ORNITHOPTERA PEGASUS. 



Ornithoptera Pegasus, Felder, Reise Novara, Lep. I. p. 6, n. 4. t. 2. a, b, (1865). 

 0. Priamus, var. Pegasus, Dr. C. Fickert, Zool. Jahrbiichern, p. 707. 



„ var. K. Pegasus, Kirby, Syn. Cat. Diur. Lepid. p. 518. (1S71). 



0. Pegasus, (vars.) Th. Kirsch, Beitrag zur Kenntniss der Lepidopteren-Fauna von Neu-Guinea, in: " Mittheilungen aus dem K. Zoologischen Musei 



Zweites Heft, Taf. V. fig. 1 2 ; fig. 2, 2 . (Dresden 1877.) text, pp. 108, 109. 



0. Pegasus, (on Kirsch's vars.) Oberthur, Etudes d' Entomologie (Cat. Raisonne de Pap. de la Coll. de Cb. Oberthur) pp. 27, 28. 



0. Pegasus, Staudinger, Exotische Scbmetterlinge text., p. 3. No figure. (1888.) 



3. Costa of the superior wings arched. Upper side 

 velvety black, but with a considerable admixture of red- 

 dish brown, especially towards the posterior margin. The 

 subcostal band commences, as usual, near the base of the 

 wing, where it is divided by the subcostal nervure and 

 extends to within 4 mms. of the apex. Its greatest width 

 is 7 mms. at a point nearly close to the 1st discocellular 

 nervule, but within the cell ; its least width is 2 mms. 

 near the base, and near the apex, where it insensibly 

 diminishes to a point ; within this area are included the 

 greater part of the costal and subcostal nervures, the 1st 

 and 2nd subcostal nervules, and a brief portion of the 3rd, 

 also i-3rd of the 1st discocellular nervule ; its greatest 

 width within the discoidal cell is about 2-7ths, and its 

 least not more than 1 mm. ; this band (ribbon, Felder 

 terms it) is graduated in its curve through the whole 

 len°th from base to angle of its lower side except on each 

 side of the discocellular nervule, where it becomes slightly 

 broader, or encroaches a little on the area of the black ; 

 the greatest breadth of black above this band is at a point 

 3-4th of the length of the costa from the apex, where it is 4 

 mms. wide, the subcostal nervules being distinctly visible 

 in the black ; the 4th subcostal nervule runs broadly 

 through the green from the direction of the anterior 

 angle ; the white band is of a rich vegetable green and is 

 softened along its outline by green atoms encroaching 

 slightly on the black ; a thin ray of black atoms is seen 

 alon"- the green above the 4th subcostal nervure ; a band 

 of the same green commences at the base of the interior 

 margin, extends nearly to the anterior angle, and without 

 interruption continues up the posterior margin of the 

 win°- till it reaches the 5th subcostal nervule and is only 

 represented by a small green spot. This band is more 

 or less broad — broadest between the 3rd median nervule 

 and the submedian nervure — and is distinctly divided into 

 o-reen spots by the wing folds between the 1st median and 1st 

 submedian nervules ; the outer edges of this band up the 

 posterior margin are slightly indented by green atoms 

 on the narrow black margin : the inner edges are also 

 softened by the green atoms ; the internal nervure appears 

 well accentuated in the green ; the median and submedian 

 nervures are strongly dusted with green atoms, chiefly 

 from a short distance from the base on the median 

 nervure to where its first branch commences, the 3 median 

 nervules being dusted in the same manner to within a 

 millimetre of the sexual brand, nearly as in A ntana, Pro- 

 nomus, and Eumcsus : the sericeous patch, or sexual brand 

 is more than usually pupseform, and of a light velvety 

 reddish brown. The whole of the green on the upper 

 wings is shot with more or less brilliant coppery or salmon 

 coloured reflections ; viewed obliquely against the light the 

 velvety black also partakes of the same, thereby giving 

 it quite a ferruginous appearance. 



The Secondaries are a rich vegetable green, with a 



cupreus tint when viewed obliquely against the light. The 

 green when seen in the normal attitude is quite of a 

 mossy tone— viewed opposite the light it is very silky and 

 somewhat golden. The irregular ferruginous cloudings 

 found on the type are, no doubt, caused originally by damp. 

 The apex and outer margin are narrowly black, and part 

 of the costa from the base within the subcostal nervure to 

 the commencement of its 1st branch is black, including 

 the interno-median nervule ; the abdominal margin out- 

 side the submedian nervure is velvety black ; a small 

 black spot is situated between the 1st and 2nd subcostal 

 nervules, and the 2nd subcostal and discoidal nervules ; 

 the whole of the green of the cell and to some distance 

 without is dusted and darkened with black atoms. 

 Underside of Primaries vegetable green, with cupreus 

 reflections, strongly diluted outside the cell by ferruginous 

 dark atoms, except in a portion within the 2nd median 

 branch and the submedian vein, which is more of a green 

 verditer; the space within the cell is divided almost 

 equally into green and black— the narrowest portion of the 

 green at the base, the broadest at rear the discocellular 

 nervules, giving it somewhat of a claviform appearance ; 

 all the nervures and their branches are separated from 

 the green by narrow black margins on each side ; the 

 costa is black ; between the 3rd and 4th, and 4th and 5th 

 subcostal nervules most of the space is black, with patches 

 of green atoms, terminating in long narrow rays of green 

 scarcely visible atoms nearly to the hind margin ; 5 disc; 1 

 black spots occur in the space within the 1st discoidal 

 nervule and the submedian nervure, these are somewhat 

 lunulate, they are all fairly small, and vary slightly in 

 size and shape ; the posterior and inner margin are black ; 

 the submedian pseudowimis is prominently black half its 

 entire length. Underside of Secondaries vegetable green, 

 with cupreus or salmon coloured reflections, and diluted 

 without the cell by ferruginous atoms ; all the veins 

 are strongly accentuated, the median vein being a golden 

 yellow from the base ; a patch of golden yellow between 

 the 3rd median nervule and the submedian nervure, 

 extending from the anal angle half way towards the base ; 

 6 discal black orbicular spots within the veins midway 

 between the cell and the margin, of a medium size, the 

 first 3 from above being the largest (a minute yellow spot 

 outside the lowest of these), the lower 3 the smallest ; the 

 posterior and anterior margins and the base, including 

 the precostal nervure, black ; the abdominal margin 

 glossy fulvescent ; the abdominal fringe with long hairs 

 of a rich burnt sienna colour. 



Head black ; eyes deep castaneous brown, margined 

 with ochreus white; haustellum shiny black. Thorax 

 velvety black, with a central longitudinal green mark 

 above ; beneath black with the usual lateral crimson or 

 coccineus spots. 



15 



