NECYRIA. LYROPTERYX. 433 



Genus XIV. LYROPTERYX. 



Lyeopteryx Westioood MS. 



Body very robust : wings with numerous longitudinal streaks of metallic colours above ; beneath black, the basal half 



spotted with purple, the outer half with black and white stripes. 

 Head short, broad, clothed with short scaly hairs. 



Eyes large, naked, but not prominent. 



Labial Palpi small, scaly ; the tip not visible from above, nor extending beyond the scaly hairs of the front of the 

 face, ascending obliquely to about the level of one fourth of the height of the eyes ; terminal joint minute, 

 slender, and subovate, with the tip subacute. 



Antenna; about three fifths of the length of the fore wings, slender, nearly straight ; articulations scarcely distinct, 

 and not annulated with white ; terminated by a long and gradually formed but rather slender club, the 

 extremity of which is also gradually pointed. 

 Thorax very robust, oval, scaly. 



Fore Wings large, subtriangular. Costal margin nearly straight, except towards the tip, where it is arched ; 

 apical angle rather obtuse. Apical margin three fourths of tlie length of the costal, moderately convex. Inner 

 margin nearly straight, and about the length of the apical. Veins arranged nearly as in Erj^cina and Necyria ; 

 the postcostal vein emitting three branches ; the first a little before tlie anterior extremity of the discoidal 

 cell ; the second considerably beyond its extremity ; and the third at about the same distance from the second 

 as the second is from the cell. Upper disco-cellular vein obsolete : middle and lower ones very slender, the 

 middle one arising a short distance beyond the first branch of the postcostal vein, oblique, its lower end being 

 directed towards the base of the wing: lower disco-cellular rather longer than the middle one, also oblique, but 

 more arched, its lower end uniting with the third branch of the median vein at a little distance beyond its 

 origin. 



Iliiid Wings compai'atively small, subtriangular, the outer margin being somewhat obliquely truncate. Costal 

 vein arched, extending nearly to the outer angle. Precostal oblique, curved. Postcostal arising much nearer 

 the body than the precostal, branching at a moderate distance from its base. Upper disco-cellular arising 

 close beyond the branch of the postcostal, oblique, very slender : lower disco-cellular rather longer, rather less 

 oblique, equally slender, and uniting with the third branch of the median vein close beyond its origin. 



Fore Legs small, densely clothed ^vith woolly hairs. 



Four Hind Legs rather long, scaly, not hairy beneath. Femur of the middle pair greatly elongated and curved. 

 Tibiaj slightly spined beneath ; tibial spurs distinct, acute. Tarsi armed beneath with numerous short acute 

 spines. Ungues rather large, densely notched in the middle ; the basal portion forming a rather square plate. 

 Paronychia armed with numerous curved strong sets. 

 Abdomen much smaller than the thorax, conical. 



The two very beautiful butterflies which constitute the present genus, although agreeing with some of the species of Erycina and 

 Necyria in the black colour of their wings, varied with metallic tints, as well as in the general arrangement of tlie wing veins, are so 

 well characterised by their extraordinarily robust bodies, long antenna, and form of their wings, especially the small size of the 

 hinder pair, as well as the very peculiar character of their markings, that I have considered it advisable to form them into a distinct 

 genus. Another peculiarity consists in the style of their coloration, the upper surface of the wings alone being varied with metallic 

 tints ; whereas in the genera above mentioned both surfaces, or the under side alone, are so distinguished. It will be seen tliat the 

 apical half of the wing in the typical species has two long slender dashes of green between each pair of veins. On the under side these 

 pale streaks are rather narrower and wliite (reminding one of the strings of a harp, whence tlie generic name), the base of the wing 

 being velvety black, marked with a number of brilliant purplish crimson round spots. 



The species inhabit the banks of the Amazon and Brazil. 



LYROPTERYX. 



1. Lybopt. Apollonia. 



Lyropteryx Apollonia Westw. n. sp.* ; Doubl. Weslw. ij 

 HewHs. Gen. D. Lep. pi. 72. f. 1 . 

 River Amazon. Mus. Bates. 



2. LvROPT. Terpsichore. 



Lyropteryx Terpsichore Westw. ii, sp.f 

 Brazil. Mus. Saunders. 



* L. alls supra cyaneo-nigris, anticarum costa striolis (|uin(iue basalibus aliisque numerosis longitudinalibus e medio ad apicem extensis, nee non niarginis 

 externi posticarum viridibus, his etiam puncto cbermesiiio-purpureo basali notatis ; omnibus infra dimiJio basali atris chermesino-purpureo maculatis dimidio 

 apicali albo longitudinaliter striatis, abdomine utrinque sanguineo-niaculato. Expans. alar, antic, unc. 2,1. 



t L. alls utrinque cyaneo-nigris, basi prssertim subtus sanguineo maculate, strigis numerosis albis e medio versus apicem anticarum extensis raarginemque 

 externum posticarum attingentibus, abdomine nigro. Expans. alar, antic, unc. 2. 



