534 L. de Niceville— Description of Neptis praslini. [No. 2, 



1. Neptis praslini, Boisduval. 



Limenitis praslini, Boisduval, Voy. 1' Astrolabe, Ent., part i, p. 131, n. 2 (1832) : 

 d., Staudinger, Ex. Schmett., p. 146, pi. 1, female [nee male] (1886). 



Habitat : New Ireland (the Neu-Mechlenburg of the Germans) 

 (Boisduval) ; Cooktown, Queensland, N.-E. Australia (Staudinger). 

 Expanse : d 1 , $ , 1*45 inches. 



Dr. O. Staudinger has figured a female of N. praslini from 

 Cooktown in N.-E. Australia, and says that the male hardly differs, 

 but has a broad shining grey costal margin on the upperside of the 

 hindwing, which is wanting in the female. I propose to consider 

 Dr. Staudinger 's figure as typical of the species. He goes on to say 

 that " A somewhat larger but very similar species is the N. brebissonii 

 of Boisduval from New Guinea, which I have received from Dr. Platen 

 from Waigeu. This differs chiefly in the larger white spots, and in hav- 

 ing a broad black costal margin on the underside of the hindwing. How 

 it happens that these and several other similar species stand in Kirby 

 under Athyma, I cannot say, as both species are so extremely similar to 

 one another, and in this case it can hardly be considered to be mimicry." 

 I am doubtful if Dr. Staudinger has correctly identified " Limenitis " 

 brebissonii, described from New Guinea, as Boisduval makes no mention 

 of the three prominent white spots in the discoidal cell of the forewing 

 present in all the species of the group of N. praslini. I possess a single 

 pair of this species from Cooktown kindly sent to me by Dr. O. 

 Staudinger. It is of course possible that these specimens represent a 

 species distinct from true N. praslini, but in the absence of New Ireland 

 examples it is impossible for me to say. Boisduval's original descrip- 

 tion of this species from New Ireland is very short, the specific definition 

 being contained in the words " hindwing crossed at the middle by a 

 large white band." 



This species mimics Teller vo zoilus, Fabricius. In life the eyes of 

 both species are bright yellow. The specimen figured is a male. 



