Publ 10. ir. 79/0. EUPTYCHIA. By G. Weymer. 



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11. Genus: Eiiptychia Hhn. 



Tliis extensive genus with its numerous forms is by no means exactly defined as to its limits, as cer- 

 tain species form a complete transition to the genus Taygetis. In general all the butterflies are small to medium 

 sized, only a few species reach a wing-expanse of nearly 6 cm., most remaining below 4 cm. The principal 

 characters of the genus are the hairy eyes, the strongly inflated costal and median at the base, and the somewhat 

 inflated submedian of the f orewmg. The short, distally curved precostal of the hindwing mostly arises before the 

 subcostal. The upper discocellular of the hindwing varies in length. The forelegs of the ^ are weak and 

 long-haired. The wings are mostly rounded, the forewmg has the apex rounded and little produced, its distal 

 margin is almost straight, that of the hmdwing is mostly undulate, sometimes completely round, in other species 

 more strongly dentate, the inner margin of this wing is sometimes somewhat emarginate. But general distinctive 

 characters are furnished by the stripes and the row of eye-spots on the underside of both wings. Only a few 

 species have dots instead of the eye-spots. In the greater part of the Euptychias the colouring is brown or 

 grey-brown. There are, however, also many which are distinguished by a briUiant light blue colouring and which 

 when flying might be taken for Lycaenids. Others have a bright blue reflection on both wings or a part of them, 

 others again have the ground-colour white. Of the eye-spots the one between medians 1 and 2 on the hindwing 

 is mostly present and also usually larger than the other ocelh. Next to it the eye-spot between the two radials 

 of the hindwing is the most developed. If one or several eye-spots are present on the forewing, one of them is 

 likewise placed between the two radials. 



The greater number of the species occur in tropical South America. Single species extend southwards 

 to South Brazil and Argentina ; from Chile, however, no species is yet known. To the north the genus reaches the 

 Limit of its range in the United States. The American authors place the 7 species occurring there in the genera 

 ■ Neonympha Hhn. and Cissia DM. But as these species have exactly similar allies in Mexico and in tropical 

 Central and South America, I follow Btitler and Godman and Salvin in referring them all to Euptychia. As 

 concerns the vertical distribution of the Euptychias, Prof. Bijrger in his ,,Reisen eines Naturforschers im tro- 

 pischen Siidamerika" (,, Travels of a Naturalist in Tropical South America") states that they only occur in ' 

 the ,,Tierra caliente" and ,,Tierra templada", the hot and moderate zones, thus up to 2000 m. The great 

 majority of the species will be confined to these regions, but some few ascend somewhat higher and reach the 

 middle of the ,,Tierra fria", the cold zone, as Fassl has observed the species necys Godt. and harmonia Btlr. 

 at the Quindiu Pass in Colombia at altitudes of 2500 m_. 



The habits of the Euptychias (according to Dr. Seitz in litt.) are not altogether uniform. The mem- 

 bei-s of the hesione group are tireless, although by no means swift fliers; their 3* (^ may be seen at almost all hours 

 of the daj' flying straight along the edges of woods or bamboo hedges, more resembling a Pieris than a Satyrid. 

 Even where they are common, as e. g. in Baliia, where they even come into the town, they are mostly met with 

 singly; and Dr. Seitz, who observed them there day after day, never saw them in large companies like the 

 species of the hermes group. The latter are mostly dark-coloured species, show a decided preference for shade 

 and come fluttering out from the thickets especially in the early morning hours, before the sun finds its way 

 into the deep-cut mountain-valleys, flying low, after the manner of Goenonympha hero, and settling in large 

 groups^at the dew on the roads. Between 8 and 10 o'clock whole swarms of small Euptychia may be met 

 with in the Botanical Gardens of Rio de Janeiro, where they rest on shady paths^'round the water and can 

 scarcely be driven away, as when disturbed they only fly round and round a few times close to the ground, 

 settling again in the same place after a few seconds. The larger forms of the celmis group are more retiring, 

 carefully avoiding open paths and clearings, which they cross but rarely and with evident uneasiness; but 

 they resemble the herme-sAike forms in their habit of closing the wings spasmodically when resting, much as the 

 European Aphantopus, from which in the same locality they can only with difficulty be certainly distinguished 

 when fljong. The larger species, of which some are also obviously nearly allied to Taygetis, show themselves 

 more commonly in open places, the lilac gloss of their upper surface glittering in the sun, which the darker 

 species carefully avoid. Finally the sky-blue species of the cephus group are especially lively in bright weather 

 and contribute, together with other insects, to the wealth of bright blue colour which is a feature of the larger 

 forest-clearings of tropical America, competing with Thecla, Morpho, Pythonides, glossy blue dragoia-flies, Hy- 

 menoptera, bugs and beetles in the brilliancy of their blue and metallic scaling. 



Concerning the earlier stages of the Euptychias little is known. Of some North American species Ed- 

 wards has furnished descriptions and figures of the eggs, larvae and pupae; on the other hand MtJLLER, who 

 obtained eggs and small larvae of some Brazilian species, was not able to bring any as far as the first moult. 

 They live on grasses, 



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