ADELPHA. By H. Fruhstorfee. 511 



sometimes with very long hairs, occasionally also only \^-itli sliort bristles, the liasal or sul)l)asal cone always 

 with bristles or warts, armed. 



The larvae of Adelpha, as far as they have become known, generally resemble the larvae of Lininnli.'^: 

 some have besides branched spines, in others they are altered into short hairy canmcular cones. The head 

 is set with short spines. The pupae are, according to Dr. W. MtJLLER of a peculiar shape, with 2 licirns 

 on the head and broad wing-edges, mostly of brown colour with more or less metallic lustre. 



According to Michael, Adelpha like to rest on leaves or on the soil with their wings spread out. being 

 the most common N ymphalidae that enliven the forests in the most conspicuous manner. 



The floating way with which the Adelpha fly, according to Dr. Hahnbl, is one of the most elegant 

 forms of motion, jerking only little with somewhat convex \\ings and still easily descending from the height 

 and reascending just as easily. They never fly, however, for a long time, but continually settle down for 

 a short rest on the leaves high up in order to fly then again over to a neighbouring twig. 



On the Upper Amazon, some sjjecies of Adelpha are in the habit of widely spreading their wings when 

 at rest, and this behaviour is imitated by Megahira, small Erycinidae and He.speridae, while some Pnpilio- 

 species with which they are always found together, such as lycidas, varus, crasstfs, and sesostris are shar])!\- 

 contrasting with them by their dark exterior and closed wings. 



Adelpha. are constant frequenters of the crowds of day-butterflies meeting day by day at the banks 

 and gathering down from the twigs at a very sunny spot, in the midst of Eunica and Megalura. They 

 also came to the fecal bait placed on leaves by Dr. Hahnel near Pebas, together with Pyrrhogyra and Temenis. 



Dr. Hahnel once also observed an Adelpha near Obidos coming freciuently to a banana-bait prepared 

 by him. It was, however, constantly ambushed by a greedy lizard which in spite of its clumsy feet rushed 

 furiously towards the Adelpha. The butterfly made its escape by fl.ying high up and settled on a leaf. But 

 whenever, after some time, it was enticed by the deceptive bait and flew down again, the enemy made a 

 new attack. This having recurred frequently for about 10 times, the lizard at last gave up molesting any furthci- 

 the Adelpha which had gained quite an agility by this experience. 



Little is known of the vertical distribution; the Adelpha are, however, preponderantly inhabitants 

 of the plains. Some species are. nevertheless, entirely alijine, so e. g. oly)ithia occurring in Colombia up 

 to an altitude of 2500 m and being never met below 2000 m. One species was yet observed at an altitude of 

 2800 m on the volcano Irazu in Costa Rica. In Bolivia A. aricia is, according to Mi-. Fassl, the highest- 

 flying species living in the same altitudes. The Adelpha called ,, sisters" by the Americans, are spread uninter- 

 ruptedly from Mexico to southern Bolivia and at the Atlantic coast we meet them from the West Indies 

 (Trinidad) to the southern parts of Brazil. The Central American region with 31 species is especially abun- 

 dant, on the Amazon there are 13 species found, in Rio Grande do Sul about 7. The fauna of the Andes 

 is most peculiar. 



Two groups of species which were noticed first by Felder: cell of the forewings short = Adelpha 

 Hbn.; cell of the forewings elongate = Heterochroa Bsd. *). 



A) Group of Species Adelpha. 



(l) Only one suVnostal vein licforf the (.-I'll-eiid. 



A. isis. Easily recognizable by a red oblique band on the forewings which varies also in extent 

 especialljr in the 5 according to the locality. The species is confined upon Central and Southern Brazil, 

 everywhere very rare. If we consider specimens from Rio de Janeiro to be typical (isis Drury), the luxuriant ix'is. 

 race from Espiritu Santo with entirely red fore\\ ing-cell may be separated as divina Frvhst. divina is espe- divlna. 

 cially conspicuous by an elongate red basal spot of about 1 cm width, above the sul)niedian of the fore- 

 wings. This red spot is absent in the form from Rio as well as in the distinct race occupying Sa. Catharina 

 and described as pseudagrias Fruhst. (108 f as isif;). psexdagrias is characterized by the red subapical pseudagri- 

 transverse band of the forewings being strongly narrowed, and instead of three reddish tiansverse bands we "*' 



notice in the cell of the forewing of the (J only a red round dot. This dot is also present in the 5, but above 

 it there lies yet a rudimentary band, pseudagrias thus presents itself as a melanotic form of the lighter 

 races of the more northern districts of Brazil reminding us thereby of the likewise dark Agrias claudiana Stgr. 

 from Sa. Catharina which also differs by its reduced red colour from the lighter and more richly coloured 

 Agrias claudina Godt. (= anetta Gray) occurring in Rio de Janeiro. Clasping organs characterized by the 

 valve with extremely long bristles and the beautiful contour. A broad base is followed by a cylindrical distal 

 part being ventrally distinctly dentate. The dorsal appendage iriegular, tajicring off considei-ably to\\ards 

 above. Point of the uncus ventrallv thickened. 



*) Anatomically there are also 2 series of species distiDguishable. They, however, do uot agree with those based upon 

 the structure. Group A) with chuiicvda, a dorsal appendage of the valve. B) without clunicula; comprising bvit/ew, though 

 the most magnificent species of the genus. 



