(i48 DIOPHTHALMA. By Dr. A. Seitz. 



whole length (naiadella Stick.). There are also latissima-iornis with the white band being parted V4, ¥2 or %. 

 Of a very strange appearance are specimens in which the parting line exists in the middle of the band of the 

 orcai^. hindwing, whilst it is extinct at both ends. — oreas Stick, greatly resembles the najadella-iovm, but the 

 ground-colour is of a deejier blackish-brown, and the band of the hindwing being traversed by an interrupted 

 lieclinrjis. parting line, as well as the band of the forewing, are sharply defined. — As hedwigis Stick, the author figures 

 a (J from Peru and a $ from La Paz in Bolivia; both are insignificant deviations approximating anceps Stick., 

 which, besides, do not belong to each other and wliich by no means can be all denominated. Only from 

 Bolivia there have recently come at least ten different such forms all of which differ from each other. The 

 tkymefus-]ike. forms are mostly common and their scheme of markings seems to conform with other species 

 occurring at the same habitat; as for instance the broad-banded forms fly together with M. axilla (Bolivia), 

 the narrow-banded with $$ of Jf . asa (Colombia), and those with jet-black, bright uniform bands with ulrica- 

 $$ on tlie Amazon or in Peru: the forms are mostly not bound to a certain district, but they may appear in 

 colonies here and there *). 



7. Genus: Dioplithalma H.-Schtiff. 



To this genus, beside Herrich-Schaffer's lagora, also other species included later on in Mesosemia 



had been reckoned, of which, however, one part is better dealt with specially, according to Stichel's proposal. 



They scarcely differ in the structure, but they have entirely different habits, according to which also the habitus 



is extremely different. They always sit, like a Geometrid, with their wings spread, on the under surface of a 



leaf ; I never observed them on blossoms, and the stunted siphon seems to be unfit for sucking honey, whereas 



the other Mesosemia often most frequently visit blossoms and fly in the sunshine in a way very conspicuous 



for Erycinidae. All the 13 forms known are very nearly allied to each other and connected by many transitions. 



For the species that remained here in this genus the name of the genus provided for the eye-spotted forms is 



no more altogether suitable. Stichel proposes Leucochimona instead. 



phiknion. D. philemon Cr. (= icarus F., chionea G. and S.) (126 e) is above and beneath white, traversed by 



few thick streaks; above without, beneath with marks of a median eye-spot on each wing. The butterflies 



vwthatii. vary very little, on the whole, being distributed over Guiana and the Amazon District. — mathata Heiv. (= nivea 



G. and S.) (126 e) is the South Brazilian species being rather common near Rio on the Monte Corcovado and 



in Santos. It is above snow-white \\ith quite fine transverse lines, the under surface, however, is smoky greyish- 



subalhaia. brown, sometimes somewhat lighter between the stripes. • — subalbata form. nov. (126 e) represents the species 



in Bolivia; above not to be distinguished from mathata, beneath, however, white instead of brown. The under 



surface already exhibits small fine dots in the submarginal band of the hindwing, which grow to be thick knots 



polUa. in the Colombian polita Stick. (126 e), and which are joined by small white spots in the dark margin of the 



niralis. forewings. — nivalis G. and *S'. from Central-America approximates again the typical pkilemon, but the stripes 



vestalis. are somewhat thicker. — vestalis G. and S. from Guatemala has less dark streaks of which the one being the 



nearest to the distal margin is simply indicated by a dotted line. Of the most central stripe there is only an 



oblong dot left which may already be regarded as the pupil of an eye-spot being later on the most developed 



in hyphta (126 f). The species flies all the year round in the hot districts. The butterflies especially sit on the 



bushes on the road side beneath leaves and are made to fly off by beating the leaves, but they never fly far. 



The small bodies are very delicate, the flight resembles that of the Geometrids, being weak and tottering, so 



that one might take the flying animal to be a Cabera. 



D. lagora. This butterfly has above no median eye-spot just like the preceding group, but before 



tlie middle of the border of the wings a small eye-spot is inserted, sometimes complete, sometimes rudimentary. 



iphias. The Central American form has neither above nor beneath a distinct median spot, but on each wing a blind 



marginal eye-spot. This is the form iphias Stick. (= lepida Stgr.) (126 f) in which often the whole apical third 



mnJina. of the forewing is brownish. ■ — • molina G. and S. (126 f) is quite similar, but it has on the under surface of the 



forewing a distinct median eye spot, whereas the marginal eye spot of the hindwing is absent; before me fi-om 



lepida. Costa Rica. — As lepida G. and *S'. (126 f). I consider specimens with 6 eye-spots beneath, i. e. on each wing 



hiijfira. one ej'e-spot before the middle of the border and on the forewing one median eye-spot; — in lagora H.-Sckajf. 



the latter "hows through above, though often only in outlines. Only the latter form extends to the south as 



far as Colombia and Guiana, all the others aie from Central America. The proximal stripe of the forewing running 



towards the inner margin more proximally or more distally, seems to me to be not constant, since it runs 



somewhat differently even in the few specimens before me. Common. 



k'uroijtwa. D. leucogaea G. and S. (126 f). This form represents the contrary to the preceding: the forewing has 



a median eye-spot but no marginal one; the hind\\ing is without any eye-spot. Costa Rica, Nicaragua. 



mafmca. D. mattsca Heiv. (126 f, as mntkisca) from Peru has a superficial resemblance to the former species, 



but the stripes run differently since they do not extend from the costa towards the inner margin, but form 



*) As to tho (exclusively Cuban) M. ramsdciii Sl\uui. cf. Additions. 



