1893.] BRITISH CBNTRAIi ArMCA. 675 



164. DiosPAGB sciis^TiLLANs, sp. n. (Plate LX. figs. 12, 13.) 



Allied to D. rhehus, Cramer, and D. tAplax, Plotz : above black, 

 the primaries brilliautl}'- shot with emerald-greeu ; a broad streak 

 occup}dng the basal fourth of costa, aud three spots beyond it, 

 glittering metallic golden green shaded with golden cupreous ; a 

 large oval patch of glittering magenta, varying to purple and edged 

 with fiery copper ; five nearly equidistant semihyaline opaline 

 white spots, arranged as follows — one within the end of the cell, 

 one beyond the cell, and three submarginal, the central oue of 

 which is largest and crosses the second median branch : secondaries 

 briUiantly shot with prussian blue ; a small opaline white spot 

 within extremity of discoidal ceU and a larger subanal spot ; 

 abdominal border clothed with black hairs : head steel-blue ; 

 antennas black ; thorax greenish black, the collar, patagia, aud two 

 transverse bands at back of thorax glittering metallic golden green, 

 varying on the patagia to fiery copper ; abdomen indigo, imperfectly 

 banded with scattered metallic green scales. Wings below bril- 

 liantly shot with prussian blue, which shades into green on apical 

 area of primaries and costa of secondaries ; discoidal cell of 

 primaries shaded with purple ; costa spotted with metallic pale 

 blue-greenish ; all white spots as above : palpi black, legs blue- 

 black ; all the tibiae with a conspicuous white patch ; the pectus 

 almost entirely covered with metallic steel-green ; abdomen crossed 

 by imperfect bands of the same colour. Expanse of wings 42 

 milhm. 



Var. Primaries almost as blue as the secondaries ; the three 

 golden-green costal spots, which in the typical form follow the 

 basal streak, wanting ; the large metallic patch from median vein 

 to inner margin subquadrate, with a central projecting tooth from 

 its outer margin ; in colouring also it diiiers in being of a fiery 

 copper colour, edged with golden copper ; the subapical white spot 

 and the spot near external angle wholly absent ; secondaries with 

 the costa purplish, no white spot in the cell, and the subanal spot 

 smaller. Expanse of wings 40 millim. 



Zomba, July 1892 and January 1893. 



After seeing this magnificent species I am quite satisfied that 

 Cramer's D. rhebus is African (not East Indian, as Mr. Kirby has 

 concluded, Syn. Cat. p. 169). Cramer says it was received from 

 Coromandel and the coast of Africa ; his first locality, not his 

 second, being unquestionably erroneous. 



I should undoubtedly have regarded the variety described above 

 as a distinct species, had there not fortunately been an example 

 intermediate between the two forms in the collection. It is 

 probable, I think, that D. triplax of Plotz, which is described as 

 having only three hyaline white spots on the primaries, may also 

 vary in a similar manner ; it evidently does not possess the large 

 metallic purplish or cupreous patch, or the smaller metallic golden- 

 green streaks and spots of D. scintiUans, in which respect the 

 latter is more nearly allied to D. rhcOas. A fourth species, 



