10 ME. G. T. BETHUNE-BAKEE : A EEVISION OF THE 



Thecla nila Kollar, Hiigel's Kaschmir, vol. iv. pt. 2, p. 413. n. 3, pi. iv. figs. 5, 6, g (1844). 

 Iraota iimoleon de Niceville, Butt. Ind. vol. iii. p. 215. n. 775, pi. xxvii. figs. 192 S , 193 ? 

 (1890). 



Hab. China ; Bhutan ; Kangra District ; Masuri ; Dalhousie ; Chumba, Dagshai, 

 Faizabab ; Julpigori ; Sikkim; Cachar ; Pachmarli; Orissa; Ganjam ; Puitnagherry ; 

 Khandala; Poona; Nilgais (found only at low elevations). 



Expanse, 6 48, $ 48-56 mm. 



6 . Upperside: both wings black: primaries with a large patch of brilliant deep 

 lustrous azure below the cell, extending from the base across three-quarters of the 

 wing: secondaries with a larger patch of lustrous deep azure between the upper 

 discoidal and the submedian nervure, and extending but little into the cell, and 

 leaving a rather broad black posterior margin ; lobe brick-red, the single fairly long 

 grey-tipped tail adjoining it. Underside: primaries blackish, with the whole of the 

 submedian area grey, and the costa and upper half of the posterior margin broadly 

 red ; beyond the centre of the costa is an obscure pale greyish patch ; a silvery-white 

 club-shaped stripe extends rather over halfway along the upper edge of the cell, which 

 is closed by a similar white spot ; a straight, interrupted, very obscure, whitish-spotted 

 fascia extends from the costa to the lower median nervule, the lower part of which 

 consists of two lunular white spots, the upper part being very obscure; in the red 

 apical area there is a trace of another short whitish-spotted row. Secondaries clouded 

 orey-black and brown, dusted all over more or less thickly with red irrorations ; from 

 the base of the cell up to just beyond the middle of the costal nervure an irregular 

 white patch extends which is narrowed in the middle, and also has a certain amount 

 of red irroration therein ; cell partly closed by a short white dash from the middle of 

 the lower median nervule to the abdominal edge ; there is a very irregular whitish line, 

 outside which are three longish red spots touching each other, below which is another 

 white stripe ; there is a broadish orange patch in the middle of the posterior margin ; 

 lobe velvety red, with grey fringes. 



$ . Upperside : both wings brown, with two tails ; the primaries only with a sub- 

 lustrous violet patch. Underside as in the male, but altogether paler. 



Horsfield and Moore figure the larva as onisciform and smooth, with a very small 

 head ; second segment largish ; third and fourth each larger than its predecessor, then 

 decreasing evenly to the tail. Nearly one inch long. Pinkish, shading off into greenish 

 on the sides ; the terminal segments entirely green, with three rows of lateral dots. 

 Pupa dark brown, striped with darker brown. Short and thick; head distinct; 

 abdomen slightly constricted below the thorax, and roundish at the end. 



De Niceville (I. c.) writes that both /. timoleon and mcecenas present the same 

 apparent dimorphism in the female, and he continues : " though these two species are 

 apparently so distinct, I hold to the opinion that breeding will probably prove them to 



