r)54 PREPONA. By H. Fruhstorfer. 



B. Group of Species Prepona. 



S e c t i o 11 A r c Ii a o o p r e p o n a Fruhst. Haii'-tuft of the liiruhviiios black. 



P. demophon, the most cominon species having been known the longest, has a plainly marked under 

 surface, preponderantly yellow or ochre-yellow with effaced black spots, indistinct black lines and a silvery 

 o-rey hue varying according to the locality. The $ is always larger, beneath with less black, preponderantly 

 yellowish with effaced reddish-grey hue. Tiie specimens decrease in size in the direction from north to south. 

 The species is very rare in Mexico and ascertained as far as Southern Peru and Bolivia. On the Atlantic side 

 demopho)i reaches from Guiana to Santa Catharina, Rio Grande do Sul and Paraguay. Tegumen with a short 

 compact uncus-point the dorsal basal part of which is very much chitinized and jirovided with a deeply indented 

 rrnini/in. comb. — Centralis Fruhst. is known to me only from Honduras. The form appears considerably larger than 

 Surinam-specimens a.nd is never beaten by muson (111 a) in the extent of the wings. The median band, espe- 

 cially of the hindwings, is more extensive than in the nomenclatural type from Surinam, more greenish and 

 golden than blue. The subaijical spots of the forewings of the (^^^ larger, almost circular, isolated, in the $$ 

 like diffuse spots, narrower than in Surinam-specimens. Under surface entirely lighter, preponderantly greyish- 

 violet instead of ochre-yellow, with prominent blue-pupilled ocelli of the $$. According to Godman and Salvin 

 already very rare in Mexico. In the Coll. Stattdinger there are specimens from Yucatan and Venezuela. — 

 iniiin}!. A series of forms from Panama already sides with muson Fruhst. (Ill a), the Andine territorial form with the 

 type from Colombia. I have also (J^J from Ecuador at hand, and Staudinger mentions specimens from South 

 Peru. The demophou-race of the northern Andes is considerably larger than specimens from Surinam. The 

 median band of the upper surface of the wings is broader and lighter, more golden green; the under surface 

 is distinguished by an especially pronounced and more glossy submarginal region being traversed by a very 

 flfnn}>ho)i. dark reddish-brown band which is hardly noticeable in Surinam-specimens. — demopiion L. (Ill a), the nomen- 

 clatural type, is very common in the Amazon district and in all the three Guianas. Specimens from Mato- 

 .sy/s)/)7ii(s-. Grosso and Bolivia do not differ considerably from those from Surinajn. — As sysiphus Cr. a form is described 

 thill jiiiit. with especially broad and darkened brown places on the under surface of both the wings. — Also thalpius 

 Hbn. is based upon darkened, deviating specimens with a beautiful reddish-violet hue beyond the cell of 

 .rt/uiafid. the forewing and in the median and basal zones of the hindwing. — xyniatus subsp. nov., distinguished by large 

 transcellular spots of the forewings and conspicuously broad light-blue median band of a very intense golden 

 green lustre. The under surface exhibits but quite faint greyish-silveiy marbling, being still more effaced than 

 pawiip^. in e.r.tincli. Bahia; varies also in Minas-Geraes. — pamenes subsp. noiK inhabits Minas-Geraes and fispiritu 

 Santo, probably also yet Rio de Janeiro. (^ with more irregular, smaller transcellular spots and narrower. 

 r.r/inr/ii. darker blue bands of the forewings than xyniatus. — extincta Stgr. (Ill b), originally based upon specimens 

 from Sauth Brazil (Blumena,u) is also found in Paraguay. As a rule of a small size with preponderantly greyish- 

 violet hue of the under surface of the rjcj and yellowish of the 9?- The black median lines, especially in the 

 r/i/fichiani. $$ effaced. Larva on Anonaceae and Albacata-trees (Persia gratissima). — cataclilora Stgr. (Ill b) is found 

 from Minas Geraes, beside P. demophon extincta, and was bred by Dr. Wilh. Mueller from larvae differing 

 from demophon. In Rio Grande do Sul catachlora is common. The under surface makes quite the impression 

 of a form of the dry season or of a cold period of P. demophon, being easily noticeable by greenish places 

 bordered by beautiful parts of a silvery greyish-violet lustre. The subapical spots of the upper surface arc 

 :nraiittir>i. smaller, but like the narrower bands more intense and of a darker blue gloss than in demophon. — In zorantfies 

 subsp. nov. from Rio Grande do Sul there is sometimes only a blue subapical spot, and the median band of 

 the forewings is very much narrowed. The chitinous part at the back of the uncus less sharply dentate, the 

 other parts, however, agree so exactly with P. demophon. that crdachlora can only be considered a form of con- 

 dition of demophon, but by no means, as was hitherto done, a species of its own. (A r^ from Espiritu Santo 

 was examined.) 



P. phaedra is an isolated species with a likewise unmarked, but darker under suiface than P. demo- 

 phon. The upper surface-is like that of P. tyrias (111 b), but the blue median band of the hindwings is narrowed 

 towards the anal angle, and the under surface just as intensely grey as in P. cra.ssina (111 c), though \\ithout 

 ftdin. the black spot at the submedian of the forewings. Two local races: aelia (lodm. and Sah. described according 

 jthrirrlrct. to a (J without blue subapical spots of the forewings, from Mexico, and pliaedra Godm. based upon a $ from the 

 Volcano Chiriqui. One specimen of my collection exhibits small daTk-l)lue subapical maculae of the forewings. 



P. antimaclie is always met beside P. demophon, although it does not reach Mexico in the north. 

 The magnificent band of the upper surface is of a purer blue, but it has only exceptionally a greenish-golden 

 reflection. The under surface is characterized by our figure of tyrias (111 b) and varies according to the habitat 

 from preponderantly effaced ochre-yellow (Amazon, Surinam) to light silvery-grey (South Brazil). The black 

 part at the inner margin of the forewings appears more extensive than in P demophon. In some insular 



