604 
NEPTIS. By H. Fruhstorfer, 
N. magadha Fldr. circumscribes a most dainty, distinct species, the priority of which might be open 
magadha. to discussion, since Butler has figured and described it in the same year under the name of charon. ■—■ magadha 
Fldr. (= cinerarea Smith) is exceedingly rare and not represented in my collection. From charon it differs in 
the shorter and more isolated white spots on the upper surface. Occasionally stray sjDecimens have been found 
khasiana. in various parts of Burmah between December and April. — khasiana Moore is an extreme melanotic form in 
which the white submarginal spots are nearly obsolete and the cellular stripes on both wings represented by 
mere bluish streaks. Quite common in Assam, occasionally found also in Bhutan, being replaced in northern 
annamitica. Burmah by magadha. —• annamitiea Fruhst. (126 b), resembling charon Btlr., has the white spots on the upper 
surface of both wings somewhat reduced in size, rounded, more richly margined with black; the submarginal 
line on hindwing obsolete as in khasiana Moore, but the submarginal spots on forewing rather larger than in 
that form, although smaller than in charon Btlr. The under surface has all the light patches clearer white, 
more sharply contrasting with the ground-colour, the violet bands, especially on hindwing, more prominent than 
even in charon. This distinct, new form whose characteristics are less easy to describe than they appear to the 
eye, stands midway between charon Btlr. from the Malay Peninsula and khasiana Moore ; beneath it displays 
a stronger opalescence than any other Macromalayan form of magadha, but is herein surpassed by khasiana. 
pasiphae. Southern Annam, collected by me near Nha-Trang in February. -— pasiphae Fruhst. closely approaches charon 
Btlr. in the character of its markings which are, however, greatly reduced in extent. On the fore wing the sagittate 
white spot before the apex of the cell is, like in the Bornean form, separated from the longer basal streak 
by a very broad black band; underneath the basal spot on hindwing is narrower than in charon, and the brown- 
black bordering surrounding all white patches more diffuse than in the other forms all of which surpass it 
in size. East and West-Java, at elevations of from 2—4000 ft., apparently very scarce, since besides my own 
specimens only one other $ is known in Swinhoe’s collection, reported by Moore, Lep. Indica p. 224, as 
phlyasia. coming from the Volcano Ardjuna. — phlyasia Fruhst. surpasses in size all other subspecies of magadha. The 
white markings are much clearer and more brillant, and on both sides more prominent than either in charon 
plantia. or plautia, especially the submarginal bands on under surface. North-eastern Sumatra. -—- plautia Fruhst. 
appears to be a darker form of charon having the white median bands on hindwing narrower and more curved. 
The under surface resembles somewhat annamitica in that the ground-colour is more brillant red-brown and 
charon. the submarginal bands rather violet than clear white. North Borneo, Kina-Balu District. •— charon Btlr., 
originally described from Singapore, inhabits the Malay Peninsula. The white markings on upper surface 
are more prominent than in annamitica, the under surface paler gray-brown than in the preceding forms. — 
banuta. banuta subsp. nov. refers to the very scarce southernmost insular form, of which I possess 2 2 $$ which 
approach much more closely to the Javanese pasiphae than to the larger Sumatran phlyasia Fruhst. Ana¬ 
logous to khasiana Moore the submarginal lines are obsolete, and the postdiscal median band on hindwing 
barely reaches half the width of that of charon Btlr. ; the white markings of forewing are like those of annamitica 
Fruhst., although rather more obsolete; the submedian spots are even completely wanting or reduced to mere dots. 
Beneath it resembles plautia. $ as in all the forms of magadha larger than S, having the wings more rounded 
and the under surface devoid of the violet iridescence distinguishing the median area of the hindwing of the 
(J. Island of Nias. 
N. duryodana resembles the preceding species to such an extent that it is frequently confounded with 
it by collectors; but all its subspecies are inferior in size to those of magadha and have the white triangular 
spot at the apex of forewing invariably drawn out into a long sharp point and, especially underneath, distinctly 
separated from the basal stripe. Moreover, duryodana is exclusively limited to the Macromalayan Islands, 
duryodana. being never met with in India. — duryodana Moore (126 b) from Borneo, is also distinguished from magadha 
and the following Neptis nata by the dainty white distal border accompanying the spots on forewing; this is 
clearly shown in our figure of the £ which is invariably larger than $, with proportionately larger white 
nncsa. markings. North Borneo, not very scarce. -— emesa Fruhst. differing from duryodana in having the white 
markings greatly reduced, the submarginal lines on both wings obsolete and the median band on hindwing 
somewhat broader. Beneath it .differs in the groundcolour being bright reddish instead of grey-brown, and in the 
more prominent submedian band. Specimens from Palawan in my collection; also reported from Paragua by 
ncsia. Semper. — nesia Fruhst. has on both wings the submarginal and median bands wider, clearer and richer 
white than in the other forms; this is the case also on the under surface of the dry-season form from Deli. From 
dike. North-East and West Sumatra in Fruhstorfers collection; Malay Peninsula. -— - dike Fruhst. has,'in contra¬ 
distinction to the preceding form, all markings reduced, the under surface paler brown, the hindwing with 
more prominent and strongly undulate submedian band; also inferior in size. Eastern Java, at an elevation 
tullia. of 1500 ft, very scarce. Also Bawean (Hager). — tullia Fruhst. represents the most extreme melanotic form, 
having all white markings reduced to a minimum and the bands as delicate as in magadha khasiana Moore. 
The submarginal line on hindwing obscured so as to reach hardly one third of the width of that of duryodana 
pxucalba. nesia from Sumatra. Island of Nias whence during many years only one £ was obtained. ■—- paucalba Hag. 
