Pabl. 18. III. 1924. 
LYCAENESTHES. By H. Fruhstoreer. 
897 
Lycaenesthes emolus and Lycaenesthes lycaenina have almost the same range. They are almost inseparable, 
Dioscuri among the lepidoptera. It seems, however, that Lycaenesthes emolus represents the most expansive 
and most common of the two species, since it has advanced as far as the Salomons, whereas lycaenina was not 
ascertained to the east of New Guinea. Still there are gaps in the range, emolus being absent in Ceylon 
and the Philippines, whilst lycaenina is extremely rare in Java. 
The larva is entirely lycaenoidal, and found on Nephelium litschi Lamb., Cassia fistula L. and Heynea 
trijuga Roxb. It is visited by the magnificent and common ant Oecophylla smaragdina P. 
L. emolus Godt. (153 e). From India to the Salomons, in the Philippines hitherto only registered emolus. 
from Palawan: emolus Godt. described from ,,Bengale“ (= L. hengalensis Mr. 1865). From Kulu to Burma, 
chiefly in the lowlands; in Ceylon it is absent. I very often found it in Tonkin and Siam. — According to Bell 
(1918) the eggs are singly deposited on a Leguminosa, Saraca indica. Larva on leaves beneath, often half a 
dozen of various stages together, abundantly exuding sap which is absorbed by the ant Oecophylla smaragdina 
with great energy and rapidity. The snail-like larvae also stick closely to the leaves, if one touches them, 
presumably relying upon their immunity, since they are always surrounded by their defenders, the ants. 
,,Red ants, en masse, are never pleasant customers to tackle.“ Imago on low vegetation and very small trees 
in the jungles. -— andamanicus Fruhst. The $ remarkably differs from continental specimens by the darker andamanl- 
grouncl-colour of the blue upper surface. Beneath the longitudinal bands are narrower and more irregularly cus ‘ 
defined. Andamans. — goberus Fruhst. is generally larger than continental specimens, of a darker blue and goberus. 
more intense lustre. The markings beneath more distinctly prominent. North Borneo, North East Sumatra, 
South Borneo. — javanus Fruhst. (153 f) is an excellent form, the only one, among the 50 specimens of my javanus. 
collection with a light grey, instead of smoke-coloured brown under surface. $ above more extensively and 
lighter blue than from Siam. East and West Java. — modesta Star, from Palawan. $ smoke-coloured modesta. 
brown, forewing intensely liued blue and hindwing very slightly strewn with blue. — lycaeuoldes Fldr. Ori- lyeaenoides. 
ginally described from Amboina, according to Holland it also occurs in Burn, from Halmaheira and Obi, 
the genitals of which I examined, proved to be absolutely identical with L. emolus from Sumatra. Habitat: 
Northern Moluccas, Obi, Halmaheira. -—- seltuttus Rob. The material lying before me from Dutch and German seltuttus. 
New Guinea is not sufficient to distinguish whether the New Guinea form can be separated from seltuttus of 
the Aru Islands. $$ from Aru are beneath somewhat lighter grey with more purely white undulate bands 
and above somewhat darker and more extensively huecl bluish-violet than $$ from New Guinea. Aru, Key 
Islands, New Guinea. Numbers of it from Dutch Central New Guinea are in the Leiden Museum. — paraffinis paraffinis. 
Fruhst. Bismarck Archipelago. <f$ considerably smaller and somewhat lighter bluish-violet than New Guinea 
specimens. The black anteterminal spotting on the hindwing above is prettier; the under surface darker; the 
white borders of the submarginal and other macular bands more prominent.- £ much more approaching the 
light $ of L. affinis Waterh. from Queensland than the very dark from New Guinea. Forewing even still 
lighter than in affinis-QQ. The black border of the forewing scarcely half as broad. Hindwing more extensively 
covered with a light greyish blue. The submarginal crescents of the hindwings flatter. Beneath more similar 
to the New Guinea race than to the very much lighter and more purely white-speckled under surface of af finis. 
New Lauenburg, type in the Coll. Courvoisier. The genitals of this extremely different form have proved 
to be absolutely identical with those of L. emolus from Sikkim. •—• affinis Waterh. (nec Star., moclestus affinis. 
Waterh.) from Queensland. According to the material of the Munich State Collections, affinis seems to occur 
in two forms: a larger one being above relatively dull blue, to which above uni-coloured violettish-blue $$ 
seem to belong, and an extremely neat form with an intense light violet lustre, the $$ of which are distinguished 
by a greyish-blue tinge in the basal area particularly on the forewing. — violacea Btlr. (153 e), described from violacea. 
the Louisiads, also occurs in a similar form in Rubiana (Salomons). 
L. philo Hpffr. In spite of the great difference of the valve I should not treat this form as a ,,species“, philo. 
if a geographical real emolus- race from the more eastern Bismarck Archipelago had not proved to exhibit organs 
absolutely identical with those of Indian specimens. Thus philo represents an intercalar species inhabiting 
a zoogeographical enclave between Macromalayana and the Papuan District and only occurring in the Celebic 
subregion. The species is very rare, and there are only few specimens known, having been collected by Dr. 
Martin near Maros, South Celebes, and in the central part of the island. In the Leiden Museum there is a $ 
from Sangir, the genitals of which correspond with those of a from Saleyer in my collection. If the habitat 
mentioned of an emolus from the Coll. Snellen in the Leiden Museum is correct, philo occurs in Sangir beside 
emolus. Central South Celebes, Saleyer, Sangir. In Kalawara, to the south of Palu, Central Celebes, beside a 
dark violettish-blue form also a much larger form is found with a bright lustrous upper surface of a lighter 
colouring and rounder hindwings (f. praeclara form. nov.). Flying in December, ivhilst the more insignificant, praeclara. 
dark specimens from Lewara and Kalawara are from February and October. 
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