948 
AMBLYPODIA. By Dr. A. Seitz. 
but in the Amblypodia the 1st, 2nd and 3rd subcostal branches rise from the upper cell-wall; the 3rd bifurcates 
shortly before the apex, but just as in most of the Lycaenidae the neuration of the forewing sometimes varies 
in the sexes or even individuals of the same species. Moreover, the species of the genus are unmistakable. Then’ 
range is almost entirely confined to the Indo-Australian District; one centre seems to be situate in India, on 
the southern slopes of the Himalaya, another centre in the Indian Archipelago in Borneo. In the Papuan District 
the number of species decreases rapidly, and there are only 4 species that reach the Australian Continent. On 
the other hand, about 5 or 6 species penetrate to the palearctic region at its south-eastern frontier, but they 
do not advance far to the north. — The larvae are oblong oval, flat, somewhat woodlouse-shaped, with very 
bristly sides, mostly green with brownish or pink spots, one of which is generally saddle-shaped on the dorsum. 
They live on various plants, such as Schleicheria, Hopea, Xylia, Lagerstromia etc., and are mostly visited by 
ants. The imagines are generally found only in single specimens, but certain species (e. g. amantes) gather at 
certain hours round a bush on which they bask with their wings half opened, affording a most magnificent 
sight. Neither are they shy. Certain species I never saw drinking from flowers, whilst others prefer blossoming 
seed-fields where they sit so fast, with their wings closed, that they are easily captured, When at rest, they 
sit in the bushes, often very far in their recesses, or on the underside of leaves, with their wings closed, in which 
case they are very difficult to recognise owing to their resemblance with dry leaves. In spite of the delicateness 
of the colouring above, the imagines are not very sensitive to injuries, and in the beginning of the flying- 
periods one may generally obtain numerous faultless specimens. They neither fly in dense forests, but in gardens 
(e. g. in the so-called ,,Cinnamon Gardens 14 near Colombo) and on bushy slopes or on roadsides. The disagreement 
of the observers , who state that the Arhopala (= Amblypodia) number among the most radiant phenomena 
of the tropical world, or (according to Martin) are by no means conspicuous and show but little of their beautiful 
metallic blue, is in my opinion due to unfounded generalization: all the species with an intense violet tint look 
plainly dark, whereas the lustrous light metallic species, such as the sky-blue A of acetes or the golden green 
eumolphus are of a conspicuous radiance. Besides, a certain love-making and the habit of basking after heavy 
rainfalls with the wings opened seems to be the motive that the imagines, which otherwise invariably rest with 
closed wings, give play to their colours. — They seem not to drink from wet places on the roads, for which 
reason they are only found on being scared up, as Martin and de Niceville state. After having been scared 
away from bushes they only fly for short distances. Once when I captured the first of 5 A. amantes basking 
on a low bush, the others flew in different directions, but all returned to the same bush or quite near to it, so 
that I easily captured all 5. 
hercules. A. hercules Heiv. (149 g). Above the A is deep ultramarine, of a pure colour though with but slight 
lustre. In the typical form from Celebes the under surface shows an intensely lustrous greenish tinge, only 
the postmedian transverse band is well developed, quite straight; proximally to it some scattered spots. -—- In 
leo. the form leo Drc. the under surface looks as if it were hoary or tarnished with greenish mildew or blight, the 
herculina. postmeclian band of the forewing is irregular or torn; New Guinea. — herculina Stgr. (148 a, as herculinus ) is 
above brighter blue, and the under surface is but feebly greyish hoary, the median band quite irregular. Waigeu. 
stymphelus. — styniphelus Fruhst., from Batjan and Halmaheira, is somewhat smaller than the types from Macassar, 
beneath dark greenish-grey, the metallic colouring at the anal angle of the hindwing is faint; the $ which is 
in typical hercules above blue except the margin of the wing, is only in the basal parts of the wings yet of a 
phalaerus. dim blue. — phalaerus Fruhst., from Jobi, has beneath a more deeply greenish-grey base of the hindwing 
tyrannus. and a widened median transverse band. -—- tyrannus Fldr. may be a separate species, but Beth.-Baker placed 
it as ,,var.“ to hercules ; beneath without any hoary tint, and with much darker cross-bands; the $ is above 
sophilus. without any blue; it is uni-coloured dark brown. Halmaheira. — sophilus Fruhst. is from Obi, smaller than, 
specimens from Halmaheira, beneath lighter greyish-brown, the cross-banc! narrower and somewhat bordered 
afranius. with whitish; the $ above sometimes shows traces of blue in the disc. — afranius Fruhst. has somewhat more 
roundish wings, and shorter and broader tails of the hindwings. Beneath the dark places are duller, particularly 
the cellular spots are less deeply dark, the bands and spots on the whole broader than in tyrannus; from the 
Aroa River in British New Guinea. 
ate. A. ate Hew. -(150 b). above violettish-blue, but covered with a dark shadow and therefore not 
brightly glaring; the $ is unknown to me. Beneath the cross-bands are very straight and, like the scanty small 
proximal spots, surrounded with a light colour. Only from Amboina, where the species is apparently rare. 
philander. A. philander Fldr. (= periander 8m.) (150 B a) looks beneath almost like a small tyrannus, but the 
postmedian band of the hindwing beneath is before the base of the little tail curved towards the hind-margin 
which it almost reaches. The spots and bands are distinctly light-edged. Distinguished from the similar meander 
(147 f) by the uniformly brown under surface with a narrower transverse band, from hylander by the transverse 
band in the hindwing not being flawed. Batjan, Halmaheira. 
hylander. A. hylander 8m. (150 B a) is very similar to philander, but distinguished by the quite irregular transverse 
band on the hind wing beneath. Biak. 
