AGKIADES THETIS. 325 



Schaffer was followed by Gerhard (Mon., p. 21, pi. xxxvii., figs. 4a-6) 

 with the habitat " Turkei," probably Turkey-in-Asia, and, therefore, 

 his insect referable to the blue form of A. coridon, followed in turn by 

 Staudinger, who notes (Hor. Soc. Ent. Boss., xiv., p. 244) the capture 

 of a g polonus on June 23rd, 1875, at Kerasdere, in Asia Minor, 

 flying with typical A. thetis (bellargus), and then, unfortunately, 

 mixes it up with the blue form of A. coridon that Lederer took in 

 the Taurus. He also notes (op. cit.) another possible specimen of 

 polonus captured on the Pomeranian border of Silesia, and supports 

 Zeller's view of a hybrid origin for this form. With this informa- 

 tion at disposal, and knowing that Zeller's original types came from 

 Germany, he gives, in 1871 (Cat., 2nd ed., p. 12), however, the only 

 locality of polonus as " Asia Minor," and from this blunder has 

 spread the general error of referring all the blue forms of coridon 

 from Asia Minor and Spain to polonus, Zell., and to the culminating 

 blunder in Staudinger's Cat., 3rd ed., p. 86, where he gives as the 

 range of Zeller's polonus, "Eastern Prussia, Aragon, Taurus, Syrian 

 mountains," and considers the combination a variety of bellargus. 

 The Aragon, Taurus, and Syrian specimens of polonus sent out by 

 Staudinger, that we have been able to examine, are all undoubted 

 " blue " examples of coridon, whilst we can find none other than 

 the specimens* noted above that can be referred to polonus, Zell. 

 These, we suspect, are real natural hybrids of coridon X thetis (bellar- 

 gus), the only natural hybrid butterflies that we have yet recognisably 

 examined, and brought about by a pairing between a late coridon and 

 early thetis (bellargus) of the late brood, the larvas taking on the 

 forward habit of thetis (bellargus), and appearing with the first brood 

 of this species the following spring. 



Agriades thetis, v. Eott. (bellargus, v. Kott.) 



Synonymy.— Species : Thetis, v. Eott., "Naturf.," vi., p. 24 (1775); Goze, 

 "Ent. Beitr.," iii., pt. 2, p. 60, in part (references to von Eott.) (1780); 

 Schneid., " Sys. Besch.," p. 245 (1787); Bkh., " Sys. Besch.," i., pp. 162, 279 

 (1788); ii., p. 228, figs. 6-8 (1789); Scriba, "Journal," p. 221 (1791); Kirby, "Syn. 

 Cat.," p. 367 (1871); Scudd., "Hist. Sketch," p. 105 (1875); Buckell, "Ent. 

 Bee," iv., p. 138 (1893); Kirby, "Handbook," ii., p. 93, pi. xlvi., figs. 1-3 

 (1896). Bellargus, v. Eott., "Naturf.," vi., p. 25 (1775); Esper, " Schmett. 

 Eur.," pi. xxxii. (supp. viii.j, fig. 3, p. 333 (1777); pi. Iv. (cont. v.), figs. 2, 3, 

 4, 6 (1778); Bergstr., "Norn.," iii., p. 10, pi. liii., figs 5-6 (1779); Goeze, "Ent. 

 Beit.," iii.,pt. 2, p. 61 (1780); Schneid., " Sys. Besch.," p. 239 (1787); Bkh., " Sys. 

 Besch.," i., pp. 157, 277 (1788); ii., p. 226 (1789); DeVill., "Car. Linn. Ent. 

 Fn. Suec," ii., p. 74 (1789); Schwarz, "Eaup. Kal.," ii., p. 347 (1791); 

 Panzer, " Schaff. Icon. Ins.," p. 216 (1804); Meig., "Eur. Schmett.," ii., p. 21, 

 pi. xlvii., figs. Sa-b (1830); Hein., " Schmett. Deutsch.," i., p. 79 (1859); Staud., 

 "Cat.," 2nd ed., p. 12 (1871); Curo, "Bull. Soc. Ent. Ital.," vi., p. 112 (1874); 

 Kirby, "Eur. Butts.," i., p. 48, pi. xiv., fig. 7 (1882); Lang, "Butts. Eur.," 

 p. 120, pi. xxvi., fig. 4 (1884); Kane, " Eur. Butts.," p. 44 (1885); Auriv., "Nord. 

 Fjar.," p. 14 (1888-91); Buckell, "Ent. Bee," iv., p. 138 (1893); Euhl, " Gross- 

 Schmett.," p. 275 (1892-1895); Meyr., "Handbook," etc., p. 348 (1895); Tutt, 

 "Ent. Bee," vii., pp. 220, 300 (1895); "Brit. Butts.," p. 170, pi. iii,, figs. 1-2 



* One suspects the form calydonius, Lowe (Wheeler's Butts. Switz., p. 31) 

 taken at Montana, mid-June, 1899, as possibly belonging here. Also, since the 

 above has been in type, Wheeler reports (in litt.) the capture of three similar 

 examples at Assisi in Italy, June 28th-30th, 1909, and two others July 19th 

 and 24th also at Assisi, the first three flying with thetis, the last two with coridon, 

 the former being over at the latter date. "We are also inclined to suspect the 

 greenish-blue Dover specimen, noted by South (Ent., xx., pp. 80-81) under 

 bellargus (no. 9) as also belonging here 



