6U HADES. By Dr. A. Seitz 



absent and tlie oblique transverse spots beneath in tlie forewing, and in the hindwing, as well as in many (J(J, 



clcgans. the black of the distal marginal part beneatli is replaced by yellowish-brown. ■ — elegans Kaye originates from 



udmictis. Trinidad, thougli it also occnrs in Guiana; it entirely resembles the figured latmicus forvi. nov. (124 c), but it 



lu^s in the black margin of the forewing a white line, and before the distal margin of the hindwings there are 



no black dots whicli appear in eleganf: as diajjhanous effects of the golden ckops of the under surface. Guiana, 



locally not rare. 



(icis. H. acis F. (= gnidus F.) (124 c). One of the most beautiful butterflies of the neotropical district. 



In the (J the basal part of the forewing is velvety-brown, the distal part sulphurous, with a broad black margin : 



hindwing inside orange, outside black. In the $ also the basal part of the forewing is orange. The metallic 



spotting of the under surface of the hindwing is very copious. The species varies somewhat in the width of 



the black margins. The butterflies are local and mostly rather rare, but widely distributed over the northern 



part of South America, Guiana, the district of tire Orinoco and of the Amazon. Larva white, with white hairs, 



a gi'cy dorsal stripe and a scarlet neck-tuft; pupa brown, with black markings and with bunches of red cones 



at the anterior and posterior ends. 



4. Genus: Hades Ww. 



This genus exhibits relationships to the Lycaenid-genus Eumaeus (cf. t. 146 a), in a mimetic respect 

 it resembles the Nymphalid-genus Morpheis, together with which it flies in some countries. The antennae 

 are cpiite gradually thickened, with 50 joints; 9 or 10 joints form the feeble club. The wings are large, broad, 

 entire, the forewings in the ^ with 4, in the $ with 3 subcostal veins. The first of these branches off 

 before, the second at the cell-end, the median veins rise equally distant from each other. The larvae of 

 noctula pupate in groups on certain leaves, for which reason al.'-o the butterflies appear in crowds. This 

 is very curious, because also the Nymphalid Morpheis ehrenbergii Hbn. (93 a) serving as model lives gregariously 

 and the original and the copy unite themselves at common flying-places. The pupa is placed horizontally across 

 the leaf, all the pupae of the whole group in exactly the same direction and at a considerable distance from 

 eacli other. The butterflies are local, but common. 

 noclula. H. noctula Ww. (= paradoxa Fldr.) (123 a). Black, hindwing beneath with a brick-red basal spot 



and bone-coloured internerval stripes. Immediately distinguishable from its original (Morpheis ehrenbergii) 

 by the extremely short palpi. Mexico, Central America as far as to the Amazon, Colombia, Venezuela. 

 hccaiiiede. H. liecaiTiede Hew. (123 a). Above black, forewing with a large brick-red longitudinal spot, hind- 



wing of the in the di.stal part silvery blue. According to the altitude and position of the habitat the spot 

 of the forewing may be lighter or darker red, larger {haematites Stick.) or smaller {avicula Stick.); in the ^ 

 the greyish-blue of the hindwings may be increased or reduced, in the $ the brown ground-colour more intense 

 or duller. Ecuador, not so common as the preceding species. 



3. Subfamily : Erycininae. 



This subfamily contains the immense multitude of real Erycinidae. It differs from the other families 

 by the above-mentioned formation of the legs ($ 6, (J 4 gressorial feet), from the other neoarctic subfamilies 

 liy the veins (constant subcostal veins etc.) which we have mentioned in tiie Libytheinae and Euselasiinae. 

 Among each other, however, the genera differ extraordinarily. About SO of these genera have been generally 

 acknowledged, their grouping, however, is up to this day still based niore on superficial marks than on phylo- 

 genetic alliances. Apart from the wings being mostly more secondary, we are immediately .struck by the two 

 different types of the body : the one series of genera exhibits a structure of the body little differing from that 

 of the other most nearly allied families of day-butterflies (Lycaenids, Nymphalids), as for instance Eurybia, 

 N ympkidvum, Siseme, Baeotis, Aricoris, Stalacktis etc.; the other series has a broader head strangulated by 

 a distinct neck, an almost globular, less oval thorax and a very short, clumsy abdomen with a thin waist at 

 the thorax, being often also curved downwards and of an almost fly-like structiu'e. To this group belong very 

 many genera, such as Syrmatia, Diorhina, Zeonia, Lymnas etc. Let us only take in comparison how far for in- 

 stance the abdomen of Alesa, especially of the cJ<J, projects beyond the posterior angle of the hindwings, how 

 the head with its enormous eyes rests with a broad base on the thorax, and confront this with a Lyropteryx, 

 Ancyluris, Themone, the knob-like heads of which rest on a thin stylus, the apex of the abdomen, even in 

 the (J, scarcely extending beyond the middle of the fold of the hindwing. An arrangement according to 

 somewhat more advanced marks of distinction *), than the one resulting from tiie partial consideration 

 of the veins of the wings, would create a very radical change within the subfamily, though it would also ne- 

 cessitate a circumstantial argumentation for wiiich there is no space left iiere. As the butterflies belonging 



*) Salvin and Godman have closely examined especially the male .sexual oi-gaus and given ciieuuLstantial descrip- 

 tions of most of them; the structure of these organs, however, proved to be here so very variable, complicated and specia- 

 lized, that they may be used at most In questions about the i(uallfl<-ation as a species, but not for systematizing put- 

 poses. 



