THE HARLEQUIN MOTH. 



665 



my list, and the new insect inserted. It was found to belong 

 to the genus Anaxita, and Mr. A. H. Butler conferred upon it 

 the appropriate specific name of Sannionis, i.e. "harlequin," the 

 colours of the insect being exactly those of a harlequin's dress. 

 The insect is a native of Mexico. 



So complicated a pattern and such varied colours are not easy 

 of description, except in technical language which would not be 

 understood by the general reader. I will try, however, to make 

 them intelligible. The ground colour of the upper wings is 



Fig. 399.— Hypercamjia imperialis. 

 (Brown, white, and yellow. Body scarlet.) 



scarlet, changing gradually through orange in the centre to 

 yellow at the base. At the upper edge of the wing there is a 

 large and well-defined patch of bright yellow. The curious 

 pattern at the base and the stripes which run to the edge of 

 the wing are green edged with blue, so that we have here the 

 red, green, gold, and blue of the harlequin's dress. 



The lower wings are scarlet and black, very much like the 

 colours of our well-known Cinnabar Moth. On either side of 

 the thorax there is a very long tuft of hair, yellow at the top ; 



