A Revision of the genus Tarucus. 277 



have given a photographic reproduction of Driice's excellent 

 figure in which the imderside shows the pattern as well 

 as the original drawing. 



Tarucus balkanica, Freyer. Plates XIV, figs. 3-36 ; 

 XV, fig. 3, and XIX, figs. 21, 22. 



L. balkanica, Frr., v, p. 63, pi. 421, fi. 1, 2 (1844). 



(^. Deep lustrous violet, spotted with black; in the primary 

 there is a spot closing the cell, a series of six postmedian spots, the 

 second, third and fourth irregular and shifted outwards from the 

 first, the fifth and sixth confluent, shifted well inwards; these 

 occupy the same position as those on the underside, but are not 

 merely showing through as they are definitely pigmented on the 

 upper surface ; there is also a small dark cloud in the tomus of the 

 primary. The underside is white with the spots almost formed 

 into lines or dashes; the postmedian line is almost crenulate and 

 practically continuous in both wings ; in the primaries it is curved 

 to the costa from vein 6 and not infrequently is fractured at that 

 point; the submarginal series on the primaries is prominent and 

 generally intersected at the veins. The principal distinguishing 

 feature is its deep violet colour with prominent black spots on the 

 upperside. 



The form from the Transcaspian region is unusually large 

 and fine and is quite distinctive enough to be described as 

 a local race; I propose for it the name of T. balkanica 

 areshana, var. nov. 



The blue though dark is much more lustrous than the form from 

 Asia Minor or Syria, whilst the underside pattern is much more 

 heavily marked, the postmedian and submarginal bands being 

 more than as wide again and most commonly taking the form of 

 broad bands, rather than rows of spots. Again, the size also is 

 decidedly larger, my specimens of the type form measuring 21-22 mm. 

 against the Aresh form, 26-29 mm. I have a series of a dozen speci- 

 mens which were captured for me at Geok Tepe by my friend, 

 Captain IMalcolm Burr. 



The species looked so different that at first I mistook 

 it for theophrastus, and it is referred to again under that 

 species. 



The genitalia are usually small and slight, the clasps are broad 

 and very suddenly excised very near the ajiex, which is reduced 



