648 DIOPHTHAOLl. By Dr. A. Seitz. 



whole length (naiadeUa Stich.). There are also latisswia-iovm.s v^-ith the ^^^hite band being parted 1/4, Y2 or %. 

 Of a very strange appearance are specimens in Avhich tlie parting line exists in the middle of the band of the 

 oreas. hindwdng, wMlst it is extinct at both ends. — oreas Stick, greatly resembles the najadella-iorm, but the 

 ground-colour is of a deeper blackish-brown, and the band of the hindwing being traversed by an interrupted 

 hednigis. parting line, as well as the band of the foremng, are sharply defined. — As hedwigis Stich. the author figures 

 a cJ from Peru and a $ from La Paz in Bolivia; both are insignificant deviations approximating anceps Stich., 

 which, besides, do not belong to each other and which by no means can be all denominated. Only from 

 Bolivia there have recently come at least ten different such forms all of which differ from each other. The 

 thymetus-like forms are mostly common and their scheme of markings seems to conform with other species 

 occiirring at the same habitat; as for instance the broad-banded forms fly together with 31. axilla (Bolivia), 

 the narrow-banded with 0$ of 3T. asa (Colombia), and those with jet-black, bright uniform bands with tilrica- 

 $9 on the Amazon or in Peru; the forms are mo.stly not bound to a cei'tain district, but they may appear in 

 colonies here and there *). 



7. Geuus: Dioplithaliua H.-Schdff. 



To this genus, beside Hereich-Schaffee's lagora, also other species included later on in Mesosemia 



had been reckoned, of which, however, one part is better dealt with specially, according to Stichel's proposal. 



They scarceh' differ in the structure, but they_ have entirely different habits, accorditig to which also the habitus 



is extremely different. They always sit, like a Geometrid, with their wings spread, on the under surface of a 



leaf; I never observed them on blossoms, and the stunted siphon seems to be unfit for sucking honey, whereas 



the other Mesosemia often most frequently visit blossoms and fly in the sunshine in a way very conspicuous 



for Erycinidae. All the 13 forms known are verj^ nearly allied to each other and connected by many transitions. 



For the species that remained here in this genus the name of the genus provided for the eye-spotted forms is 



no more altogether suitable. Stichel proposes Leucochimona instead. 



philemon. D, philemoii Cr. (= icarus F., chionea G. and ;S'.) (126 e) is above and beneath white, traversed by 



few thick streaks; above without, beneath with marks of a median eye-spot on each wing. The butterflies 



mcdhata. vary very little, on the whole, being distributed over Guiana and the Amazon District. — mathata Hew. (= nivea 



G. and *S^.) (126 e) is the South Brazilian species being rather common near Rio on the Monte Corcovado and 



in Santos. It is above snow-white with quite fine transverse lines, the under surface, however, is smoky greyish- 



subalhata. brown. Sometimes somewhat lighter between the stripes. ■ — subalbata form. nov. (126 e) represents the species 



in Bolivia; above not to be distinguished from mathata, beneath, however, white instead of brown. The under 



surface already exhibits small fine dots in the submarginnl band of the hindwing, which grow to be thick knots 



poliia. in the Colombian polita Stich. (126 e), and which are joined by small white spots in the dark margin of the 



nivalis, forewings. — nivalis G. and S. from Central -America approximates again the typical philemon, but the stripes 



vesialis. are somewhat thicker. — vestalis G. and S. from Guatemala has less dark streaks of which the one being the 



nearest to the distal margin is simpty indicated by a dotted line. Of the most central stripe there is only an 



oblong dot left ^^'hich may already be regarded as the pupil of an eye-spot being later on the most developed 



in hyphui (126 f). The species flies all the year round in the hot districts. The butterflies especially sit on the 



bushes on the road side beneath leaves and are made to fly off by beating the leaves, but they never fly far. 



The small bodies are very delicate, the flight resembles that of the Geometrids, being weak and tottering, 'so 



that one might take the flying animal to be a Cabera. 



D. lagora. This butterfly has above no median eye-spot just like the preceding group, but before 



the middle of the border of the wings a small eye-spot is inserted, sometimes complete, sometimes rudimentary. 



■iphias. The Central American form has neither above nor beneath a distinct median spot, but on each wing a blind 



marginal eye-spot. This is the form iphias Stick. (= lepida Stgr.) (126 f) in which often the whole apical third' 



motina. of the fore\raig is brownish. — molina G. and S. (126 f) is quite similar, but it has on the under smiace of the 



foremng a distinct median ej'e spot, whereas the marginal ej^e spot of the liindwing is absent ; before me from 



lepida. Costa Rica. ■ — As lepida G. and S. (126 f). I consider specimens mth 6 eye-spots beneath, i. e. on each mng 



lagora. one ej^e-spot before the middle of the border and on the forewing one median eye-spot ; — in lagora H.-Schdff. 



the latter "hows through above, though often only in outlines. Onlj' the latter form extends to the south as 



far as Colombia and Guiana, all the others are from Central America. The proximal stripe of the forewing running 



towards the imier margm more proximally or more distallj', seems to me to be not constant, since it runs 



somewhat differently even in the few specimens before me. Common. 



leucogaea. D. leucogaca G. and S. (126 f). This form represents the contrary to the preceding: the forewing has 



a median eye-spot but no marginal one; the hindwiug is without anj' eye-spot. Costa Rica, Nicaragua. 



tuaiisca. D. matisca Hew. (126 f, as matkisca) from Peru has a superficial resemblance to the former species, 



but the stripes run differently since they do not extend from the costa towards the inner margin, but form 



to tho (exclusively Cuban) J/, ramsdeni Skinn. cf. Additions. 



'-/. ?^<<^^^ -ftr^ls/ '^ /-Ui -;- V' /^U^l^^ 



