290 



DASYOPHTHALMA. By H. Frcthstorfer. 



■pharnaces. with Boisdttval's collection. — pharnaces Stich. is smaller than the preceding subspecies. The white oblique 

 band on the upperside of the forewing somewhat broader, more sharply defined, although somewhat dusted 

 at the proximal side, posteriorly termmating obtusely before the middle median vein and not running out 

 towards the distal margin as in macrosiris strix. The single spot posterior to it much reduced. Hindwing 

 with narrower white bordering. On the under surface the transverse striation throughout coarser, on the fore- 

 wing red-brown ; it disappears beyond the cell and in the distal area, in the submedian interspace there is only 

 an indistinct shading. In the cell of the hmdwing and beyond it the striation is widened into narrow stripes 

 and in places reticulate, the ground-colour of the wing almost rust-red instead of yellowish. The elongate 

 eye-spot in the costal area light red-brown, less sharply expressed, the other two ocellated spots in the radial 

 and lower median cellules also onlj^ indistinct. Border at the distal margin narrowly greenish. Only 1 (J 

 from Bolivia (Coroico, Yungas, at 2000 m.) known. 



'\ napoleon. D. napoleoil Westw. (62 b) seems to be an archaic, nearly extinct species, exclusively confined to the 



stateof Rio de Janeiro, and even there only recorded from Petropolis ; from time to time the splendid butterfly 

 has been successful^ bred from the larva. The larva, although known for over 30 years, has not yet been described. 

 According to von Bonninghausen it lives on one of the Bromeliaceae, with non-dentate leaves. $ considerably 

 larger than the q, which we figure, the underside of the hmdwing with somewhat lighter orange marginal 

 area, as in darius F. Forewing, however, with black median area, hindwing throughout ochre-yellow, dusted 

 with lighter near the base. The black veins stand out very sharply against the ground-colour. 



II. Subfamily: Caligoninae. 



Larva with forked tail and with horns on the head. 



4. Genus: ]>a!^^'oplithaliiia Westw. 



A small but interesting genus, which m general aspect and also in its habits recalls the Indian Thau- 

 mantis, particularly lucipor and odana. Only one species (creusa) has the colourmg darker. In the densely 

 haired eyes Dasyophtlmlma differs from all the other Brassolids. Structurally it approaches the genus Caligo, 

 but the precostal cell is strikingly broader, especially considering the smaller size of the body. Head and body 

 more slender than in the preceding genus. Antemia less than half the length of the wings. Forewing triangular 

 "ndth the mner angle rounded, hmdwing in the (^ with the apex pronounced and the distal margin undulate. 

 Wings above black or quite dark brown, sometimes with a bright blue reflection, the under surface with pupilled 

 ocelli. The cJ bears on the upperside of the hindwmg a scent-spot at the posterior margin of the cell. Like 

 its Indian relative, Thaumantis, the species of Das yophtJi alma exclusively inhabit dense forests, where they 

 always keep near the ground, only leaving the damp cover when baited with hung up bananas. One species 

 (rusina) I have never seen flymg at all; all my examples I owe exclusively to this bait, which they visit 

 together with Eryphanis reevesi, Prepona species and occasionally a Morpho catenarius. Probably they have all 

 only one brood. According to my recollection they appear in Santa Catharina m February, only worn examples 

 are still to be taken by the end of March and at the begmnmg of April they disappear completely. Concern- 

 ing the early stages nothing further is known than that the larva lives on bamboo. Distribution: central and 

 southern Brazil. 



creusa. D. creusa splits up into two local races: creusa Hb7i. (62 c), only known as yet from Santa Gatha rina 



and Rio Grande do Sul, appears to be very local, but to occur m abundance m suitable localities. My collector, 

 Julius Michaelis, and I myself captured nearly 1000 examples in the course of 2 years at Theresopolis 

 and m the valley of the Capivary River. At Blumenau it seems only to occur sparingly and in Rio Grande, 

 at the extreme limit of its range, it is one of the greatest rarities. I possess no $$ from Rio Grande. The upper 

 surface is black, the forewing traversed from the apex to the middle of the iimer margin by a bone-yellow 

 gradually widenmg oblique band. The 2, of which we figure the under surface, is considerably larger than the 

 o, with broader bands, beneath paler grej^-green. Upper surface: hindwing only with two or three yellowish 

 splashes in the middle of the costal margui. The median band of the forewing more vertical, broader than in 

 the (J, less pure yellow, more greenish, connected %\-ith the costal border by a transcellular row of in- 

 distinct spots. Before the apes of the cell on the hindwuig somewhat dusted with greenish, (j^with long yellow- 

 ish hair-tuft at the basal part of the cell of the hindwmg. Flies February to April, creusa is par excellence a 

 visitor to sweets and comes at any hour of the day to hung-up bananas; frequently it is even tempted at 

 night by the sweet, rotting fruit and I found it repeatedly as a not particularly welcome addition in the 

 baro7iesa. killing bottles m Avhich I was taking the baited Heterocera. — baronesa Stich. is a not sharply differentiated 

 local form discovered by my collector J. ^Iichaelis m Espiritu Santo, and apparently also occurmg in Rio de 

 Janeiro, where according to von Bonnxsghausen it is not very rare at Petropolis. (J distinguishable from 



