Publ. 16. IV. 1915. 
129 
EPISCEPSIS. By Dr. M. Drattdt. 
89. Genus: Episcepsis Btlr. 
Species of medium to big size, with a preponderantly dim colouring of the wings, usually with metal- 
colours on the abdomen. The forewings, being rather broad, exhibit the usual neuration, the hindwings mostly 
show in the a long hair-tuft in an anal fold of the proximal angle being here often extended to a point. The 
lower median vein rises far from the lower cell-angle, the upper median vein and the 3rd radial from it, the 
middle radial distinctly from above it. The base of the abdomen is covered with long hair. 
E. melanitis Hbn. (20 b) is an entirely deviating type, which at first sight does not look at all like melamtis. 
a Syntomid. The velvety deep blackish-brown forewings exhibit a broad, orange-yellow, oblique band; on the 
under surface both wings are suffused with a metallic blue in the basal halves. The body is blackish-brown, 
palpi and legs striped white, the venter shows sublateral series of white spots. The hair-tufts on the abdomen 
and proximal margin of the hindwings are white. British and French Guiana. 
E. lenaeus Cr. (20 b). Head, thorax and forewings dark sepia-coloured, the latter with a white apical lenaeus. 
spot; the hindwings in the disc diaphanous, otherwise slate-coloured. In the neck 2 carmine spots. The bright 
red forehips separate the species easily from the very similar thetis. Abdomen above metallic blue, the hair 
at the base blackish-brown. The hair-tufts in the anal fold white in the Distributed from Mexico through 
Central America as far as Guiana and Surinam. 
E. thetis L. (= thoos F ., lenaeus Druce pr. p.) (20 b) has a white apical spot on the forewings, white thetis. 
forehips and first palpal joint; hindhead and shoulders are spotted carmine; on the brown forewings the veins 
are not lighter prominent; the first 3 ventral segments are spotted white; the hair-tufts at the proximal margin 
are yellowish. Occurring from Panama, Venezuela as far as Argentina. 
E. hampsoni Rothsch. greatly approximates thetis from which it differs by its black palpi and forehips hampsoni. 
(the latter show some white only at the base), orange-yellow neck, distinctly light grey veins particularly in 
the basal half of the forewing and snow-white hair-tuft in the $. The venter is unicolorously sooty black. 
Length of forewings: 18 mm. Surinam. 
E. capysca Schaus. This species, and the following, so strikingly resemble Patreliura capys, that one capysca. 
must look very closely in order to distinguish them; the principal distinguishing mark are of course the unpetioled 
upper median and lower radial veins of the hindwing and the rise of the upper radial of the forewing from the 
upper cell-corner. Besides, the base of the palpi is white, and the abdomen beneath spotted white, the whole 
animal being somewhat larger, at an average. The head is ochreous-yellow, spotted black, the forehead blackish 
with some white scales. The blackish-blue hindwings exhibit a hyaline spot in the cell, below and behind it. 
Costa Rica (Tuis). 
! jjkv' W • ’ ” ' ' • - • ■ ./ • , - * 
E. capyscoides Dogn. (20 b) is perhaps only a local race of the preceding, chiefly differing by the capyscoi- 
presence of a white, diaphanous spot on the inner-marginal base of the hindwing; only the hindhead is orange. dcs - 
The species described from French Guiana is before me also from Bolivia. 
E. rhypoperas Hmps. (= lenaeus Druce pr. p.) (20 b) is somewhat smaller than the very similar thetis ; rhypoperas. 
on the forewings the veins appear lighter; hindhead and shoulders are spotted orange, not carmine, the venter 
is much more extensively white; the hair-tufts at the proximal margin are entirely white. British Honduras. 
E. gnoma Btlr. (20 c) and the following are easily distinguished from the numerous similar species gnoma. 
by the white forehips. Shoulders and hindhead spotted red, the lower end of the collar not. The abdomen is 
, of an intense metallic blue, the 3 first segments beneath spotted white; the light veins of the wings form the 
only difference from the following species. From French Guiana, the Amazon and Rio de Janeiro-. 
E. gnomoides Schaus exactly resembles the preceding, but the veins of the forewings are black and gnomoides. 
not lighter than the ground. Costa Rica (Sixola River). 
E. klagesi Rothsch. differs from gnoma by the white apical border and much more pronounced Jclagesi. 
light veins of the forewings, an orange neck and an entirely white ventral side. Venezuela. 
E. sordidus Rothsch. differs.from klagesi by its dirty dark brown forewings with lighter veins, the sordidus. 
apical fourth being whitish brown-grey, the abdomen above and beneath unicolorously black-brown. Venezuela. 
E. vinasia Schaus. The body is brownish-black, palpi and legs striped grey; hindhead ochreous-yellow, vinasia. 
collar laterally spotted ochreous-yellow. Abdomen above metallic blue, with basal blackish-brown hair, beneath 
all white. Forehips ochreous-yellow. Forewings brownish-black with grey veins. Hindwings bluish-black, 
in and below the cell with a broad white longitudinal stripe from the base; the proximal margin striped white 
in the $ with a yellow-redclish hair-tuft. Expanse of wings: 32 mm. Costa Rica. 
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