666 RODINIA; ANCYLURLS. By Dr. A. 8eitz. 



periander. D. periander Cr. (— iphinoe Godt., laonome Sndr-9.) (130 d). (^ magnificently lustrous cyane-blue; 



7uieviairus. forewing with a quite faintly lighter, thin oblique stripe, which is stronger only in ab. naevianus Stick, and 

 joined, in Mexican specimens, by another analogous stripe of the hindwing. On the hindwing the anal area 

 is spotted in red, but the small macular band does not extend so far as in dysonii. In specimens from Guiana 

 and Peru the spotting is mostlj^ strong, with a somewhat longer small red band, in Brazilian specimens ge- 

 nerally weaker, only at the inner margin. Some South Brazilians (not all of them) are said to be more exten- 

 cleusinus. sivety blue and their $2 to have above no proximal band of the forewing (= eleusinus Stick.). The materiel 

 before me, containing about 300 specimens (in the Tring Museum alone there are several hundreds of pe- 

 riander, in my collection 30), shows that here a variation does not take place according to countries, but 

 according to finding-places (maybe altitudes?); thus there occur specimens with a white band of the forewing 

 and without it in Peru, such with a light band of the hindwing in Mexico and again in South Peru, while it 

 is absent in specimens from Colombia being situated between (= laonome) and so on. The whole range is 

 enormously extensive. The species is distributed from Mexico all over Central and South America as far as 

 South Brazil to the east and Bolivia to the west. The animals are sometimes rarer, sometimes more common, 

 but thej' are especially keenly collected for their charming colours; they may be baited and are easily taken; 

 they come to the water and strongly scenting stiiff and fly near open spaces in the woods, where some raj'^s 

 of the sun may touch the ground during the day. 

 arfhiirianus. D, arthufianus E.-Sh. (130 e). This butterfly is so far known only from Goyaz (from the Araguaya). 



The cj above black, almost without blue reflection, with a strong white oblique band, the hindwing with a red 

 spot at the inner mai'gin and a small red band behind which there are white dots on the under surface. 

 The most remarkable difference is to be seen beneath, where the ^ (majbe also the 2) is entirely without the 

 small proximal light band. 



36. Genus: Rodillia Wiv. (= Euerciina Sndrs.). 

 The butterflies at first sight greatly resemble the $2 of the genus Diorina, from which, however, they 

 differ rather much from an anatomical point of view*). Whereas in Diorina the first subcostal vein of the 

 forewing (about as in Zeonia) rises from the anterior cellular angle and all the other subcostal branches rise 

 behind it, in Bodinia the three first subcostal branches rise before the cell-end. In Rodinia the discocellulars 

 are placed more transversely, in Diorina the cells — particularly in the hindwing — end so obliquely that 

 the upper cell-wall is scarcely more than half as long as the lower one. In some Diorina {'periander) not 

 only the upper, but also the lower median vein crosses the tail-appendage, in Rodinia the latter ends before 

 the base of the tail at the inner margin. Furthermore, the palpi of Rodinia on account of the middle joint 

 being shortened, are so diminished that they are scarcely visible from above, whereas in Diorina they project 

 like a nose. The Rodinia of which only 2 forms are known must be extremely rare, for among the more than 

 100 000 American Erycinidac; which I was able to compare I only saw 3 or 4 specimens. They live on the 

 Amazon River and are said to fly very fast. 

 calphurnia. R. calphurtiia Sndrs. (110 A f). Dark brown with a white median band which, however, does not reach 



the base of the tail on the hindwing. Before its end begins a red diffuse spoc extending as far as into the base 

 of the tail. Upper Amazon. 

 (Iclyihinid. R. delphiiiia Stgr. (110 Af). The white median band is diffusely continued through the tail-appendage. 



Ijower Amazon. 



37. Genus: Aiicyluris Hhn. 



These conspicuously coloured, neat butterflies belong to the most beautiful of their kind on the face 

 of the globe. We often find abo've scarlet or orange bands on a deep blackish brown ground and beneath 

 a magnificent blue or green metallic colouring, the total appearance being still more prominent by hemo- 

 chrome spots of the under surface or white dots. Also the shape of the broadly stretched wings is mostly 

 distinguished bj^ a graduated lobing in the anal part of the hindwing, and sometimes there is in addition 

 a violet-blue or cyaneous reflection of the upper surface. Morphologically, the genus proves to be so nearly 

 allied both to Diorina and the following Necyria that the separation is sometimes not easj . The most obvious 

 difference from Necyria may be the abnormouslj shaped hindwings, whereas t\\e Diorina are easily discernible 

 bj' the palpi being visible from above. The head of the Ancyluris is broad with a flatly conv^ex forehead, 

 the eyes very large, the palpi short and appressed, the siphon long and fine, antennae very straight and slender, 

 at the ends scarcely noticeably thickened. Thorax strong and regular, the middle-legs (especially the tibiae 

 long; abdomeiT in the (J slender and pomted, forewmg with a long and pointed apical part, hindwing with an 

 anal part being prolonged to a lobe. The wings in the living insect are extremely delicate and soft, so that 

 it is most difficult to procure undamaged specimens. At one and the same flying-place one mo.stly meets 

 with but 1, hardly ev^er more than 2 forms, and we are induced to assume that many of the numerous 

 and often scarcely distinguishable species which were set up are only subraces of few species representing each 

 other m the different districts; this supposition is also forced upon us by a number of specimeiis exhibiting 

 to the left broader, narrower or different!}' coloured bands, than to the right. We, therefore, although there 



*) KiRBY places them between Nymphidium and Theope, Stichel between Dysmathla and Thishc: :Mexoel more 

 luckily places them near Lynuuis; their resemblance to Diorhia is probably merely external. 



