MEGALURA. By Dr. A. Heitz. 467 



C. amymone Men. (115 e) differs from the preceding species in that tlie median band on the under- amymone. 

 side of the liindwing, although broad at its commencement at the costa, is narrowed beyond the cell into a 

 chain of small, round white spots. The fore wing resembles tliat of hyfermnestra above, but the hindwing has the 

 distal part ochre-yellow. Found from Texas through Mexico and Central America. — In Florida occurs a form 

 with unicolorous (^^ suffused with grey, = floridana Streck., which according to ME^■GEL resembles cana, but floHdana. 

 differs from it in the shape of the band on the underside of the liindwing; ]3robably, however, it is nearly allied 

 to a form from the island of Trinidad A\ith the ^ unicolorous daric brown-yellow corviana Bflr. (ll-'ie or- con-iana. 

 roneously called apicalis which name belongs to the figure on its left). 



C. aurantia Ifeefo (115 e) has the uppersidc m the ^ white, only at the distal margin of the fore\^-ing aurmUia. 

 iiuite narrowly tinged with yellow; we figure the under surface. It is characterized by the discal band on the 

 liindwing beneath which consists of a chain of rounded white spots placed in a brown-grey. BoHvia. 



C. dorcas F. (— hersilia F., mardiana (Jr.) (97 a) cannot be confused with any other species. Both don-as. 

 wings above are bright yeUow-red in the distal part, the proximal part is white with dull greyish markings. From 

 Jamaica. 



C. teleboas Men. (07 a). This species differs structurally from all the other C ysliiieura in having the teleboas. 

 palpus even more elongate, the distal margin of the hindwing more strongly dentate and that of the forewing 

 undulate, the markings also cpiite unlike this genus, bearmg a remarkable resemblance to those of the African 

 N'einidoijsis ophione (vol. XIIT, pi. 49 d). Not only the elongate palpus, the inflated base of the costal and the 

 black and white colouring unites the two, but also the markings of both .surfaces, particularly the pecuHar 

 double row of eyespots beyond the white median band, are common to both, telehons only occurs on the An- 

 tilles. 



D. Group: Marpesiidi. 



As we he.sitated to separate T'idonis, Bibtiis, Eiirylela and Ergolis, iu spite of ttieir very different habitus and widely 

 separated localities, in the same way the sole American genus belonging here — Meqalura — approximates very closely to 

 an Asiatic-African group, which consists of the genera Cyreslis and Chcrsoiiesia. The larvae of ttie genera in this group have 

 no true spines, but in addition to two long horns on the head bear only isolated, not paired, rather soft appendages, one 

 placed on the 5th and one on the 11th segment, sometimes also one on one or two of the intervening segments, in that 

 case usually shoiter. — In addition J\Irr/ah(r(i is associated with Cijre-'ilh by the common food-plant; as a rule the larvae 

 are found on Ficus or allied plants. — Finally, tlie butterflies almost all show in the anal angle of the hindwing a small 

 lobe, which hangs down when tlie insect is resting with the wings spread out. — Botli in the Old and the New World the 

 Marpesiidi are represented by 20 — 25 species and almost entirely confined to the tropics; they differ in tliat the tail in the 

 American species is long, iu those of the Old World short. 



20. Genus : Meg'aliirn Blch. 



This genus, which was formerly referred to Ti metes and Mdrpesia, is as isolated and independent in 

 the American fauna as its nearest relative, Cyreslis, in the Old World. These two genera exactly correspond 

 in the spines of the larvae and the shape of the hindwing, which bears a peculiar, somewhat curved, .small 

 anal lobe. The Megnlura species have a rather broad head with broad front and protruding eyes. Palpus long, 

 particularly the 2nd joint, the 3rcl also long and pointed; the palpus with approssed scales, the antenna mode- 

 rately long, with well developed, elongate club, into which it gradually swells. The subcostal of the forewing 

 5-bra.nched, the 1st branch arising almost at the middle of the cell, the 2nd at its end, the 3rd to 5tli stalked ; 

 the lower discoceUular wanting on both wings, so that the cells are open. Usually the forewing is jiroduced 

 or pointed at the apex, the distal margin undulated, the inner margin c^uite straight. The hindwing shows a 

 pointed tail traversed in its entire length by the upper median vein and mostly in the anal anglea small, some- 

 what distally curved, sometimes brightly coloured lobe. 



The larva shows a great reduction in the spines. The lateral .spines are almost entirely suppressed and 

 there are only unpaired soft spines on tlie back, thus showing au approach to the form of the Apaturidi larvae. 

 On the whole they probably approximate most nearly to Chlorippe. Most species are very common where they 

 occur, feed both on the honey of flowers and also the moisture of wet places on the roads, and from their 

 head-ciuarters, northern 8outh America, scarcely a consignment of butterflies reaches Eurojie which does not 

 contain one or more representatives of this group. Their range extends from the south of th(> United States 

 (Texas and Florida) to Paraguay and northern Argentina in the east and Peru and Bolivia in the Mest. Single 

 species show analogy with butterflies of other groups, together with which they fly, but it does not amount to 

 actual mimicry, while on the other hand the under surface is frecjuently adapted to their envnonmcnt. About 

 25 forms are known. 



