AMBLYPODIA GEOUP OF THE LYCJJNID^E. 75 



Amblypodia nobilis Hewitson, Cat. Lye. B.M. p. 7. n. 33 (1862) ; id. 111. Diurn. Lep., Lye. p. 8 



(1865). 

 Amblypodia alee Ribbe, Iris, vol. ii. p. 256 (1889). 

 Arhopala alcestes Grose-Smith, Rhop. Exot. vol. iii. p. 9, pi. xxv. fig. 1. 



Sab. Amboina ; Ceram. 



Expanse, d 47, $ 49 mm. 



6 . Upperside : both wings shining ultramarine-blue ; primaries with a very narrow 

 black costa and narrow posterior margin. Secondaries with broad blackish costa, 

 narrow posterior margin, blackish-grey abdominal fold ; anal angle with a large black 

 spot ; tail black, white-tipped, a short black tail also at the end of the second median 

 nervule; lobe highly developed, black, edged above with brilliant cserulean. Under- 

 side : both wings warm brown, with dark velvety spots palely edged. Primaries with 

 three large and increasing spots, the second not edged on its costal side, and the third 

 edged laterally only ; anterior to the second and over the third are two small spots on 

 the costa ; beneath the second spot in the paler submedian area is a darker shading 

 forming a very indefinite spot : transverse band composed of six spots, a small costal 

 one confluent with the much larger second spot ; third and fourth larger still, shifted 

 well outwardly, confluent, with no outward pale edging, but diffused right into the 

 submavginal row, the upper of these two spots forms an interior obtuse angle with the 

 lower one ; fifth spot shifted right inwards, the sixth also slightly inwards and 

 terminating on the lower median nervule ; submarginal row distinct. Secondaries with 

 a small spot at the costal base; a large, irregular, basal spot, followed by two small 

 roundish ones, the lower one being shifted beyond the internal nervure ; these are 

 followed by three longish spots below each other ; cell closed by a subquadrate 

 spot, below which is a small, very dark spot in the lower median angle. Two large 

 confluent spots are just below the costa, which should form part of the transverse band, 

 but are quite disconnected from it ; the upper one touches the middle spot, and the 

 lower one touches the spot closing the cell. Transverse band begins on the upper 

 discoidal nervure with two confluent quadrate spots, followed by the third shifted well 

 inwards, the fourth outwards, fifth angular spot slightly inwards and confluent with the 

 sixth long spot ; submarginal row almost obsolete. Lobe-spot large, velvety black, 

 and more or less black in the marginal spaces between the three succeeding nervules, 

 over which is a considerable suffusion of greenish-metallic scales, which are edged above 

 by a black stripe up to the internal nervure ; over this again are more metallic-greenish 

 scales mixed with grey ones. Most of the spots on the secondaries have pale centres. 



2 . Upperside : both wings bright azure-blue, with broad purplish-black costal and 

 posterior margins to the primaries, and broad margins all round in the secondaries. 

 Underside as in male. 



This species is very close to alee Hew., but the blue of the upperside is much 

 brighter and of a different tone, and the underside markings are much less and are not 



l2 



