432 
AMATHUXIDIA. By H. Fruhstorfer. 
hairs. Like the Zeuxidia and other indina Amathusiidae the Amathuxidia belong to the denizens of the pri¬ 
meval forests, and prefer the vicinity of the little watercourses which flow from the hills. Like the Zeuxidiae 
they spend the day in the position of rest on twigs or beneath thick foliage. They fly unwillingly and never 
far, even if disturbed; yet they have a rapid and absolutely incalculable zig-zag flight, and know how to con¬ 
ceal themselves rapidly and effectually among the tangle of leaves and branches. Only on warm still days are 
they tempted to float during the midday hours at about 2—3 m above the ground, and, from their size and 
the magnificent blue gloss of their wings they are then among the most charming and imposing sights of the 
forest. The two species are among the most perfumed butterflies; their strong scent recalls violets, and is still 
recognizable after two or three years in cases with naphthaline. This pleasing scent emanates from the shaggy 
velvet brown scales which cover the large scent patches in the cell of the hindwing, and may be due to the food 
of the Amathuxidia , which consists of the fallen aromatic fermenting fruits, lying in quantities on the decaying 
leaf mould on the ground in the damp forests. The centre of distribution of the Amathuxidia is the macroma- 
layan region, from whence they have extended to Celebes and the Philippines. Crossing the Malay Peninsula, 
they have reached Burma and Assam, but are already very rare there. Every larger island has an especially 
highly specialized from, sometimes almost of specific rank. 
Specific group Amathuxidia Stgr. Hindwings without hair tufts in the cell. 
A. amythaon with its many offshoots inhabits the western area of the zone of distribution of the species. 
amythaon. amythaon Did. is the name-type and very scarce in collections. Both the $ and $ differs but slightly from the 
figured ottomana (102 a) in the somewhat more extended blue, resp. ochre coloured oblique band on the forewings. 
The under surface of the $$ is lighter grey, that of the $$ brighter ochre-yellow. The type comes from 
Sylliet, a few specimens have also come from Assam, Crowley had several <$$ from the Naga Hills, Doherty 
found them at the foot of the Karen Hills and Colonel Bingham a few pairs in autumn and winter in Upper 
Tenasserim in the Thoungyen Forest, famed for its butterflies. Major Adamson took two <33 which flew 
into his tent shortly before sunset on Christmas Eve, while camping near the sources of the Thoungyen River 
in evergreen woods, amythaon has also been observed in Tavoy (Tenasserim) where they flew in the early 
morning as well as at sunset. In the Calcutta Museum is a specimen with the label “Sikkim”, but the locality 
dilucida. has not again been verified in the last 30 years. — dilucida Hour, is a very fine southern form, which has an 
apparently constant light violet-blue band of glory on the wings, which is also considerably broader than 
in amythaon from Tenasserim and Lower Burma. Honrath has figured the very rare it is wanting in my 
lucida. collection. — lucida Fruhst. is another very scarce race, of which Dr. Martin was only able to capture 5 spe¬ 
cimens in 13 years in North-east Sumatra. In West Sumatra it appears to be somewhat more frequent near 
Padang Pandjang, from whence I have 11 C'c? and 3 $5- S smaller than dilucida. The band on the fore¬ 
wings light blue in place of violet, much narrower, especially towards the anal angle, where in dilucida it only 
ends on the submedian, whereas in lucida the blue begins to narrow sooner. By the reduction of the blue 
band on the forewings the black ground colour gains in extent, whereby the wing appears to be more broadly 
black bordered. Underside; all wings darker, all longitudinal bands more distinct and darker brown, anal 
insularis. ocellus larger, all ocelli more broadly black ringed. —- insularis Doll, inhabits Engano Island. $ and $ stran¬ 
gely enough nearer to ottomana Btlr . from Borneo, than lucida Fruhst. from Sumatra and porthaon Fldr. from 
Java. The insularis $ differs from lucida in the narrower and darker blue band on the forewings, the much 
smaller size and the shorter, broader tails on the hindwings. The longitudinal bands on the underside of the 
hindwings are more pronounced black-brown and broader. The scent tufts on the upper side of the hind¬ 
wings are light yellow, instead of red-brown as in lucida or almost black-brown as in ottomana. Compared with 
ottomana, insularis is but little smaller, the tails are just as long but rather broader. Towards the anal angle, 
where it touches the submedian, the blue band on the forewings of insularis is much broader than that of 
ottomana. $ upper surface; the yellow band on the forewing is narrower and rather lighter, the hindwings 
are broadly yellow bordered to the anal angle, whereas ottomana is only apically yellow-brown bordered. Under¬ 
side : the discal part and submarginal region of the forewings are lighter than in ottomana. The basal half 
of the hindwing is paler, the outer half, especially the anal angle, darker. All the brown longitudinal lines are 
pylaon. more waved, very much broader and darker brown, the ocelli much larger phan in ottomana. — pylaotl Fldr. 
(= porthaon Fldr.), a remarkable form, having almost specific value, and differing from all varieties in having 
an unusually elongate yellowish, instead of red-brown pubescent swelling on the upperside of the hindwings, 
and a viola-canina blue band on the fore wings. The upper surface of the hindwings is more light grey, with violet 
suffusion, and the apex of the forewings is much more produced than in lucida Fruhst. from Sumatra. I had the 
pleasure of finding the hitherto undescribed $ first in East Java, later in the Bay of Palabuan in West Java. 
Like the it exceeds all other known subspecies in size, and has by far the lightest ochre-yellow oblique band 
on the forewings, which is divided into unequal parts by a fine wavy red-brown submarginal line. In the course 
of 3 years I took about 30 pairs of pylaon in Java. It nowhere ascends beyond a vertical height of 600 m 
ottomana. and can only be obtained in any quantity by hanging out banana baits. - — ottomana Btlr. 
