SINTHUSA. By Dr. A. Seitz. 
970 
55. Genus: Siuthusa Mr. 
The Sinthusa are small delicate lepidoptera looking like small faded Thecla or Zephyr us and showing 
a superficial resemblance with numerous American Theda, e. g. Th. asa from the celmus-growp (cf. Vol. V, 
p. 802, pi. 158 k, 1) from which they would not be discernible in the open air, if they would occur in the same 
country. They already form a transition to the genus Hypolycaena\ separated from the preceding species by 
the 1st subcostal branch being nearer to the costal vein; from the Chliaria by the forked 3rd subcostal 
branch. Most of the species have a rather weakly flight, so that distinct local forms have developed in the 
different habitats. 
S. chandrana Mr. (157 e). The typical form originates from Kashmir, where however it exclusively 
inhabits the warmer valleys situate in the Indian faunal region. Our figures exhibit the upper surface of both 
sexes in typical specimens; beneath the wings are olive-coloured, forewing with a fine black cell-end spot 
bordered with whitish, a black interrupted discal band and a submarginal band of small crescents. Hindwing 
analogously marked with a dentate marginal band ending in a red subanal spot, g and $ beneath quite similar, 
but the latter is of a paler colouring. This form is distributed through the Himalaya to West China, probably 
as far as the palearctic frontier. — Already to the east of the Himalaya (Sikkim) the species is changed to 
the form grotei Mr. (= pratti Leech ) with a brownish-grey under surface, a spotted cell of the hind wing, 
in which there are 3 dots, the hindwing itself with a marginal row of small ring-spots, in the anal portion red 
colouring enclosing small black dots bordered with small silvery scales. The description does not mention any 
distinct differences of the two forms, as de Niceville already stated. — Besides, chandrana varies most 
conspicuously, although these deviations can only be denominated as aberrations. Sometimes the specimens 
are above dark, but the forewing shows a very conspicuous orange-red discal spot (ab. dichroa ab. nov .) or a 
white discal spot (ab. stigma ab. nov.). Of quite a peculiar aspect are $$ the hindwings of which are*distally 
white: ab. discolor ab. nov. — These forms are not bound to any locality; but in Indo-China the form 
margala Fruhst. (157 f) seems to be more constant, the $ of which shows a dull orange patch in the forewing and 
a band-shaped submarginal brightening in the hindwing. — sophonisbe Fruhst. (157 f), above quite dark, but 
beneath quite light with an almost extinct marking, is presumably a distinct form of the dry season. — chan¬ 
drana is nearly everywhere in its habitats not rare and easily taken owing to its weakly and low flight. 
S. nasaka Hsf. (157 f) differs from chandrana in the lustrous blue basal portion of the forewing in 
the and den invariably broad white anal portion of the hindwing above. Beneath the marking is similar 
to that in chandrana, but very faint except the thick and distinct subanal dots. Described from Java. —. 
obscurata Fruhst. are specimens from North India exhibiting a very dark, almost blackish-grey under surface; 
the specimens from Sikkim are the darkest of all, whereas those from the Western Himalaya show a less blackened 
under surface; in specimens from Kashmir also the black anal spot beneath is generally reduced. Fruhstorfer 
denominates it as the form pallidior Fruhst. in which the black areas of the wings above show a somewhat golden 
reflection. 
- - - 
S. malika Hsf. (157 f) is above very similar to nasaka, but beneath there are only rows of dots 
instead of the postmedian transverse streaks. — In the form volsa Fruhst. (157 g), from East Java, these rows 
of dots are even often pierced and in some $$ there are only traces of them to be noticed. -— The $$ are 
somewhat variable; in the dry season the anal area of the hindwing above, which in typical specimens 
from West Java is only crossed by a whitish submarginal band, is so extensive that almost the whole marginal 
third of the hindwing appears white. The $ differs little above from nasaka-<$. — amata Dist. represents the 
species in Sumatra and Malacca. Here the white band of the hindwing is at the apex very pointed and widens 
towards the anal angle to more than 3 mm. Moreover, according to Piepers, the white also varies in the 
individuals very much so that single specimens, in which the hindwing above gradually passes over into white 
distally, can only be regarded as aberrations; this is ab. aspra Nic. (157 g). — amba Ky., which Piepers and 
Snellen place to malika , is probably more correctly placed to nasaka, since the forewing beneath shows the 
postdiscal transverse stripe as a complete line. If the figure of Distant is correct, the anal white of the hindwing 
above in the $ is more compact, not so band-shaped as in most of the $$ of nasaka , and before the base 
of the small tail spotted blue. Malacca and Sumatra. — In privata Fruhst. (157 g), from Borneo, the has a 
darker fore wing above than amba from Perak; beneath the reddish brown of the apical region is increased; 
in the $ the subanal white in the hindwing is merely a small band as thin as a thread. —- niasicola Fruhst. 
(157 g) which is correctly ranged here with malika and does not belong to nasaka like amba, is about the smallest 
form of the genus and distinguished by the variegated under surface with distinct though scanty spots; from 
the Isle of Nias. 
S. indrasari Snell. (= verena Sm.) (157 f). This very different species is the largest of the genus. The 
$ looks above like a somewhat larger S. peregrinus $ (157 g), except that the hindwing above shows a deep 
dark blue instead of violettish-blue reflection; the ^ is above uni-coloured greyish earth-brown. Beneath. 
chandrana. 
grotei. 
dichroa. 
stigma, 
discolor, 
margala. 
sophonisbe. 
obscurata. 
pallidior. 
malika. 
volsa. 
amata. 
aspra. 
amba. 
privata. 
niasicola. 
indrasari. 
