GENERIC NAMES OF BUTTERFLIES 155 



ECESIA Weeks, 1906, Ent. News 17 : 195 (an Incorrect Subsequent Spelling of Eresia Bois- 

 duval, [1836]). 



Weeks used this name when establishing a nominal species which he called Ecesia klagesii 

 (: 195). He gave no indication whatever that he was establishing a new genus as well as a 

 new species, and some other explanation must therefore be found for the appearance in print of 

 the name Ecesia. Fortunately the explanation is not far to seek. The taxon represented by 

 the nominal species Ecesia klagesii Weeks is currently treated subjectively on taxonomic 

 grounds as the same as that represented by the older-established nominal species Nereis 

 eunice Hiibner, [1807]. That taxon is currently treated subjectively as belonging to the genus 

 Phyciodes Hiibner, [1819]. Among the junior synonyms of the name Phyciodes is the objec- 

 tive synonym Eresia Boisduval, [1836], and it cannot be doubted that the so-called name 

 Ecesia Weeks is no more than a misspelling of the name Eresia Boisduval. 



ECHELATUS Godman & Salvin, [1894], Biol, centr .-amer . , Lep. Rhop. 2 : 378. Type-species 

 by selection by Lindsey (1925, Ann. ent. Soc. Amer. 18 : 85) : Anastrus varius Mabille, 

 1883, Bull. C. R. ent. Soc. Belg. 27 : liv. 



The taxon represented by the nominal species Anastrus ran us is currently treated subjec- 

 tively on taxonomic grounds as being the same as that represented by the older-established 

 nominal species Achlyodes sempiternus Butler & Druce, 1872 (Cistula cut. 5 : 114). 



ECHENAIS Hiibner, [1819], Verz. bekannt. Schmett. (2) : 19. Type-Species by selection by 

 Hemming (1043, Proc. R. ent. Soc. Lond. (B) 12 : 29) : Lemonias alphaea Hiibner, [1808], 

 Samml. exot. Schmett. 1 : pi, [37]. 



The taxon represented by the nominal species Lemonias alphaea Hiibner is currently treated 

 subjectively on taxonomic grounds as being the same ;is that represented by the older- 

 established nominal species Papilio thelepus Cramer, 177) ( I 'ill. Kapellen 1 (6) : 103, pi. 66, 

 figs E, F). 



This generic name has had an unlucky history through a mistake made by Scudder when in 

 1875 {Proc. amer. Acad. Arts Sci., Boston 10 : 161) he selected as the type-species the nominal 

 species Echenais leucophaea Hiibner. This nominal species was included among those cited 

 by Hiibner as belonging to the genus Echenais, but — and this is what Scudder failed to notice — 

 the name Echenais leucophaea Hiibner was at that time a nomen nudum ; it remained so until 

 it was validated in 1821 (Hiibner, Samml. exot. Schmett. 2 : pi. [13]). As a nomen nudum is 

 ineligible for selection as the type-species of a genus, Scudder's selection of Echenais leuco- 

 phaea as the type-species of the genus Echenais is invalid. 



The name Echenais has been extensively used by later authors, often in the incorrect sense 

 in which it was employed by Scudder, but often also as though its type-species was one or other 

 of the remaining species treated as belonging to this genus by Hiibner but now placed in other 

 genera. When in 1937 Scudder's mistake came to light, I examined, in conjunction with my 

 friend Mr. N. D. Riley, how best to minimize the inconvenience which would inevitably result 

 to some extent, whichever of the nominal species placed by Hiibner in the genus Echenais 

 were now to be selected to be its type-species. The conclusion so reached was that the best 

 solution would be to select as the type-species the nominal species Lemonias alphaea Hiibner 

 (which, as already explained, is now currently known by the specific name thelepus Cramer). 

 That species is the type-species of the relatively little-known genus Elaphrotis Stichel, 191 1 ; 

 under the solution contemplated that generic name would become a junior objective synonym 

 of Echenais. The advantage of solving the problem in this way was that, as only one species 

 (the type-species) was considered on taxonomic grounds to belong to Elaphrotis, only that 

 species would need to change its generic name, as contrasted with the much larger number of 

 species which would be involved if any of Hiibner's other originally included species were to be 

 selected as the type-species. Action in this case was delayed by various causes, including the 

 outbreak of war in 1939, with the result that (as already shown) it was not until 1943 that the 

 selection of Lemonias alphaea as the type-species came to be published. 



In order to complete the account of the problems arising in this case it must be noted that the 



