286 
YPTHIMA. By H. Fruhstorfer. 
districts where grassy plains are found, the situation is changed; thus in Sikkim occur 17 genera and 75 species, 
whilst in the equatorial forest-land of Sumatra only 10 genera with 36 species are known. 
The figures are drawn from examples in coll. Fruhstorfer, Genf-Florissant, with three exceptions, 
which the Tring Museum kindly placed at our disposal. The types of the new forms are likewise in the Genf 
collection except where it is specially noted to the contrary. 
Ypthima - Group. 
Small delicate butterflies of the size of the European Coenonyrnpha, with a large subapical ocellus on the fore- 
wing, which extends between the radials and the upper median. The under surface of the butterflies is never striped, but 
unicolorous or finely striated or irregularly spotted. The costal vein is always inflated. 
1. Genus: Vpilaimsi Hbn. 
Next to Mycalesis the most extensive genus of the eastern tropics, at the same time bicontinental, as it 
encroaches into Africa and one Indian species has spread through Persia into Palestine. Also the Palearctic 
north of East Asia produces a few species. 
Forewing with only one subcostal before the end of the cell, lower discocellular of the very broad hind¬ 
wing runs into the bend of the upper median vein. Both the costal and the median vein inflated. Precostal 
of the hindwing short, knobbed. Some species bear a rather broad sexual spot, with a dull gloss, on the fore¬ 
wing, the presence or absence of which has been utilized for dividing the genus into groups; but the very con¬ 
stant arrangement of the ocelli on the hindwing beneath is much more essential for this purpose. — Larva accord¬ 
ing to Moore in ,,Lepidoptera Indica“ somewhat less than an inch long, entirely green, the head round, the 
body of nearly uniform width, becoming somewhat thicker at the fifth segment, and then tapering to the anal 
segment, which bears two immovable divergent processes. Head and body covered with small, fine, colour¬ 
less hairs, which arise from soft tubercles. — Pupa either green or brown, the head rounded, the wing-cases 
somewhat raised and anteriorly angled, the thorax humped. 
Ypthima are but little dependant upon the sun and appear even on dull days in the early and late evening 
hours. In neglected coffee-gardens on the plateau of Pengalengan in West Java I met with them in hundreds 
on and between the weeds even in rainy weather. They all keep low in the grass, settling on blades and leaves 
but not on the ground. They are fond of visiting Ixora and Sambucus umbels and even sit on the flowers with 
the wings spread out. At elevations of 1500 m. they are still very common and it is known that in the Hima¬ 
layas some species occur up to 8000 ft. The head-quarters of the genus are subtropical China and the whole of 
India. In the Macromalayan region they begin to decrease rapidly in numbers, and Sumatra and Java produce 
only 5 species; from Australia only one species is known, and in the Bismarck Archipelago and the Solomons 
they are entirely absent. 
Y. asterope has already been discussed in the Palearctic part, but in place of it a strikingly small baldus- 
form is there figured (34 a), while a whole series of varieties of this species is found in vol. XIII on pi. 28. 
asterope always bears only one anal ocellus on the hindwing above, and beneath in the rainy-season form only 
alemola. one apical ocellus is present, never two. In the dry-season form, alemola Swinh., even these disappear, so that 
asterope. the hindwing is plain grey-sand-colour without any markings except the unusually fine striation. — asterope 
King is the North African and Syrian branch of the collective species. — In the Himalayas, Kulu (Kashmir), 
mahratta. thus in the Palearctic Region, occurs the smaller mahratta Moore , at elevations of from 2000 to 6000 J. t. — In 
Further India, in the south of Annam, I found a dry-season form with smoke-brown under surface, likewise 
annaniitica. without eye-spots, annamitica subsp’.'nov., which there ascends to about 1600 m. above sea-level and flies on 
norma, the driest grassy places in large numbers even in the hottest part of the day. — As norma Westw. an aberration 
from China has been described, in which the apical eye-spot of the forewing is absent above. 
inica. Y. inica Hew. is an allied species, whose type is based on an example of the dry season, of which complexiva 
complexwa. Swinh. is an aberration in the ocelli resp. an intermediate form. The rainy-season form ariaspa Moore ( = rara 
ClVlCtS'PU. . . x . . ** v 
Btlr.. daedalea Swinh.) only differs from that of asterope in having a larger anal eye-spot on the hindwing beneath. 
Examples of the dry-season form, however, can scarcely'at present be distinguished from alemola. Punjaub, 
Central India, where it is not rare from May to November. 
arctous. Y. arctous F. (99c), another primitive species, with the eye-spots of the simplest development, a larger 
apical ocellus on the fore wing and a smaller one, which is sometimes nearly obsolete, in the anal angle of the 
hindwing. Under surface smoke-brown, with still more uniform vertical striation than asterope and no traces 
papuana. of longitudinal bands. Australia. — papuana subsp. nov. is smaller than arctous and is much darker brown 
both above and beneath. According to Hagen not rare on the grass at the road-sides, but local. Flies especially 
in December and March. New Guinea. 
