MELESE. By Dr. A. Seitz. 
339 
M. peruviana Rothsch. (43 e, f). Recognizable by the very large yellow costal spot behind the cell- 
end and the intensely golden yellow distal marginal band of the forewing, which in the <$, however, merges 
for the most part into the inverted part of the wing. Ground-colour of the forewing a bright violettish-red, 
intermixed with orange-red. Peru. 
M. russata H. Ediv. The £ shows a small white guttiform spot behind the cell-end of the forewing 
instead of the yellow costal spot, and the yellow at the border of the forewing is entirely absent; from Mexico. 
The $ is not described, but it presumably corresponds with the $ published by Lord Rothschild as drucei 
(43 f), from Guiana and Peru, fiom the $ of Avhich the russata is scarcely to be separated; the only difference 
consists in the small white spot behind the cell-end reaching yet the costa in russata, in drucei, however, not. - 
monima Schs. likewise greatly approximates the $ of russata, but the white spot of the forewing is still smaller, 
hebetis Rothsch. (43 f) is a form in which the otherwise beautifully ruddle-red ground-colour of the forewing 
is bleached to a dirty yellowish-brown, the pink of the hindwing being replaced by a monotonous white. - 
The $ seems always to have a broad yellow distal margin of the forewing. The total species is also distributed 
over Colombia and Ecuador and apparently common in some places. 
A. signata Joicey is somewhat larger than russata, forewings red-brown, tinted grey; from the base 
there extends below the costa a narrow purple stripe gradually passing over to the costa itself; on the median 
near the base a purple dot, on the wing besides other faded purple undulate markings and extinct red spots. 
Hindwings purple-pink, the middle whitish hyaline. In the $ the red spots of the forewing are brighter. Peru. 
M. punctata Rothsch. (44 c). Antennae strongly combed. Head and thorax lavender-grey, washed 
over with an intense pink; abdomen light pink. Forewing light brown, before the last quarter of the wing a 
double yellow costal spot encircled by red; in the cell and disc 6 scarlet dots pupilled yellow, one between the 
inner-marginal vein and inner-margin. 22 mm. Ecuador. —- sixola Schs. (43 h) is a larger form found in Costa 
Rica, but still in the south as far as Bolivia ; here the inversion of the forewing in the $ is conspicuously lighter 
yellow; it has mostly scanty punctiform spots on the forewings. —- In ab. frater Schs. also the spot between 
veins 5 and 6 is absent, only the spot between 2 and 3 being yet present. 
M. nebulosa Joicey from Peru, is allied to punctata (44 c), but it has more greyish-brown forewings 
speckled pale pink-in the disc; below the middle of the cell a yellow and red spot, an orange dot in the cell 
and a yellow stripe above the base of the proximal margin. Around them there are small, yellow-centred 
rings often touching each other; hindwings purple with yellow fringes. 
M. laodamia Drc. ($ = cutheans Drc.) (43 f). In this species distributed from Mexico to Venezuela 
and Colombia the yellow on the forewing of the $ is so much increased that it outweighs the red-brown ground¬ 
colour, and there are specimens before me, in which the yellow costal band extends behind the cell along as 
far as into the broad yelloAv distal-marginal band, which, however, is not always so distinct as in the figured 
example (from Misantla). In the ^ the small costal band is moderately large, the yelloAv distal margin proximally 
dentate. 
M. aniastris Drc. (43 g). In the $ the extensively inverted distal-marginal part of the forewing shows 
no more yellow at all. The very bright ruddle-red foreAving spotted miniate in the basal half often sIioavs only 
behind the transverse vein a minute vitreous dot Avhich is sometimes only the size of the prick of a needle and 
often quite absent. In the $ the small postmedian costal band is broad and hyaline, at the border only the 
fringes are in some places yelloAv. From Mexico to Peru and Brazil; not rare. 
M. costimacula Joicey. A very large species of which, hoAvever, only the J is known, from Choco in 
Colombia. Red-brown, with a violettish-grey hue over it, below the costal margin a purple stripe and beloAV 
this an oblique, conical orange spot. In the cell and above the proximal margin small, feebler purple-spots, 
at the cell-end a yellow-centred purple ring. From the middle of the border to the apex an orange-yelloAv 
marginal band. Hindwings diaphanous white, tinted pink. 
i M. pusilla Rothsch. (44 c) is one of the smallest species with a darkened brownish thorax, whereas 
the head, collar and abdomen are coloured bright purple pink. Forewing particularly in the basal half bright 
purple pink; this half being separated from the marginal area by a brownish-violet chain of confluent spots, 
behind which there is a light dot before the middle of the margin. Hindwings uniformly purple pink, beneath 
whitish, tinted pink. Guiana and Upper Amazon. 
M. Columbiana Rothsch . (44 c) is established upon a single $ from Bogota. Head and thorax greyish - 
brown, abdomen pink. Forewing yellowish greyish-broAvn, from the costa to vein 8 some darker shades round 
the cell; before the apical quarter of the Aving a white hyaline streak, and behind the basal quarter of the 
forewing a white dot on the submedian; the forewing itself is indented above and beloAV the apex; at He 
indentations the fringes are pink. HindAvings purple pink. 
M. cruenta Sepp (= binotata Wlcr.) (43 h). This is the largest Melese known; the $ attains an 
expanse of almost 50 mm. No distinct postcellular vitreous spot. The forewings are of a bright orange-red, 
densely suffused and watered with ruddle-red, so that only below the cell and in the basal area there remain 
miniate and orange-red spots. The hindwings are white in the beautifully pink in the •— The larva 
peruviana. 
russula. 
monima. 
hebetis. 
signata. 
punctata. 
si.r at a. 
/ rater. 
nebulosa. 
laodamia. 
amastris. 
costimacu¬ 
la. 
pusilla. 
Columbiana. 
cruenta. 
