PENTHEMA. By H. Ertthstorfer. 
463 
C. cercyon Nicer, and C. llmtso Oberth. inhabit West China (Tat-sien-lu) and East Tibet (Tseku) Vol. 
1, p. 193, 4 PL 59 e and d. 
6. Genus: J*eiltliem» Weslw. (Isodema Fldr.) 
The few species of this Genus are partly astonishingly true mimics of various Papilionidae and Danaidae 
and they look like large Hestina and belong to the most stately Nymphaliden of the Eastern Subtropics. With 
the exception of their rapid flight, Penthema has many Satyroid characters. Firstly as in Calinaga, the cells 
of the hindwings are almost entirely closed and the antennae are long, straight and unclubbed. The genital 
organs shew similarly constructed lateral clasps to the uncus as in the species of the palaearctic Satyrid 
genus Eumenis (Satyrus pt). Also the long sharply pointed liook-shaped uncus resembles that of Eumenis. 
Valve on the other hand uncommonly long, as in some of the Mycalesidae, but corresponding to the size of 
the butterflies robust, chitinized distally, and running to a sharp point, dorsally sometimes toothed. The 
forewings are structui'ally characterised by the rear discocellular vein ending in the bend instead of at the 
base of the front median vein, the third subcostal ending in the costal border and the short and un branched 
precostal vein of the hindwings. Palpi much extended beyond the head, sharply bent and thickly scaled in 
front and with a bunch of hairs on the back on the middle segment. The Genus is especially note-worthy on 
account of a hitherto unnoticed dimorphism in both sexes, which goes so far as to have caused the creation 
of special species. Further at quite short distances sharply divided local races can be differentiated. Exclusive 
inhabitants of woods but are occasionally found on animal excrement. Most probably Penthema have only 
one generation. Distribution from the Eastern Himalayas through the whole of further India through Hainan 
to Formosa. 
P. lisarda is the most changeable species with that common danaoid markings of the uppersides which 
occurs so frequently amongst Papilioniden, Elymniiden and Hestina. Characteristic are three isolated markings 
in the cell of the forewings, which in the Eastern races are partly covered with black scales and thus disappear. 
Undersides gradually darkening as they get furthern eastwards, reddish in Sikkim, pale brown in Burmah, 
darker in Tonkin and finally almost black in Formosa. Valve long and slender, extremely sharply pointed 
distally, slightly bent and without dorsal median spines, lisarda Dbld. very like the figured mihintala, but larger, lisarda. 
and the white spots somewhat narrower. Undersides of the hindwings entirely rustred, those of the forewings 
with a redbrown apical area. $ very rare, considerably larger than the <$, somewhat duller beneath, the 
abdomen with broad white lateral stripes. Sikkim, Assam. In Sikkim in dense forests from May to June someti¬ 
mes not at all rare but only in one generation at an altitude from 2-—4000 m. In Assam the time of flight is 
given as July and August. -—- mihintala subsp. nov. (113 d) is before me from the Chin-Hills Upper Burmah, mihintala. 
where the form occurs as a great rarity in February. In the dull instead of redbrown undersides it forms 
a transition to michallati of Tonkin. On the uppersides it differs from lisarda in the rounder spots in the cell 
and the broader ifitranerval strigae. -— michallati Jan. (= gallorum Oberth.) is smaller than lisarda and rriihin - michallati. 
tala ; the shape of the wings is rounder and in both sexes the black ground colour of the uppersides gains in 
extent, the white spots and streaks diminishing. Even the cells of the hindwings commence to be smoked 
over. Tonkin June to September. In comparison with C. darsila annamitica a slow flyer and amongst a crowd 
hardly to be distinguished from a Danaid. I caught it at flowers on the borders of lonely forest paths, once 
also noticed on sandbanks on the Red river. According to Crowly it also occurs on the island Hainan *). -—- 
As pomponia Fruhst. (113 d) a very interesting rare and almost entirely black form is described, which occurs pomponia. 
in the rainy season along-side of the pale michallati-. Upperside: Ground colour black. Forewings with a mar¬ 
ginal row of four obsolete greyish white sjxots, which are distributed between the upper radial and the anal angle 
within the veins. A second inner row of five pure white round spots runs from the costal border to the 
third median vein. Hindwings with a series of six submarginal helmet spots, of which the upper ones are lar¬ 
gest and a discal row of six whitish grey streaks, which in the middle of the wings are connected with two round 
white spots. Underside; ground colour dark brown with the exception of the black basal portion of the fore¬ 
wings. On the forewing undersides the markings of the uppersides are repeated, but the spots are more bluish 
white and more distinct and beyond the cell and between the veins there are whitish streaks of unequal length 
which are narrow above but broaden towards the outer border. Hindwings with the submarginal spots corre- 
sponding to those of the upperside but increased in size, but with narrow yellowish white discal bands. Cilia 
white. $ larger than £. Antennae long and black. Head thorax and abdomen black. On the head, behind 
the eyes and the base of the antennae white tufts of hairs, thorax with white hairs, abdomen beneath on the 
sides white. Palpi black, white inside. Length of forewings 56 $ 60 mm. Than-Moi North Tonkin. 
1000' in June and July 1900. pomponia flies slowly but also during the heaviest rain, during which it will sit 
for a long time on flowers with closed wings sucking honey or resting on the undersides of leaves and twigs. 
It is very probably that on the island Hainan a form similar to pomponia will be discovered. 
*) Pavie found P. lisarda by Luang-Prabang on the upper Mekong. See Nouv. Arch, du Musee Paris (3 Ser.) Vol. 
IV. p. 256. 
