MECIL\NITIS. By E. Haensch. 125 



has on the hindwiug the usual pattern with black, dentate longitudinal band and similar distal margin, in 



the allied sylvanoides Godm. d- Salv., from Guiana, the two bands are confluent at the inner margin. The sylvanoides. 



latter form is said to resemble Heliconius sylvana. 



M. pannifera Bflr. {= plagifera Sigr.) (33e). Here the median band and the distal margin of the hind- pannilera. 

 wing are merged into a black patch as in Melinaea cocana The costal margin and apex remain red-brown. 

 The yellow oblique band of the forewing is narrower than in ■polyvinia, at the apex there is mostly a yellowish 

 spot. This form occurs both on the Amazons and in Guiana and Venezuela. 



In M. messenoides Fldr. (33 f) the black patch of the hindwing also occupies the whole costal margin, messenoides. 

 moreover the base of the forewing is also black, and the yellow subapical spot is absent. This species corres- 

 ponds exactly to Melinaea messenina. On the eastern slopes of the Andes, from Colombia to Peru. — Just 

 as in the Melinaea there is also in the MecJiandtis a form without the j^ellow oblique band of the forewing, 

 namely deceptus Btlr. (= mothone Salv.). This is deceptively similar to Melinaea moilione. It occurs on dece-ptus. 

 the Vpper Amazon in Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. But there are also transitions to the preceding form, in 

 which yellowish colour is present at the discocellular of the forewing. — In meterus Hew., also from the Upper melems. 

 Amazon, a form which is otherwise marked like deceptus, there are 2 more round yellow spots at the distal 

 margin of the forewing. — In nigroapicalis Hsch. the base of the foreAving and the costal margin of the hind- "^fj'/"^"' 

 wing are red-broA\Ti. In many specimens the median band of the hindwing and the distal margin are com- 

 pletely separated. — mazaetis Hew. (34 a) has in addition a red-brown patch in the apex of the forewing. mazaeus. 

 — In phasianita Hsch. this subapical spot is very large and the black marking in the apex is considerably phasianiia. 

 less extended, so that this form has much the appearance of Melinaea pliasiana. It occurs like mazaeus on 

 the Upper Amazon and its tributaries in Peru and Ecuador. — lucifera Hsch. again forms a transition to the lucifera. 

 forms with yellow oblique band and subapical spot. The marking is as in phasianita, but the subapical spot 

 and the obhque band are yeUow, with brownish margin. This form, which may be recognised by the strikingly 

 large subapical spot, likewise occurs on the Upper Amazon in Peru. 



M. visenda Btlr. has a narrower, yellow oblique band on the forewing, which does not reach to the visenda. 

 end of the cell; on the other hand broader, black bands at the inner margin of the forewing and in the disc 

 of the hindwing, as well as narrow distal margin to the hindwing. It flies on the Lower Amazon and 

 Tapajos. 



M. fallax Btlr., from Colombia, has likewise a narrower, yellow oblique band and small black spots fallax. 

 at the discocellular of the forewing, as in messenoides Fldr. The costal margin and apex of the hindwing are 

 red-brown. The black median band is confluent with the distal margin. 



M. egaensis Btlr. (34a), from Ega on the Upper Amazon, has dark red-brown ground-colour. The egaensis. 

 oblique band is large and one half of it brownish. The black spot at the base is large and wedge-shaped. The 

 hindwing has broad median bands and strongly dentate dark distal margin. — obscura Btlr. is a very dark ohscura. 

 form of egaensis with broader black bands and occurs at the same localities. — In plagigera Btlr. the black plagigera. 

 bands and patches are much narrower than in egamsis; the subapical spot is smaller and yellow, like the more 

 elongated band of the forewing. From Prainha on the Amazon. 



M. truncata Btlr. belongs to a small group with shorter wings, in which the apex of the hindwing iruncata. 

 is almost truncate. It has a pattern like egaensis. The wings are red-brown, the black streak at the inner 

 margin of the forewing is long. In the apex of the forewing is placed a large yellow spot with brown margins. 

 The form varies very much and flies together with egaensis and ohscura near Ega. — juntana Hsch. (34 a) has juniana. 

 a very narrow, strongly dentate yellow band on the forewing, a similar black median band and very narrow 

 margin to the hindwing. The ground-colour is light yellow-brown. The form flies in eastern Ecuador and 

 Peru, at the base of the Andes. It is at times very common at flowering shrubs. — A nearly allied form is 

 huallaga Stgr. (34 a), from eastern Peru. It bears, however, a greater resemblance to phasianita and olivencia huallaqa. 

 on account of the absence of the yellow markings and the smaller extent of the black ones on the forewing. 

 It is easy to recognise by the narrow distal border of the hindwing. — The similar olivencia Bates has broader, olivencia. 

 black bands and patches, as well as a yellow spot at the discocellular of the forewing. It occurs likewise 

 on the Upper Amazon. — jurimaguensis Stgr. has lighter, red-brown ground-colour than olivencia and the ^*''''*" .. .., 

 yellow spot at the discocellular of the forewing is absent. The median band of the hindwing is broadly dentate 

 and sometimes confluent with the broad distal margin. 



M. proceris Weym. This small species' has the appearance of juntana. It may, however, be recog- proceris. 

 nised by the black distal margin of the hindwing being broader and the black streak at the inner margin 

 of the forewing terminating obtusely. From Tonantins on the Upper Amazon. 



With M. doryssus Bates (33 f ) we pass to another group of forms which are distinguished by long, narrow doryss^^s. 

 wings and mostly inhabit Central America or the adjoining north-west of South America. They have mostly 



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