HESPERIA MALV-E. 228 



p. 485 (1758)] . [Papilio malvae, alls denticulatis divaricatis nigris 

 albopunctatis. (Fn. 794. Hoffn., "Ins.," 4. t., 2 f. alt. Pet., " Mus.," 

 35, n. 325. Papiliunculus fuscus punctis plurimis albicantibus. " Gaz.," 

 56, t. 36, f. 6. Papilio fuscus, etc, Aet. Ups., 1736, p. 23, n. 34. 

 Papilio alis erectis obtusis dentatis nigris ; punctis albis, tesselatis. 

 It. (Eland, 3. Papilio hexapus, aiis divaricatis denticulatis nigris albo- 

 punctatis.) Habitat prime- vere in Pratis. Descriptio : Magnitudo 

 Argi. Corpus totum et alaa supra nigro fuscaa. Alaa maculis parvis 

 seu punctis quadratis, albis, numerosis adspersae sunt a parte exteriori, 

 margine quasi dentato, interjacentibus maculis albis. Corpus et alse 

 subtus griseo-cinereaa ; alaa ipsae subtus maculis albis difformibus 

 inaaqualis magnitudinis. Antennae clavataa, supra fuscaa, subtus albidaa, 

 annulis minimis albis. Alse erectse non sunt, sed divaricataa, fere uti 

 Phalaenae quercifoliae (Linne, Fauna Suecicae, 2nd ed., p. 285).] 



Imago. — 25mm. -27mm. in expanse. All four wings blackish, 

 with a slight greyish-green tinge, chequered with white or creamy- 

 white spots, many of which are almost square ; the fringes alternately 

 made up of white and black patches. Underside of forewings grey, 

 with the white spots of upperside conspicuous ; that of hindwings, 

 ochreous, with white marks of upperside enlarged and increased. 



Sexual dimorphism. — The special characteristics of the $ are : 

 (1) A narrow fold along the basal portion of the costa. (2) A thick 

 sprinkling of greenish-grey scales at the base of the forewings. (3) A 

 more complete central white band on the hindwings. (4) A trace of 

 other white spots usually towards the base of both fore- and hindwings. 

 The $ is almost black in colour, sometimes with a faint purplish 

 tinge ; the spots are somewhat contracted, and the pattern shows a much 

 more marked contrast than in the $ . The undersides of the hind- 

 wings of the $ are dull greyish-ochreous, but, in the % , the ochreous 

 is often of a bright ruddy hue. The costal fold is really the turned- 

 up costal edge of the forewing, so that it forms, with its scales, the roof 

 or upper surface of a tube or passage [(compare more detailed description 

 of that of Nisoniades tages) (postea).] . At the bottom of this tube is 

 a great number of androconial scales, closely attached to each other, 

 and a broad band. The androconia are, in this species, broadest at the 

 base, about 0-01 lmm., and always become narrower towards the apex, 

 drawn over in a long very fine point, their length running to # 25mm. 

 Besides this, there is, in the^ s, a spot near the inner side of the posterior 

 tibiae, which is thickly beset with long evenly broad hairs, forming 

 together a tuft, which the insect is said to be able to spread out or 

 contract at will* (Aurivillius) . 



Teratological specimen. — A notch at the apex of all the wings, in 

 which the cilia are present, but shorter than usual (Mansbridge). 



Variation. — Considerable variation exists in the depth of the ground 

 colour and extent of the white markings. Sometimes the white spots 

 on the forewing occupy the greater part of its central area, and 

 form the ab. taras, Bergs, (lavaterae, Haw.), which is diagnosed by 

 Staudinger, as having "the white spots large and confluent" ; at other 

 times the markings of the forewings are normal, but the white spots of 

 the hindwings form a complete central band = ab. fasciata, Tutt, whilst 



* Fritz Muller believes that he detected in certain Brazilian species a faint 

 Bcent produced by similar structures. 



