154 LEPIDOPTERA INDICA. 



ARHOPALA APHA. 



Plate 674, figs. 3, ^ , 3a, ^ . 



Arliopala apha, de Niceville, Journ. Bo. Nat. Hist. Soc. 1895, p. 287, pi. O, fig. 31, ^ . Bethune- 

 Baker, Trans. Zool. Soc. 1903, p. 69. 



Imago. — Male. Upperside, both wings rich shining deep bluish-purple. Foremng 

 with the costa narrowly and the outer margin somewhat widely black. Hindu- big with 

 the costa widely, the outer margin of the same width as in the forewing, black ; the 

 abdominal margin broadly pale fuscous ; the anal lobe black, just touched outwardly 

 with a few white scales. Underside, both wings shining vinous, all the markings large 

 and prominent, pale fuscous, outwardly bounded by a fine pale line ; a sub-marginal 

 fuscous fascia ; a very indistinct marginal fascia. Forewing with the inner margin 

 prominently and widely pale ochreous, reaching up to the second median nervule ; a 

 small oval spot towards the base, a larger oval one at the middle, and a still larger 

 C[uadrate one at the end of the discoidal cell ; above the latter is a prominent small 

 costal spot ; a large spot in the sub-median interspace at the point where the first 

 median nervule arises ; a similar spot at the base of the first median interspace ; the 

 discal band nearly straight and even, slightly dislocated only between the fourth and 

 fifth and sixth and seventh spots ; the latter very variable in size, very small in the 

 type specimen, twice as large in another specimen, still larger and shaped like a figure 

 8 in a third example. Hindwing with the four basal round spots as usual ; an oval 

 spot at the middle of the cell, with a sub- costal spot anterior to it, and another spot 

 posterior to it in the sulj-median interspace ; a large spot at the end of the cell ; the 

 discal band greatly dislocated, the two anterior spots strongly shifted inwardly from the 

 rest, touching the spot at the end of the cell ; the next four spots nearly in a straight 

 line ; the seventh spot V-shaped ; the eighth spot elongated, ending on the internal 

 nervure ; the anal lobe large, jet-black, anterior to which is a large area reaching to the 

 second median nervule of metallic green scales. 



Female. Upperside, both wings differ from the male only in the black borders 

 being very much broader, in the forewing reaching the sub-costal nervure, and ex- 

 tending over the discocellular nervules. Underside, both wings as in the male. 



This species is closely allied to A. anella, de Niceville, and to all the species cited 

 in the description of that species above, but it is distinguished from all of them by the 

 very rich vinous-red coloration of the underside, in this respect reminding one of 

 A. acestes, de Niceville, but the colour in A. apha is still richer ; in markings it difters 

 from that species in having an additional costal spot, and all the spots are much 

 smaller. 



Described from three males and one female in my collection. 



Expanse of wings, Z li^ to 2-jTy, ? l-j% inches. 



