298 OPSIPHANES. Bj^ H. Fruhstoefee. 



tioned in the description of the genus. The $ differs from that of sikyon, which it closely resembles, in the 

 white median band of the forewing terminating at the lower median; under surface of the forewing costally 

 less, anally more broadly tuaged with white than m. Mexican examples. 



bagotanus. 0. bogotanus inhabits Colombia. Imago very large, above nearly black, velvety, with dull purple 



gloss. Transverse band narrower than in sikyon, composed of separate, nearly white spots, which in their turn 

 are again dusted with purple. Hindwing with the hair-pencils which are also so characteristic of tamarindi: a 

 very broad, bushy one beyond the praecostal cell, a somewhat smaller one before the apex of the cell and a third, 

 of yellowish or blackish hairs, m the bare friction-patch of the inner margin. Under surface especially brilliant, 

 the subapical part, white, basal area sharply contrastmg with it, dark cocoa-brown. Apical ocellus of the hind- 

 wing unusually large, almost suggestmg those of the Ca%o?iae. Two local forms : bogotanus Dist. Type probably 

 from Muzo, as the species scarcely seems to ascend above 1000 m.; very large with the distal margm of both 

 wings boldly projecting. Forewing with a whitish, purple-edged oblique band, composed of irregular, isolated 

 phraia- spots not placed ill regular alignment. Under surface of the hindwing predommantly light brown. • — phrata- 

 phernes. phernes Fruhst. was recently discovered by Fassl, is sm.aller than the name-type and presents a melanotic 

 extreme of the collective species; a phenomenon which is parallelled m 0. quiteria from the same localties 

 and which we also observe in 0. tamarindi, of which the brightly coloured branch inhabits the West Cordilleras 

 {Meisthenes Fruhst.), whilst the dark (cherodes) occurs together with phrata'phernes. <^ with the band of the 

 forewing dull yellow, narrow and more uniform. Ground-colour deeper black than in Muzo examples. $ with 

 relatively narrow white transverse band on the forewing and a distinct margmal border on the hhidwmg, 

 but scarcely more than 1 mm. in breadtlr, which is anteriorly whitish, posteriorly yellowish, and termmates 

 at the lower radial. Under surface of the c? with yellowish instead of white band on the hindwing ; in the 5 the band 

 is broader and chalk-white. Apical ocellus of the hindwing somewhat smaller than in bogotanus, more quadrate 

 instead of oval. The striation of the median part more delicate and placed on a darker ground than ui bogo- 

 tanus. Upper Rio Negro, from elevations of 800 m. 0. bogotanus was treated by Stichel as the Colombian 

 branch of 0. tamarindi. But the discovery of two actual local forms agreemg in habitus with 0. tamarindi, one 

 of which even flies together with bogotanus phrataphernes in the same localities, removed the last doubt as to 

 the specific status of this OpsipJm.nes, which already differs from tamarindi m its size. The egg of this beautiful 

 Brassolid is somewhat larger than that of Sphinx ligustri, elongate-rounded, cream-yellow with fme longitudi- 

 nal grooves. The larva nearly approaches the long known tamarindi larva, is merely of a lighter green and with 2 

 {tamari7idi 1) dorsal lines of a less glaring red. Food-plant: holly. The cremaster of the pupa is strongly 

 curved proximad and the forewing-case has the inner margin projecting acutely, which gives the chrysalis a 

 boat- or rather gondola-shaped appearance; it is of grey-green colour. As with most Brassolids the eggs are 

 laid readily even in captivity, and m good numbers. I believe that in future attempts to breed South American 

 butterflies m temperate climates the Brassolids will take the first place. For besides the circumstance just 

 mentioned two other factors of importance have to be considered. The food-plants (species of banana and palm) 

 thrive very well even in quite temperate climates if taken care of and protected from frost, and the plants 

 are propagated not primarity by seedmg, but most rapidly and abundantly by suckers. Moreover, the in- 

 sects do not pair m the sunshme, as in most other families of Diurni, but durmg the flight of the butterflies m 

 the evening and morning twilight (Fassl). 



0. quiteria is one of the most widety distributed sjDecies of the genus and is met with from Central 

 America to Bolivia and on the Atlantic side from Guiana to Paraguay and Santa Catharma. In the most northerly 

 race the sexes are dimoi-phic and the Colombian subspecies differ strikmgly from the name-type. Larva green 



quirhius. sprinkled with white dots, lives on palms. ■ — quirinus Godm., described from Guatemala,, in my collection 

 from Honduras, extends as far as Pangiina, but is considered very rare, o above with an ochreous band 

 posteriorly lost m the ground-colour and two very large white subapical patches. Hindwmg predommantly 

 red- brown with traces of a yellow band between the radials. with white transverse band on the forewing, 

 hindwmg entirely chestnut-brown, before its termmal margm with three rounded yellow spots between the 



quUeria. radials. — quiteria Cr. (61 b), origmally described from Surinam but also kno"ma from the Lower Amazon, 

 has the ochreous band on the forewmg of the (^ broader than m quirimis. The $ varies only mconsiderably 



obidonus. in the extent of the short subcostal band on the hmdwuig. — obidonus Fruhst. (62 d), the form from the Middle 

 Amazon, differs from quiteria from Surmam as follows: o with the yellowish oblique band on the forewing 

 narrower, submarginal band of the hmdMong longer and narrower. $ with the half-band on the forewmg more 

 sharph' mcised proximally and distalty; submarginal band of the hindwing narrower, and sharply expressed 

 as far as the 1st median vein; the anal area broadly suffused with red-bro^^^l nearly to the cell. Obidos, August 

 mylasa. and September. Coll. FErHSTOEFEE, - — The race from the Upper U^aupes may be mtroduced as mylasa 

 Friihst. and is at once conspicuous by the much widened, orange band on the forewing. The yellowish ante- 

 marginal band of the hindwmg is entirely obsolete anteriorly and only marked by 3 obscure round dots of the 

 size of a pin's head, but below the second median is continued to the anal angle as a slightly glossed, narrow, 



