472 MEC4ISTANIS; GYNAECIA. By Dr. A. Seitz. 



at the end of the cell, the upper discocellular is short and recurved, the middle long and sinuous, the lower 

 closing the cell obliquely; the submedian slightly thickened at the base. Early stages unknown; the butter- 

 flies, in contrast to the preceding genus, rare and the genus much less widely distributed. 



zamba. P. zattiba Dbl. d' Heir. (104 e). Above almost like Coea acherontu, beneath superficially recalling a 



Pyrameis, especially the underside of the hindwing, which shows a complicated grey-brown pattern. The 

 yellow-red of the upper surface varies somewhat in extent, but is never so restricted as in zelys. From 

 Colombia and Venezuela to Ecuador and Peru, apparently everywhere rare. 



^glyg^ p. zelys Btlr. d- Drc. Very similar to the preceding and formerly regarded as a form of it, but 



probably a separate species. The hindwmg is much more black, in the whole distal part, not only in the anal 

 part, as in zamba; the yellow marginal spots are wanting. In addition the whitish costal spots are in zelys 

 vei'y much smaller or even only rudimentary. Costa Rica and Panama, especially on Mt. Chiriqui. 



26. Genus: Megistaiiis Wtw. 



As the larva of these species is unknown the position of the genus reniains uncertain. Of a Charaxes 

 larva one need think so much the less that even Coea, which except for the points on the hindwing is decepti- 

 vely like a Charaxes, has been placed here by most systematists on the assumption that it has a spined larva. 

 The butterflies are very powerfully built, the abdomen, as in Charaxes, in the S — and hardly any but ,^^ 

 are known — sometimes only hanging as a small appendage to the robust thorax; the cell of the hindwing 

 open, the closing vein of that of the forewing extremely fine, scarcely perceptible. The hindwing bears 2 or 

 3 pairs of points and its distal margin is dentate; the under surface very strikingly marked, but with a 

 scheme of markings which brings the genus near to Smyrna, Gynaesia and CalUzona, also very singularly 

 marked beneath. We know 4 forms from the Amazon region ; ophiions still differ as to their relationships. 



haeohis. M. baeotus Dhl. d; Hew. (= rayi Voll.) (l(»4d). (J black with dull blue-green reflection and metallic 



blue median band, transverse spot of the same colour beyond the cell and row of bluish dots in the distal 

 area. Very characteristic is the under surface, dull white with closely crowded row of small black spots and 

 deucalion. 4 large ochreous spots proximally to and above the anal angle. Amazon region and Colombia. — deucalion 

 Fldr. (104e), which was long regarded as the $ of baeotus, is according to Stafdinger certainly a good 

 species; beneath quite similarly marked, but the ochreous spot of the forewing strigiform, and on the upper- 

 side the median band is not blue but yellow, and on the forewing often somewhat shorter ; flies likewise in the 

 Amazon region and Colombia. As a matter of fact the ? baeotus is also almost like deucalion, with yellow 

 bands, but may be recognized by the crescentic (not band-lUvc), more strongly blue-marked transverse spot 

 beyond the cell of the forewing and by the absence of the light dots in the distal area (Fruhstorfer). 



japeius. M. japetus Sigr. (104 e). Almost exactly hke baeotus above, but distinguishable beneath by the smaller 



ochreous spots and the generally finer markings, and especially by having two luies in the cell of the hindwing 

 instead of 4 thick dots as in baeotus. From the Upper Amazon, Peru. — Here belongs a lost species, passing 

 aeclus. as aeclus F. (= aeclus Cr., aile Hbn.), in which the band on the upper surface is wanting. If, as has been 

 assumed, this Avas a damaged specimen in which the band had been obliterated by chemical influences, it 

 would be best to cancel the name, since „artificial products" — and we are probably dealing with such, as several 

 specimens are said to have been altered in a similar way — should bear no names. If it should prove that 

 it is a definitely recognizable and but little modified specimen, or even an actually occurring aberration, 

 then aeclus F. should be regarded as name-tyijc and japetus Sfgr. as ,,subform''. The species is rare. 



27. Genus: O.yiiaecia Dbl. 



The sole species of this genus is common, widely distributed and equally striking in wing-form and under 

 surface. The most remarkable feature is the almost rectihnear, scarcely appreciably curved distal margin 

 of the hindwing. The antenna is long, the eyes naked and large, the palpus thick, pointed, obliquely directed 

 upwards, the body moderately strong, the legs, especially the middle tibiae, very long and thin. The larva is 

 black, with branched horns on the head and yellow spines, the pupa is very peculiar, shaped and coloured like 

 a sphnt of wood. The butterflies fly throughout the year, by preference in open country, and rest on tree- 

 trunks. 



dirce. G. dirce L. (97 a). This butterfly may be at once recognized by the under surface. It is widely 



distributed in South America, extending from Honduras over the Antilles and the whole of warmer South 

 America to Paraguay and South Brazil. It has an irregular, flutterhig, but at the same time rapid flight, in 

 which, curiously, 



