﻿POMPEOPTERA VANDEPOLLI. 



Papilio Yan de Polli, Snellen, Tijdschrift v. Ent. XXXIII., p. 22, (i3go). 

 Ornithoptera Yanclepolli, Fruhstorfer, Berliner Ent. Zeitschr. XXXIX., p. 241, t, 17, f. 1, (1S94). 

 Troides Yandepolli, Walter Rothschild, Ncvitates Zoologies, Pt. vii., [Rev. of Pap. of E. Hemisphere, exclusive of Africa,] p. 205, n. 12, (1895). 



There can be no hesitation in regarding Vandcpolli as a 

 most satisfactory species. The J is abundantly distinct 

 from that of any other form of Pompeoptera, and though 

 so much cannot be said of the $ the latter fact only 

 tends to remind us of its cogeneric claims, while giving us 

 the advantage of better knowing its position among the 

 species belonging to that genus. It is exceedingly unlike 

 its Javan relative, P. Pompcus ; and the $ is very much 

 more beautiful, in addition to its greater size in both 

 sexes, and is a splendid example of a mountain species, 

 having been taken at an altitude of 4000 feet. It may be 

 said that with P. Miranda of Butler, from Sarawak, and 

 P. Magcllanvs of Felder, from the Philippines, it helps to 

 form a triad of species as distinguished among the Pom- 

 peoptera, as 0. (Priamoptera ) Croesus, Lydius and Urvilliana 

 do among the Ornithoptera. Excellent descriptions and 

 figures of this species are given by Snellen and by 

 Fruhstorfer ; but I may be pardoned if I present the 

 results of a study of the examples — from which I have 

 drawn my figures, as I thought this would be the most 

 useful course. 



$ . Anterior wings large, and subtriangulate ; slightly 

 wider in proportion than in Pompcus and its congeners ; 

 the costa very gradually arcuate, a little more curved 

 towards the apex ; posterior margin not so straight as in 

 Pompcus, being more concave ; interior margin more con- 

 cave than in Pompeus ; fringe lunules very delicate and 

 unobtrusive ; the 4th and 5th subcostal nervules from the 

 end of the cell branch off at as great a distance as the 2nd 

 does from behind the 1st discocellular nervule ; [in 

 Pompeus the distance of the 4th and 5th branches from 

 the end of the cell is greater than that of the 2nd from the 

 1st discocellular nervule] ; the 3rd subcostal nervule 

 originates at the end of the cell. Posterior wings broader 

 in proportion than in Pompeus, and more closely propor- 

 tioned to the upper wings than in that species. 



Anterior wings a deep velvety black, with very faint 

 traces of the light internervular rays, which are partly 

 indicated by a few obscurely yellow atoms bordering the 

 3 median nervules, the others being faintly seen through 

 from the grey white rays of the under surface ; the black 

 is suffused in some lights by faint olive reflections, but, 

 viewed obliquely against the light, by a slight purple gloss. 



Posterior wings deep velvety black, with a slight olivine 

 gloss when opposite the light, especially on the abdominal 

 fold, and a slight purple gloss when viewed against the 

 light ; the disc and 3-5ths of the cell occupied by a silky 

 golden-yellow — very golden obliquely against the light, 

 slightly shot with a delicate pale emerald green when 

 viewed in the ordinary way, but with a beautiful opalescent 

 green all over when held obliquely opposite the light ; 

 the brilliancy of this yellow is intense — the veins and 

 veinlets being very black, and stout ; the yellow patch 

 of the cell is suboval ; the black border is broad and 

 somewhat dentate, the two lower divisions are edged 

 above with black scales, and there is a faint spot of 



yellow scales outside the 3rd median nervure ; the black 

 part of the cell, and the space between the median and 

 submedian veins are furnished with a multitude of long 

 black hairs, proceeding from near the base, and extending 

 nearly down to the anal angle ; the colour of the andro- 

 conia a fleshy tint ; the black of the apex about twice the 

 breadth of the general black border ; posterior border 

 nearly equally and sufficiently dentated ; the veins on the 

 black areas of the wings only slightly visible. 



Undersurface. Anterior wings a glossy smoky black, 

 with a purplish submedian fold and nervure, and olivine 

 wing reflections ; the veins all appear well in relief, but 

 the nervules are very slender ; the discal grey-white rays 

 bordering the nervules become more obsolete in character 

 as they approach the subcostal nervules, and commence 

 as usual on the upper side of the 1st median branch ; 

 within the discoidal cell and along the median nervure 

 are a few white atoms also ; the margins of the median 

 and subcostal veins, and between the subcostal branches 

 in some lights, have a greasy appearance, produced by the 

 black scales of these parts being more sparsely scattered, 

 so as render slightly visible the shining surface of the 

 wing membrane. 



Posterior wings as on the upper surface — the yellow 

 and black occupying relatively the same area ; but a large 

 yellow triangular mark is outside the 3rd median vein, 

 followed by a small patch of yellow scales ; a patch of 

 yellowish grey scales is on the black marginal dentations 

 between the 2nd and 3rd median nervules, and a square 

 mark of the same character is nearly divided by the black 

 below the small yellow mark between the same nervules ; 

 a small creamy-grey curved streak of atoms at the anal 

 angle ; the abdominal margin outside the submedian vein 

 a silky flesh-coloured brown, with a fringe of long black 

 hairs. 



Head and thorax deep black velvety pilose ; eyes dark 

 brown ; the pronotal collar with the red nearly obsolete ; 

 thorax beneath with pectoral red spots, almost hidden by 

 the black hairs of the breast ; the abdomen silky black 

 (the dorsum partly reddish brown within 3 of the seg- 

 ments) with yellow laterally, and the articulations 

 accentuated by short whitish hairs ; the anal valves 

 silky dark brown ; the subdorsum yellow, with the usual 

 lateral black dots, and a double row of ventral black spots, 

 which occupy more and more of the segments as they 

 near the base of the abdomen. 



Antennas or abdomen 30 mms. long ; thorax with the 

 head 22 mms. 



(1st pair : femur, 10? ; tibia, 8; tarsi, (?) mms. 

 Legs] 2nd ,, : ,,12; „ 12; „ 14 ,, 

 [3rd „ : ,, 13; ... 12; „ 15 „ 

 The anterior leg is imperfect in the specimen. 



Articulations of antenna, 50. 



19 



Vol. II. 



