

 cially blue forewing-cell which is black only at and before the end. The typical volumna probably hardly differing 

 from it, was presumed from the environs of Rio de Janeiro, but it is not likely that another Eunica occurs 

 hitrh-nld. there beside alcmene and mygdonia. — intricata Frithst. from Blumenau in St. Catharina has the iridescent 

 band of the hindwings as thin as a thread, the hindwings are beneath grey, along the zig-zag bands with a 

 greenish hue. The median and submarginal transverse lines are sharply and several times broken. Between 

 cflniK. them a doubly-pupilled upper eyespot and a double lower eyespot. — celma Hew. (100 B c) is above almost 

 entirely like tithonia, but the forewings have below black gi'ound-colour with very metallic blue embedding, 

 and the hindwings are very nuich lighter only before the distal margin; the blue ante-marginal stripe of the 

 rrliiiind. upper surface of the hindwings is quite narrow in the (J; Amazon. —^ The name of celmina FruJist. was founded 

 upon a single t^ from Scapi in Bolivia which shows above a light greyish-blue submarginal band of the hind- 

 wings and beneath smaller ocelli. 

 rriiKsiii. E. venusia Fldr. (100 Be). The $ quite similar to the preceding, but the (J distinguished by a very 



broad, intensely radiant blue-iridescent spot becoming visible before the margin of the hindwing in certain 

 pirsiphoDc. light; Colombia. — persephone Fldr. likewise exhibits this radiant spot of the ,^, but upon it there are black 

 spots, and on the under surface the eyes of the hindwings and the discal spots of the forewings are larger; like- 

 wise from Colombia. 

 araucana. E. araucana Fldr. This form entirely resembles the figured excelsa Salv. and Godm. (100 B c, d), but 



the under surface is still more unicolorous and duller, and the blue reflection of the J duller, too. The 

 latter is in excelsa of almost just as magnificent brightness as in venusia, from which excelsa, however, immedia- 

 tely distinguishes itself by the margin of the forewings projecting less angled below the apex and by the much 

 less variegated under surface which, on the forewing, lacks the beautiful blue distinguishing the volumna-, celma- 

 and venusia-group ; the excelsa-^, however, has in the forewing-discus on the upper surface a blue reflectior 

 (being, individually, developed very differently), in which we notice a white oblique band consisting of 3 se- 

 parated spots, excelsa occurs on the Chiriqui in Panama and in scarcely differing specimens in Colombia where 

 ^(.s/io.ffo. Fassl took them at the Rio-Songo. — aspasia Fldr. with above very brightly iridescent discus of the forewing, 



from Ecuador, is larger and forms a right transition to the following form E. cinara. 

 cuiarii. E. cinara Hew. (100 B d). Very apjDroximate to aspasia and excelsa, but differing from e.rcelsa hy the (J 



exhibiting, before the margin of the hindwings, not a bright, but quite dull blue reflection; the light spots on 

 the under surface of the forewings are not pure white like in e.rcelsa, but tarnished grejnsh-brown. and in the $ 



