﻿POMPEOPTERA HYCETUS, SPEC. NOV. 



Pompeoptera Pompeus ? , Rippon. The present work, Vol. II, p. 54, pi. 56, figs. 3, 4 (1895). 



In the portions of this work mentioned above, I des- 

 cribed and figured an interesting variety (as I at that 

 time considered) of the ? of Pompeus (type form) from 

 Java. Unfortunately I forgot, in writing the text, and 

 the names on the plate, to state that this ? was not a 

 type ? , but a variety of the type, though I take note of 

 it a little later on. 



The circumstances of the case were these : In the 

 cabinet of Mr. Grose-Smith, at that time placed under 

 the <? of the type Pompeus, was the insect referred to, 

 which I took to be a remarkable variety, as it did not 

 fit with any other Javan species, nor indeed with any 

 species from extra-Javan countries. It was labelled Java, 

 and I had the pleasure of borrowing, figuring and des- 

 cribing it. After I had returned it I found later on that 

 Mr. Grose-Smith had placed it in a new position, and he 

 asked me more than once what I really thought it was. Re- 

 cently, in comparing my fig. with those of others allied to 

 it, I have arrived at the conviction that it is an indepen- 

 dent species, and not a variety ; and I herewith repeat 

 my former description of this beautiful form, for which I 

 now propose the name P. Hycetus. What the $ of this new 

 species is like, time only can show ; and were it not that 

 this S is so distinctly unlike anything else which I have 

 seen, I should have hesitated to describe the new species 

 from the S only. 



? Anterior wings dark fumous brown ; with the outer 

 4th of the cell buff or creamy white, blended into the dark 

 part of the cell by dark atoms, or scales ; the adnervular 

 discal rays are of the same light tint, and coalesce so as to 

 form a continuous light discal area, divided only by the 

 nervures and nervules ; these rays extend nearly from the 

 subcostal nervure to the 2nd median nervule, and their 

 terminals to within a short distance of the posterior 

 margin, and are nearly uniform in width ; the rays are 

 graduated towards the outer margin by smoky-brown 

 scales ; on the 3rd median nervule is a short rudimentary 

 white adnervular ray, dusted with fumose scales, and 

 two others above the submedian nervure. The veins are 

 all sufficiently stout and prominent ; the fringe lunules 

 are creamy buff-white. The 3rd subcostal nervule com- 

 mences a little beyond the cell ; the pseudoneura are 

 fairly distinct, the 3rd terminating with a distinct gray 

 spot close to the discocellular nervure, but within the cell. 



[In the Genus Pompeoptera the pseudoneura are gen- 

 erally very distinct, especially in the females, often 



appearing like thin nervures or veins — an indication that 

 probably some remote ancestors of the Papilionidae 

 possessed a more superficially complex structure. In the 

 cell of the posterior wings of some of the Papilionidae 

 these pseudoneura may be found, sometimes prominently 

 visible, but often only just traceable by a careful exami- 

 nation, in a favourable light.] 



Posterior wings, golden yellow, having somewhat the 

 appearance of an example of Pompeus, or of Cerberus, its 

 Indian analogue; the basal end of the cell, the base of 

 the wing, and costal and subcostal parts of the wing 

 black (or brown-black) uniting at the apical angle with 

 the black outer marginal border— though partly inter- 

 rupted by a small subapical intersection of the discal 

 yellow ; the posterior marginal black projects into the 

 yellow area of the wing as a series of moderately long 

 lunate cones, larger than those of the type form of 

 Pompeus, extending as usual from the apical to the anal 

 angles ; an oval black spot is between the 2nd and 3rd 

 median branches above the lower lunation ; two faint 

 atomic spots between the 1st discocellular and 1st median 

 branches, the lunular cones are finished with black atoms ; 

 a short narrow white streak is near the anal angle ; and a 

 triangulate white mark on the black at the apical angle. 



The undersurface of the anterior wing almost exactly 

 as above, except that the white is purer, and the brown 

 more strongly scaled with white atoms, and the cuneiform 

 mark at the distal end of the cell is not obsolute, as 

 above. The undersurface of the posterior wing also as 

 above, only that the yellow area of the cell and disc is 

 lighter except near to the submarginal black border, where 

 it is as rich as above ; the marginal lunate cones are ren- 

 dered incomplete in shape by a clouding of whitish and 

 grey atoms, the light fringe lunules are rather broader 

 than above, and a discal transverse row of 5 black spots 

 obtains, the 2nd and 3rd being atomic ; also, there is a 

 long V-shaped white mark on the black, parallel to the 

 costal and sub-costal veins. The body of the insect is 

 like that of the 2 of Pompeus. 



Length of costa 76 mms. 



Habitat : Java. 



The type is in the Museum of Mr. H. Grose-Smith, 

 and the specimen is at present unique. 



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