230 



BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



says that "the pale spots, though arranged as in the type, are light 

 yellow in colour, and as large as those of carthami" another point in 

 opposition with the original description, the remarks being evidently 

 taken from Lederer's description of hypoleucos. We are inclined 

 to refer to Duponchel's variety only those dark examples from the 

 eastern alps (the most brilliantly marked form of the species found 

 in Central Europe) ; some of the finest of these that we have seen, 

 came from Locarno (and were taken by Dr. Chapman there). They 

 are more marked with white than the equally contrasting Spanish 

 var. andalusica, in which the white markings are reduced almost as in 

 ab. taras on the hindwing. The southern form, var. amtralu, from the 

 Riviera, shows less contrast in its black and white, and the^ s approach, 

 in their frequent grey hairs towards the bases of the wings, the more 

 typical form of northern and central Europe. 



£". var. hypoleucos, Led., " Verh. zool.-bot. Gesell. Wien.," v. p. 193, pi. i., 

 fig. 8 (1855). — This insect is allied to alveus, Hb., is of the same size, but with 

 much shorter, broader, and rounder wings than this and the allied species, and the 

 underside is very different ; the upperside is greenish-grey, much more olive-brown 

 than in carthami ; the fringe-markings and spots as in this species, but the latter 

 are of a clearer white, rather larger, and not so sharply angulated on the forewings ; 

 the spots of the inner band of the hindwings are also pure white, and one spot in 

 the middle of this band projects considerably, even in dull-coloured specimens 

 (nearly as in alveolus), whereas in carthami, the whole band consists of regular 

 narrow longitudinal spots dusted with dark atoms, and these are also not so distinctly 

 prominent in alveus and var. fritillum ; on the underside, the forewings are dark 

 grey, towards the costa more greenish ; the spots are here also rounder, less distinct 

 from the ground colour, and more yellowish than in the allied species; the hind- 

 wings are pale greenish-yellow, darker towards the border, shading more into olive- 

 brown ; through the middle of the wing a pale longitudinal streak runs from the 

 base to the border, and the pattern of the upperside is also indicated by lighter, but 

 very ill-developed and indistinct, spots ; there are no other markings ; the fringes 

 are white, chequered with dark grey, on all the nervures except 1 and 5 ; the <? 

 has also a fold on the costa of the forewings ; the club of the antenna is bright rusty- 

 yellow beneath. Flies from May to July in damp places, and is rather scarce. Beyrout 

 (Lederer). 



Staudinger unites (Cat., 3rd ed., p. 97) this variety with Duponchel's 

 melotix, with the note " ab. albidior." Buhl's reference to melotis, as 

 we have already said, is largely based on the above description, and 

 he further notes that " the ground colour of the $ s is greenish-grey, of 

 the 2 s more olive-brown, and the pale spots, though arranged as in 

 the type, are light yellow in colour, and as large as those of carthami, " 

 but this is hardly borne out by Lederer's description quoted above. 

 Staudinger thinks the form (sens, strict.) is confined to the Islands 

 of the Grecian Archipelago and northern Syria, with an intermediate 

 form in the Taurus Mountains. Elwes (as well as Lederer) records 

 it from Beyrout, in Syria. Miss Fountaine says that this form was 

 common in the Lebanon, in May and June, 1901. 



v. var. (an spec, dist.) malvoides, Elw. and Edw., " Trans. Zool. Soc. Loud.," xiv., 

 p. 100, pi. xxiii.,figs. 27-27a (genit.) (1898) ; Staud., " Cat.,' 1 3rd ed., p. 97 (1901) ; 

 Wheeler, " Butts. Swit,," p. 7 (1903).— Three examples taken at Biarritz, July 25th, 

 1887, a single J 1 from Granada, with all the facies of malvae, but very distinct <? 

 genitalia. The differences in this respect are shown by figures. The proportion of 

 black hair-scales in the clothing of the second palpal joint appears to be considerably 

 greater in malvae than malvoides. We should not have ventured to separate these 

 on genetalic characters alone, but the genitalia of six specimens from Denmark, 

 Kreusnach, Rennes, Brittany, Stettin and Brussa, are all absolutely similar, inter se, 

 as are the three specimens above mentioned. It will probably be found that H) 

 malvoides has a wider range and other distinctive characters (Elwes and Edwards). 



