442 L. de Niceville & Dr. L. Martin — Butterflies of Stimatra. [No. 3, 



281. Abisara kausambioides, de Niceville, n. sp. 



A. Tcausambi, Distant (nee Felder), Rhop. Malay., p. 189, n. 2, pi. xviii, fig. 10, 

 male (1883). 



Habitat: Penang and Perak in the Malay Peninsula, N.-E. Suma- 

 tra, Nias. 



Expanse: <?, 1*8 to 1*9 inches. 



Description : Male. Upperside, both wings rich dark prune -coloured, 

 beautifully glossed with dark purple in some lights, much more so than in 

 either sex of A. Jeausambi, Felder; without markings. Underside, 

 both wings of the same rich prune-colour as on the upperside, but with- 

 out purple reflections. Forewing with the usual pair of discal parallel 

 narrow pale purplish lines, which widen out somewhat on nearing the 

 costa ; a narrow submarginal whitish line from the anal angle, becoming 

 ohsolete beyond the middle of the wingf. Hindwing with the usual pale 

 discal band, three apical and two anal black spots each bearing outward- 

 ly a fine white line, between these spots in the median interspaces are a 

 pair of pale lunules, a submarginal narrow dark line, inwardly denned 

 with a very fine white Hue. 



I have described this species as new with some reluctance, as 

 the butterflies of this group of the genus Abisara are obviously very 

 valuable, these variations being apparently not confined in some cases 

 to geographical areas, so that the numerous names which have already 

 been given to many of these varietal forms are by no means easy to 

 allocate. There are, however, obviously two species of Abisara of this 

 group occurring in the Malay Peninsula and N.-E. Sumatra, the 

 males of both being easily separable. A. kansambi, Felder, is much 

 ornamented with whitish bands and black spots on the upperside, while 

 A. kausambioides is entirely plain and unmarked; the ground-colour 

 of the latter is also much deeper. The females of the two species 

 I am unable to differentiate. Mr. Distant's figure and description 

 of the male quoted above evidently applies to the present species, and 

 do not at all agree with Felder's description of the male of A. kau- 

 sambi* A. kausambioides is perhaps neai'est to A. prunosa, Moore, from 

 Ceylon, but that species has the male normally ornamented with pale 

 bands and black spots on the upperside. The two non-tailed Abisaras 

 are not uncommon in N.-E. Sumatra, A. kansambi occurring near the sea 

 (Loboe Dalam) to Namoe Oekor, while A. kausambioides is found from 

 Namoe Oekor to Bekantschan. Both are of very delicate structure, 



* See the last paragraph on p. 324 of Bntt. of India, vol. ii. When writing 

 this I possessed but two male Abisaras of this gronp from the Malay Peninsnla, one 

 each represents A. kausambi and A. kausambioides : from this small material I did 

 not dare to describe a new species. 



