MEfSENE. B.v Dr. A, .Seitz. . (i75 



M. briseis (r. and *S'. re.-enihk-i the preceding, but the oraiige-jellow median stripe of the wings /»■;.>■, ,-.s-. 

 is broader in the middle and not rinmiiig quite through to the distal margin; from Colombia. — pukhella pnh-hd/a. 

 Godni. (128 a) differs by the median stripe of the forewing ending in a whitish tinged knob. Amazon. 



M. albivitta Lathi/ (12Sb). Onl_\ the forewings exhibit a bright orange disc: the hindwings are only albiriii,,. 

 in the centre slightly lighter. The under surface of the hindwing shows a white, blading basal ray. Model: 

 Josia auriflamma. South Brazil, rare. 



51. Genus: Me»«eiie Dbl. 



Except the totally unicolorously scarlet species of this genus (here is jjiobably no species amojig 

 them that does not exhibit certain peculiaritis of the marking at every flying-place. We distinguish but quite 

 few species and we restrict ourselves to registring the already denominated forms by stating the patria as- 

 certained by the author for the form referred to: but in doing .so we must point out that these statements 

 of the locality often only refer to casual captures and there may very well other forms be found in the 

 same patria. The ^^ have triangular, pointed, brightly colouied forewings and small ellipsoidal hindwings. 

 In the veins the species exhibit great conformity, in case we except the genus Phnenochitonia having been sepa- 

 lated by 8tichel. For then the second subcostal vein, the upper median vein in the forewing as well 

 as in the hindwing rise before the cell-end, while in Phaeuoc/iitonin sagaris they proceed from thee ell-angles. 

 This genus having been detached, there remain in Mesene only 13 species that are rather much alike one 

 another. They rest so well hidden on the under surface of leaves that one gets sight of them only when 

 one chases them out of the bushes, whereupon they fly somewhat like Geometrids for aliout 10 to :10 m 

 always keeping in the middle of the forest-roads, in order to drop again into another bush. The larvae are 

 lycaenid-like, somewhat like wood-lice, fluffily haired: that of M. phareus lives on the extremely poisonous 

 Paullinia pinnata to the leaf of which also the small greenish-yellow pupa is spun. Mesene is connected 

 with the Heterocera-genus Eudnle by a mimetic resemblance, but it has not been ascertained which is the 

 original and which the copy, or whether the resemblance ot the two genera is due to connexions with a third 

 butterfly. 



M, phareus (V. (? = nigrocinctus Sepp) (134 k). Red with a narrow black margin and cell-endspot of pliarcus. 

 the forewings. In Surinam-specimens the forewing is beneath almost entirely dusted in black except the inner 

 margin; Cayenne-specimens have the under surface of the forewing above the anal angle broad red, but the 

 base of the hindwing is below tinged in blackish. In those from Suapure in Venezuela the distal half of 

 the under surface of the forewing is .spotted light red; such from Cuyaba have an uncommonly narrow 

 black border (transition to the following, = ineptus Stick.) and so on. The species varies in eveiy possible 

 way in the enormous range extending from the northern coast of South America to Bolivia and being pre- 

 sumably larger than the whole of Enro})e. — ^In Colombia the species makes its appearance as colombica form, luhmbiai. 

 nov. (134 k) in which the whole inner-marginal half of the under surface of the forewing is of a bright 

 red; the form is besides considerably larger thei'e. ■ — ^ On the contrary, the Central .\merican form, rubella ndu-lhi. 

 Bat. (134 k), is smaller; it likewise has the forewing beneath light red, but also a black basal part df the 

 under surface of the hindwing. — The larva is greenish, like a wood-lonse, across the back darker; on Paul- 

 linia. The butterflies are not rare; the $9 have somewhat broader wings and on under surface similu- to 

 the upper. 



M. celetes Bat. entirely resembles phareus, but the $ has longer wings; the forewing with a more iihlr'<. 

 bulged out border, of a saffron colour, the black costal stripe somewhat indented, beneath in the border 

 some small, fine white spots. Para. 



M. pyrippe Hbw. (1341) is the South Brazilian representative of the preceding, above with a broader piji-'ippr. 

 black margin, beneath the forewing is red except the border and a black costal stripe. — sanguilenta Stkh. s<iii;iiii!riit(i. 

 (134 k, 1) has the costal black in the basal part broader and is said to have also yet a black cell-end stripe in 

 the hindwing, which, however, is often rudimentary and, in the figured specimen, not even indicated; Rio 

 Girande do Sul. (On the table the name is misprinted into ■i-anguinolenta.) — Near Santos rather common, 

 coming even quite near the town; near Rio it is rai'er. 



M. bomilcar Stoll (134 1). Like the preceding, red. black-nuirgined, the costal stripe much broader, homi/cir. 

 particularly towards the apex. Guiana. — pultula Stich. (134 1) is a smaller form, in which the red of the pulluld. 

 forewing is scill more displaced by the black. 



M. croceella Bat. (134 k) originates from Central America; q more miniate than bright red, $ some- micrellu. 

 times quite ])ale. 



M. hyale Fldr. (134ni). Smaller, hardly as large as puUula. the distal margin of all the wings very lujalc. 

 broad black. Colombia. 



M. hya Wiv. (134 m) has a red or yellow disc of tlie wings and a broad black margin of the wings, hyu. 

 in which there stands a white spot of varying size. Amazon. — fenestrella Bat., not exactly recognizable jcHcstrrlla. 

 according to the description, seems to refer to the forms with a small white punctiform spot (as, however, 

 they occur in most of the red il/eiie?(e-species) and differs from typical hya besides bj' a narrower black 



