1300 
PHASSUS. By R. Pfitzner f- 
n-signatus. 
marcius. 
exclamatio- 
nis. 
costar icensis. 
argentiferus. 
basirei. 
phalerus. 
trojesa. 
smithi. 
championi. 
umbrifera. 
modestus. 
as far as 1 , of the costa and the centre of the inner margin, otherwise greyish brown. Inner margin with rosy 
red hair. Its habitus somewhat similar to that of Ph. regius from Tibet (Vol. II. pi. 54 b), but it is much larger 
(exj3anse of <$\ 87 mm). Mexico (Jalapa). 
Ph. n-signatus Weym. Whitish grey, partly brownish yellowish grey. Chiefly recognizable by the thick 
silvery dentate line at the end of the anterior part of the cell, about 5 mm long, N-shaped. The single streaks 
of this figure are about 1 mm thick, edged with dark brown. Towards the inner margin a pear-shaped olive 
brown spot. 9 mm long and 5 mm broad; a similar larger one towards the base on vein 3. The rest of the sur¬ 
face on the forewing is covered with greyish brown undulate transverse lines. Hindwing dark greyish brown, 
light ochreous at the apex. Expanse of $: 150 mm, length of body: 69 mm. Distinguished from triangularis 
by the differently shaped brown spots, the differently shaped silver mark, the dark angular markings at the 
distal margin, and the almost straight costa; from the following marcius by the marks mentioned above and 
besides by its considerable size and the absence of golden spots. Guatemala. 
Ph. marcius Drc. (100 a) forms the transition to the argent if era -gro up. Forewing pale greyish brown, 
densely marked with grey and darker brown lines, a double row of blackish brown oblong spots, from the costa 
near the apex to the inner margin, and a series of oblong bent lines around the distal margin from the apex 
to the anal angle. A rather long golden stripe broken up into 3 spots, at the cell-end; 2 tiny golden dots towards 
the distal margin; hindwing pale greyish brown, palest at the base, a few darker maculae at the costa near the 
apex; head, thorax and abdomen pale greyish brown; expanse: 105 mm. Mexico, near Durango. — Another 
Phassus of my collection presumably belongs to this group, being conspicuous for its monotonous exterior. 
Expanse of wings: 100 mm, wings dull greyish brown, forewing indistinctly marbled by somewhat lighter and 
darker lines. In the cell an irregularly defined silvery stripe 9 mm long, parallel to the inner margin, in the pro¬ 
longation of its direction two little dots situate close together; the marking is somewhat different on the two 
halves of the wings, more articulate to the left than to the right, 3 small dots against 2, the longitudinal stripe 
pierced, bipartite. I denominate this species for the present as: exclamationis sp. n. 
Ph. costaricensis Drc. (185 c). Size: 82 mm, found in Costa Rica (by Platen). Almost unicoloured dull 
yolk-coloured, with fine dark streaks, a black spot at the cross-vein and a fine exterior line. The body with 
light brown hair. 
Ph. argentiferus Wkr. (100 c). Beside triangularis the best known American species. Much smaller (65 
to 75 mm), more ashy grey, less distinctly marked. 2 silvery spots at the costa, 3 in the disc. Mexico, Costa 
Rica (Irazu. 6000—7000 ft.); Panama (Chiriqui 2000—3000 ft.). hubneri which we likewise figure on pi. 100 c 
is more intensely reddened, more contrasting, perhaps more similar to argentiferus than to triangularis where it 
is already mentioned. 
Ph. basirei Schs. (100 a, as triangularis). Separated from triangularis by the different incoherent shape 
of the triangular marking; the species designed as triangularis on pi. 100 a is in reality basirei. From Mexico. 
Ph. phalerus Drc. (185 f) is a larger species (100 mm) from Mexico; Guatemala (Purala. 4000 ft.). Easily 
recognizable from the figure. 
Ph. trojesa Schs. (100 d). Head and thorax black, behind with pale leather-coloured transverse lines. 
Forewing grey, striated black, basal third from vein 1 b broadly marbled white; an oblong black spot below 
this vein at the base; a white spot at the cell-end. close at vein 6; a brownish median shadow from the cell-end 
to vein 1 1). between which and the median vein it is very dark; a broad brown subterminal band curved out¬ 
wards between veins 5 and 8; distal margin and fringe dark brown with triangular paler dots. A few white 
shadows before the apex; costal margin with darker spots. Hindwing greyish brown, light brown hair at the 
base, fringe light brown, 2 dark spots at the apex. 70 mm. Mexico (Trojes). 
Ph. smithi Drc. (185 d). Forewing pale fawn-coloured, indistinctly marbled with darker shadows; few 
lunar spots at the apex and distal margin. Hindwing uniformly reddish fawn-coloured, slightly striped and paler 
towards the apex; under surface everywhere pale fawn-coloured. Head and thorax reddish fawn-coloured, ab¬ 
domen and legs pale fawn-coloured, antennae brown. 110 mm. Mexico (Atovac, Veracruz). Taken by H. A. 
Smith; 1 specimen in May 1888. — A closely allied species is Ph. championi Drc. (185 d), from Guatemala. Fore¬ 
wing pale reddish yellow, densely striated dark. Small blackish brown spots close at the costal margin, a few 
also at the inner margin near the base. Hindwing dark brown, lighter brown at the apex and narrowly so at the 
margin. 150 mm. Described from 1 $ from Guatemala. 
Ph. umbrifera Fldr. (185 f). 75 mm. Body greyish brown. Forevdng grey. An irregular silvery band 
from the centre of the cell towards the apex, extending to % of the length of the wing. A similar submarginal 
band from the apex to vein 2. Hindwing red-brown, narrowly grey at the margin. Brazil. 
Ph. modestus H. Ediv.*). Size 60 mm, body 22 mm, projecting by y 3 beyond the hindwings. Shaped 
*) A. species modestus H. Edw. exists only as a synonym of Hep. hectoides (p. 1290). There is also a label inscri¬ 
bed Phassus modestus in the Berlin Museum near Call arenosus, but the specimen is missing. It was presumably wrongly 
determined before. Which species Pfitzner bad in view can no more be ascertained. 
