EURASIAN & AUSTRALIAN NEPTINI 31 



Described from 8 $, 2 $ from Vulcan Is., 1 $ from Astrolabe Range and a long 

 series from various localities in British New Guinea. Examples from Southern 

 New Guinea (Oetakwa R., 2 $, Eilanden R., 1 $) show a slight approach to ssp. 

 stenopa. 



P. consimilis melanotica (Rothschild) comb. n. 



Acca consimilis melanotica Rothschild, 1915b : 207. <J Dampier Is. Type BMNH. 



The degree of melanism is rather variable, and similar forms occur as rare aber- 

 rations on the mainland of New Guinea. 



Dampier Is. 



P. consimilis biaka ssp. n. 



(PI. 3, ng. 24) 



<J°. nearest to ssp. continua, from which it differs in having the orange-yellow markings almost 

 half as wide again, with the continuous fore wing postdiscal band only a little constricted at 

 vein 4. 



Holotype^. Schouten Is. : Biak, vi. 1914 (A. C. & F. Pratt). 

 Allotype $. Same data as holotype. 

 Described from 4 <$, 3 $ from the Schouten Is. 



P. consimilis affinis (C. & R. Felder) comb. n. 



Neptis affinis C & R. Felder, 1867 : 426. o* Ins. Ami (Lorquin) [loc. err.]. Type BMNH. 

 Neptis (Rahinda) consimilis Boisduval ; de Niceville & Kiihn, 1898 : 260, pi. 1, figs. 3, 3a larva. 

 Rahinda consimilis affinis (Felder) Fruhstorfer, 1913 : 598. Key Is. 

 Rahinda consimilis keyensis Talbot, 1932 : 164. ^$ Key Is. syn. n. Types BMNH. 



The type agrees with examples from Key Is., a fact recognized by Fruhstorfer. 

 The Felders reported both N. consimilis and N. affinis from the Aru Is. ; the former 

 must have been what I describe below as ssp. arnla. Lorquin's localities are often 

 unreliable, and it is clear that there has been a mistake over the locality of affinis. 

 The subspecies barely differs from ssp. consimilis. 



Key Is. 



P. consimilis arula ssp. n. 



(J°. nearest to ssp. stenopa, with the markings the same width, but paler and yellower. On the 

 upper surface of the fore wing the upper and lower postdiscal bands are more widely separated, 

 the latter ending on vein 3 or just beyond, whereas in stenopa it nearly always crosses vein 4 

 and may be conjoined with the upper portion. On the upper surface of the hind wing the 

 discal band is more regular, with its outer edge straight or only slightly bowed outwards, and 

 becomes whitish towards costa and dorsum. 



Holotype £. Aru Is. ; iv-vii. 1896 (Webster). 



Allotype $. Aru Is. ; ix. 1900 (H. Kiihn). 



Described from 7 ^, 6 $ from Aru Is. at South Kensington and 6 <$, 26 $ at Tring. 



