MESENE. By Dr. A. Seitz. 675 



M. briseis G. and S. resembles the preceding, but the orange-yellow median stripe of the wings hriseis. 

 is broader in tlie middle and not running quite through to the distal margin; from Colombia. • — pulchella pulchella. 

 Godm. (128 a) differs by the median stripe' of the forewing ending in a whitish tinged knob. Amazon. 



M. albivitta Lathy (128 b). Only the forewings exhibit a bright orange disc; the hindwings are only albmitu.. 

 in the centre slightly lighter. The under surface of the hindwing shows a white, blazing basal ray. Model: 

 Josia av.riflamma. South Brazil, rare. 



51. Genus : OTeseiie DM. 



Except the totally unicolorously scarlet species of this genus there is probably no species among 

 them that does not exhibit certain peculiaritis of the marking at every flying-place. We distinguish but quite 

 few si^ecies and we restrict ourselves to regisfcring the alreadj^ denominated forms by stating the patria as- 

 certained by the author for the form referred to; but in doing so we must point out that these statements 

 of the locality often only refer to casual captures and there may very well other forms be found in the 

 same patria. The (J (J have triangular, pointed, brightly colouied forewings and small ellipsoidal hindwings. 

 In the veins the species exhibit great conformity , in case we except the genus Phaenochitonia having been sepa- 

 rated by Stichel. For then the second subcostal vein, the upper median vein in the forewing as well 

 as in the hindwing rise before the cell-end, while in Phaenochitonia sagaris they proceed from thee ell-angles. 

 This genus having been detached, there remain in Mesene only 13 species that are rather much alike one 

 another. They rest so well hidden on the under surface of leaves that one gets sight of them only when 

 one chases them out of the bushes, whereupon they fly somewhat like Geometrids for about 10 to .20 m 

 always keeping in the middle of the forest-roads, in order to drop again into another bush. The larvae are 

 lycaenid-like, somewhat like wood-lice, fluffily haired; that of M. 'pharens lives on the extremely poisonous 

 Paullinia pinnata to the leaf of which also the small greenish-yellow pupa is spun. Mesene is connected 

 with the Heterocera-genus Eudule by a mimetic resemblance, but it has not been ascertained which is the 

 original and which the copy, or whether the resemblance of the two genera is due to connexions with a third 

 butterfly. 



M. phareus Cr. (? = nigrocinctus Sepp) (134 k). Red with a narrow black margin and cell-endspot of phareus. 

 the forewings. In Surinam-specimens the forewing is beneath almost entirelj^ dusted in black except the inner 

 margin; Cayenne-specimens have the under surface of the forewing above the anal angle broad red, bat the 

 base of the hindwing is below tinged in blackish. In those from Suapure in Venezuela the distal half of 

 the under surface of the forewing is spotted light red; such from Cuyaba have an uncommonly narrow 

 black border (transition to the following, = ineptus Stich.) and so on. The species varies in eveiy possible 

 way in the enormous range extending from the northern coast of South America to Bolivia and being pre- 

 sumably larger than the whole of Europe. — In Colombia the species makes its appearance as colombica form, colonthlca. 

 nov. (134 k) in which the whole inner-marginal half of the under surface of the forewing is of a bright 

 red; the form is besides considerably larger there. — On the contrary, the Central American form, rubella rubella. 

 Bat. (134k), is smaller; it likewise has the forewing beneath light red, but also a black basal part of the 

 under surface of the hindwing. — The larva is greenish, like a wood-louse, across the back darker; on Paul- 

 linia. The butterflies are not rare; the $2 have somewhat broader wings and an under surface similar to 

 the upper. 



M. celetes Bat. entirely resembles pharens, but the $ has longer wings; the foiewing with a more celclcs. 

 bulged out border, of a saffron colour, the black costal stripe someM'hat indented, beneath in the border 

 some small, fine white spots. Para. 



M. pyrippe Htw. (1341) is the South Brazilian representative of the preceding, above with a broader pyrippe. 

 black margin, beneath the forewing is red except the border and a black costal stripe. — sanguilenta Sti'^h. .saugxdlenta. 

 (134 k, 1) has the costal black in the basal part broader and is said to have also yet a black cell-end stripe in 

 the hindwing, which, however, is often rudimentary and, in the figured specimen, not even indicated; Rio 

 Grande do Sul. (On the table the name is misprinted into .sanguinoUnta.) — Near Santos rather common, 

 coming even quite near the town; near Rio it is rarer. 



M. bomilcar Stoll (1341). Like the preceding, red, black-margined, the costal stripe much broader, homilcar. 

 particularly towards the apex. Guiana. — pullula Stich. (134 1) is a smaller form, in which the red of the puUuhi. 

 forewing is soill more displaced by the black. 



M. croceella Bat. (134k) originates from Central America; (J more miniate than bright red. 2 some- croceella. 

 times quite pale. 



M. hyale Fldr. (134 m). Smaller, hardly as large as pullula, the distal margin of all the wings very hyale. 

 broad black. Colombia. 



M. hya Ww. (134 m) has a red or yellow disc of the wings and a broad black margin of the wings, hya. 

 in which there stands a white spot of varying size. Amazon. • — fenestrella Bat., not exactly recognizable fem^reUa. 

 according to the description, seems to refer to the forms with a small white punctiform spot (as, however, 

 they occur in most of the red ilfesewe-species) and differs from typical hya besides by a narrower black 



