OPSIPHANES. By H. PRtrHSTORFER. 293 



as a small crescent or curved streak at the distal boundary of the eye-spot, which shows through from beneath. 



In the $ the distal border of the hindwing is of a somewhat lighter tone than in the ,^. Near the costal margin 



in the apicaLarea there is in addition an isolated ochre-yellow spot; the tail-like point at the lower median 



vein dai'ker brown. Length of the forewing (J 40 — 41, $ 42 mm. Under surface less variegated than in 



aorsa. Southern Peru. Very rare, only received from Chanchamayo. — bracteolata Stick. Darker than the hraeteolata. 



preceding. White apical spots of the forewing very small, oblique band distally to the cell broken up into three 



small, isolated spots. Subapical spots at the distal margm very small, tail-like appendages of the hindwing 



shorter. ^Middle band in the cell of the forewing beneath continous. The two small silky white sjjots between 



the medians lie like silver spangles on the dark ground. Before the distal margin of the forewing a lighter, 



whitish, narrow stripe, following the former. 1 (^, from Bolivia. 



0. syme replaces sidcius in Central Brazil and seems to be a rather rare species, of limited geographi- syme. 

 cal distribution. Two local forms: syme Hhn., with the name-type from the state of Rio de Janeiro, where it 

 is regularly found at Corcovado and in the Organ Mountains near Petropolis. Similar to the preceding species, 

 but the yellow oblique band of the forewing much reduced and partially broken up into small spots; on the 

 hindwing the row of yellow submarginal spots likewise smaller. In the cell of the forewing the markings of the 

 under surface show through above. Of the eye-spots on the underside of the hindwing the first, placed in the 

 middle below the costa, has a brown ground, which gives it a somewhat blind appearance, while the one placed 

 between the median veins is more brightly coloured. The 9 has before the distal margin of the hindwing some- 

 what more distinct yellow spotting and on the black colour of the disc a blue reflection. — fumosa Stick, fumosa. 

 (65 b, as syme) has the grouiid-colour somewhat darker than examples from Rio de Janeiro, the hindwing in 

 particular is suffused with blackish and the submarginal row of yellow lunules nearly obsolete, merely indicated 

 by a lighter tone of colour or only persisting in the anterior part. Espiritu Santo, first found by my collector, 

 JuLTUs MiCHAELis, rather rare. — 



' 0. sulcius Stgr. (63 a) comes from South Brazil, where it represents the Central Brazilian syme. It sulcius. '^ 

 resembles the latter, but differs in the bright ochre-yellow band of the forewing, which is there narrow and 

 dentate and terminates before the anal angle; in sulcius on the contrary it is broad and reaches the anal angle. 

 — The form sodalis Bob., from S;io Paulo, is strongly suffused with yellowish above and beneath, especially sodalis. 

 in the proximal area of the wings, and the marginal markings on the hindwing more extended. 



S e c t. II. 



Forewing with the apex more pointed. (J without true hair-pencil. The lower median of the hindwing arises not 

 far from the base and forms close behind the cell a deep pouch filled with mealy scales. 



0. staudingeri Godm. <& Salv. (63 b). Size of the preceding; upper surface bright dark brown, even staudingeri. 

 the usually deep black apex brown. Before it a yellow-red oblique band, partially darkened with brownish, 

 begimaing before the last third of the costal margm, running obliquely towards the middle of the distal mai'gin, 

 then bent and running parallel with the distal margin towards the inner margin, terminating in almost a point 

 at the submedian. Beneath the hindwing has a faint ring-shaped mark in the middle of the cell. The an- 

 terior ocellus, in the middle of the costa, is the larger, with brown ground, the one between the medians 

 the smaller, with blackish ground and brighter markings. Panama; very rare, only a few examples known; 

 the (J figured, from coll. Fruhstorfer, came from Costa Rica. A $ from coll. Stafdinger, from Chiriqui, 

 was first described by Stichel as follows: "Somewhat larger than the (J, ground-colour of the upper surface 

 lighter, light reddish brown. Band of the forewing broader, less sharply angled, running posteriorly in a slight 

 curve. Border at the distal margin of the forewing ochre-yellow. Under surface as in the ^. Length of the 

 forewing 46 mm." 



Group Opsiphanes Westiv. 

 0. batea is one of the most interesting species of the genus; its range indeed is only a comparatively 

 restricted one, being confined to subtropical Brazil and the adjacent countries, but it offers little resistance 

 to climatic influences even at short distances, and the result is a series of geographical races concerning which 

 a great deal has already been published, without, however, elucidating them satisfactorily. The centre of distri- 

 bution for the collective species seems to be the province of Santa Catharina, from which we already know 

 two representative species, probably on account of the more thorough exploration of this district. All that 

 i-s certain is that batea occurs from Espiritu Santo to Rio Grande do Sul, changing gradually from north to 

 south and becoming progressively more melanotic in colouring southwards. Together with quite dark forms, 

 however, there occur in both the southern provinces of Brazil also retrogressions to the lighter name-type. 

 We can hardly regard them as seasonal forms, as according to my experience the species of the batea group 

 have only one generation, which occurs in the spring and disappears in April and May, when the cool nights 

 begin. The clasping-organs have not yet been investigated, but according to Stichel these lead to no result 

 in this genus, as the organs themselves are not yet sufficiently differentiated. The early stages are not known, 



