RBOFALOCERA MALAYAN A. 



4. Charaxes athamas, var. samatha, (Tab, XIII. f fig, 8 tf.) 



PtpiHp Athmtwi, Drury, IU. Ex. Eat. i. L 2, f. 4 (1778) ; Cram. Pap. Ex. i. t. 89, C, D (1779). 



Churaxe* tamattutf Moore, Proo. Zool. Soc. 1878, p. 631, 



Eulepti tntnatfta, Moore, Lep, Ceyl. i. p. 20, t. H r f. 2, o, h (1881 J. 



Male and Female, Winga above dark chocolate-brown; botb wings crossed by a broad pale greenish 

 yellow fascia, commencing on anterior wing beneath the first median nervule, where it is narrowest 

 on that icing, and terminating narrmvly and subacutely at the middle of i\w third mediiLii nervale of the 

 posterior wing; anterior wings with a pale greenish subapieal rounded spot placed between the diseoidaJ 

 nervules (in some specimens there is a seeond and Hinalh.-r white spot), and posterior wings with a 

 submarginal series of whitish spots plaeed between the nervules itwo distinctly surrounded with black 

 between the third median nervnle and submediau nervine), and a narrow pale brownish marginal line. Wings 

 beneath olive-brown, with bright pink reflections; both wings crossed by a broad pale shining, greenish 

 fascia (equivalent to the one on the upper surface! , inwardly margined by a narrow eastaneous fascia 

 with Haekish borders; on anterior wings this fascia is margined with eiiataneous above, and is outwardly 

 narrowly margined with the same colour, which is followed by a series of sublunulate spots denoted 

 by their fuscous margins, placed between the nervulea, the hindmost of which, situate between the third 

 median norvule and submediau nervine, is largest and much suffused with black; a small black dot in cell, 

 and the pale greenish spot between the discoidal nervules as above, but inwardly margined with black. 

 Posterior wings with the fascia outwardly margined as on anterior wings, but with the accompanying spots 

 less regular; these consist of a small black spot at costa, an irregular black patch beneath the costal 

 nervure enclosing a eastaneous spot, a castaueoue spot above the lower subcostal nervule, and a smaller 

 one beneath it, an irregular black streak beneath the discoidal nervule, and a lunulate black spot on 

 each side of the second median nervule : these are preceded by shining greyish streaks ; a eastaneous spot 

 more or less surrounded with black near anal angle, preceded by a blackish transverse line; a submarginal 

 series of small fuscous spots more or less surrounded with greyish white placed between the nervules, 

 two being situate at anal angle between the third median nervule and submediau nervure ; these spots 

 are followed by pale brownish, the extreme margin being fuscous. Body and legs more or less coneolorous 

 with wings. 



Exp. wings, 3 68 to 65 millim. ; ¥ * 78 millim. 



Has.! — N.E. India (Brit. Mus.) — Ceylon (coll. Moore). — Burma. — Upper Tenasserim (Brit, Mub.) — 

 Malay Peninsula; Province Wellesley (coll, Dist.). 



I incline to the opinion that this form should be considered a variety of C athamas* 

 Mr, Moore, in his description of C\ samatha, * describes it as having the " yellow band on both 

 wings one-third less in width" than in "Indian examples of V, athamas/' and he afterwards 

 figures his species in the * Lepidoptera of Ceylon/ Now if we compare these figures with that of 

 Drury, § who originally described and figured C athamas, instead of finding the yellow band of 

 C. samatha 4 * less in width" than in Drury 's species, it is, on the contrary, always as broad, aud 

 at its apices on both wings absolutely broader. \\ There therefore only remains its somewhat 



* A« figured in Moore's Lop* Coyh i* t. 11, f. 2 a. 



f It is certain that the range of this variety is much more extensive thau the following localities Indicate; but owing 

 to the impossibility of knowing whether soma authors who refer to C. athama» uieuu that spueits (typical) or its present 

 variety, it ifi impossible to give their habitats on the prom-nt occasion, winn vur. Samutlm, -Moore, is alone referred to. 



\ Pme. Zool, Soc, 1B78, p. 881. § 111. Ex. Ent. i. t. % f. 4. 



|| There is a probable- explanation of this discrepancy, us Mr. Moore (well known as our highest authority on Indian 

 Lcpidi'ptc-raj expressly refers to Indian examples of C. atkumwt, whilst Drury described his species as from China. 



