60 J. N. ELIOT 



N. sappho astola Moore stat. n. 



(Text-fig. 32) 



Neptis astola Moore, 1872 : 560. N.W. Himalayas. q"$ types BMNH. Dry season form. 

 Neptis emodes Moore, 1872 : 561, pi. 32, fig. 2. S.E. Himalayas, o* type BMXH. ' Wet 



season form '. 

 Neptis astola Moore (syn. emodes Moore) ; Moore, 1899 : 227, pi. 274, figs. i-igo*$ dry and wet 



season forms. 

 Neptis hylas astola Moore with f. emodes Moore ; Stichel, 1909 : 176, pi. 53c labelled ' hylas 

 Neptis hylas astola Moore (syn. emodes Moore, wet season form) ; Fruhstorfer, 1913 : 602. 

 Neptis hylas astola Moore (syn. emodes Moore) ; Evans, 1932 : 166, pi. 22. 

 Neptis aceris astola Moore ; Shirozu, 1955 : 353. 



This is another variable subspecies, which possibly deserves to be further split up. 

 Typical examples from the N.W. Himalayas have wider and clearer white markings 

 and a more ochreous under surface ground colour than examples from the Eastern 

 Himalayas and from North and Central Burma. In these latter areas the dry 

 season form resembles the wet season form from the N.W. Himalayas, whilst the 

 wet season form is very distinctive, with narrow, sullied markings and very dark 

 reddish brown under surface ground colour. The type of emodes from the Eastern 

 Himalayas, said by Moore to be wet season form, is in fact an intermediate form 

 closer to the dry than to the wet season form. Examples from South Burma, Siam, 

 Vietnam and South Yunnan show a reversion to the N.W. Himalayan form, and 

 some examples of the dry season may be difficult to tell from the N. hylas forms 

 occurring with them. Indeed it seems just possible that occasional hybridization 

 may occur in these areas. Evans regarded astola as a montane subspecies of N. 

 hylas and it is true that it appears to be restricted to hilly areas. However it 

 certainly occurs to the base of the Himalayan foothills, as I know from personal 

 experience in the Eastern Himalayas, and overlaps over a considerable altitudinal 

 range with N. hylas without any indication of interbreeding except as already noted. 



Pakistan and India (throughout Himalayas and in Assam), Burma, Siam, 

 North and South Vietnam, South China (S. Yunnan). 



Neptis hylas (Linnaeus) 

 N. hylas hylas (Linnaeus) 



Papilio hylas Linnaeus, 1758 : 486. Hab. in Indiis (recte S.E. China). 



Papilio acidalia Weber, 1801 : 107. China. 



Limenitis eurynome Westwood, 1842 : 66, pi. 35, fig. 4. China. 



Neptis sangaica Moore, 1877a : 47. o*9 Snowy Valley, Province Chekiang. Types BMNH. 

 Dry season form. 



Neptis hainana Moore, 1878a : 697. o* Hainan, syn. n. Type BMNH. 



Neptis eurynome var. sangaica Moore ; Leech, 1892 : 202, pi. 19, fig. 6q*. 



Neptis hylas hylas (Linnaeus) (syns. leucothoe Linnaeus partim, acidalia Weber, eurynome West- 

 wood) Stichel, 1909 : 175, pi. 53d labelled ' acidalia '. 



Neptis hylas hylas (Linnaeus) with f. sangaica Moore ; Fruhstorfer, 1913 : 601. 



Neptis hylas hainana Moore ; Fruhstorfer, 191 3 : 602. 



