642 MESOSEMIA. By Dr. A. Seitz. 



cpid'iKs. M. epidius Hew. (125 c). The ^ is scarcely discernible from some (^(J of the or&owre-forms, except 



the otherwise black median area of the forewings being interspersed with somewhat more blue. The 9 exhibits 



bright and abundant markings, but there are also such where the markings, of the distal half, especially in 



the liindwing, are obliterated by ochre-yellow or white clouds; on such a specimen with an intensely white 



chionodes. distal half of the hindwing, Stichel's chionodes (142 d) has been based. — hypermegala are large $$, in which 



hyperinega- ^jjgpg g,j.g before the eye-spot of the forewing two transverse lines, instead of 1 1 i as in the typical epidius. — 



bella. bella Sharpe has somewhat different bands in the ^ beneath, in the $ also above: the median lines are more 



finely" undulate and the shadow-like band before the border stands farther apart from the posterior small 



maihaniu. transverse band. — mathania Schs. is again based only on the 9 originating from Bolivia and Peru; it is 



very doubtful whether it does not belong to one of the differently denominated cJ(J, the 9? of which 



are unknown. According to the description, it differs but little from the forms known of the epidius-'^. 



epidius and its forms are distributed over the whole northern part of South America as far as South Brazil, 



Bolivia and Peru, but they are met with only .singly. 



phace. M. phace Godtn. (125 d) from British Guiana approximates the preceding, but here also the median 



area of the wings in the (J is greatly interpersed with blue, so that the upper surface appears banded in blue 

 almost like a zebra. The 9 i® unknown to me. 



cecropia. M. cecropia Drc. (125 b) from Central America which I figure according to a specimen from Espe- 



ranza in Costa Rica, on the contrary is above quite black except some blue in the forewing and a narrow border 

 of the hindwing. Is the most closely allied to carderi. The largest species of the gi'oup. 



alhlpunda. M. albiputicta Schs. (142 d) of which we copy the original figure (the 9 i^ unknown), originates 



from Esperanza in Costa Rica. Wings above blue with a broad black border. The description mentions a white 

 dot at the end of the cell of the forewing, being absent, however, in the figure. 



iiiehidci. M. mehida Hew. (125 d). This species is immediately recognizable by the intensely sky-blue shining 



upper surface, as the wings have only a black margin (being double at the distal border). Beneath the species 

 entirely resembles zorea, but the transverse shades and -lines are not so distinctly prominent. I do not know 

 the 9; at any rate it resembles pretty nuich the 9 of zorea; Stichel adds a 9 with a white band of the fore- 

 wing. Rare; from Ecuador, before me only from tlie lowlands. 



mciuana. M. iTietuana Heio. (125 g). The white-banded 9 i'^ recognizable according to our figure; beneath 



the white band is exactlj' as above; characteristic is the arcuate line encircling the eye-spot of the forewing, 

 running behind the eye-spot quite straight to the inner margin. The q is not known to me; it probably resem- 



chalyhfa. bles the figured fassli, though with narrower and less dull blue transverse bands. — chalybea Bob. (142 d) we 

 reproduce in both sexes. There is a characteristic difference in the course of the arcuate line in the forewing, 

 bending in like a tooth towards the base, before it reaches the inner niaigin. The 9 has no wliite band of the 

 fassli. forewing. This form as well as typical metuana come from Colombia. — So is iassli form. nov. (125 c) in the q^J 

 of which also the basal area of the forewing, being almost uniformly black in chalybea, is almost entirely blue, 

 with some black markings. The 9 has a just as broad white band of the forewing as metuana, though it 

 glaucoiiia. ends more abruptly and also runs much straighter than in metunna. — glaucoma Stick. (I42e) is the 

 Bolivian form; like fassli with a blue (in chalybea brown) disc of the fcrewing beneath; the basal third of the 

 hindwing being in fassli quite blue with veiy little black maiking, is black in glaucoma. The 9 of glaucoma 

 greatly resembles the 9 of fassli from Colombia, but by very broad and intense transverse shades, the umber- 

 brown ground-colour of the upper surface is reduced to narrow bands ; both sexes of my specimens of glaucoma 

 exhibit beneath a very fine light and dark powdering which of course cannot be well reproduced in a figure, 

 but which occurs repeatedly in Bolivian Erycividae. Stichel's figure of the (J exhibits on the hindwing another 

 (mm. (proximal) blue stripe indicated; in any case, the original comes irom another habitat of Bolivia. — ama Hew. 

 (125 b) is easily discernible by the broader blue band in the distal part of the forewing of the ^ and by the 

 white band of the forewing being continued in the 9 also on the hindwing though much narrower. Ecuado'-. 

 On the whole, all the forms stated here probably belong to one species, i. e. represent one another in the different 

 ^ finding-places, but replace one another already at little distances. Exactly alike are probably only specimens 



de.<iiifufa. from the same finding-place. To such a sub'ace destituta Stick, may also belong (described according to a 9 

 from Rio Vitaco), with a posteriorly tapering white band of the forewing of 2,5 mm width. 



.-area. M. zorca Heu\ (125 e). (J above blue with a narrow black border and the discal line running scnii- 



circularly round the eye-spot of the foiewing j'nd traversing the hindwing. Before the border of tlie wings 



there is no black tratrsverse band anymore, but the black border is said to be crossed by a blue stripe in Chan- 



chamayo-specimens (= toparcha Stick.). The 9 which is unknown to me in nature, we reproduce according 



rrha. to Hewitson's figure. Peru and Bolivia. Not common. • — reba Hev. (125 e) has a small white subapical band. 



(iijiiduiii. also in the (J, otherwise quite like zorea. From Ecuador, as well as the finer banded aguilata Dogn. 



