ANTHERAEA. By Dr. A. Seitz. 509 
white and exterior brown ring, dahli differs from janetta in its larger size, larger eyespots, and the notched 
transverse stripe. 
S. loepoides Btlr. (54 b) exhibits on the orange ground of the hindwing a deeply notched zigzag line loepoides. 
which is continued in double dark crescents on the forewing as far as the costa, as it is also exhibited by the 
genus Loepo, whence the name is derived. A central eyespot is already to be recognized in both wings. In the 
forewing the basal area is intermixed with thick dark catenary bands, often also entirely covered with dark 
red-brown. Type said to be from Borneo. 
10. Genus: Antheraea Hbn. 
The genus has been described at large on p. 215 of Vol. II, but how very unnatural it is, we can easily 
see from the incessant mistakes having been made both among the various species themselves and with the 
members of the allied genera. The delimitation of its species is rendered still more difficult by the numerous 
hybridisms having been undertaken with the partly domesticated species that were brought to the most 
different countries. In addition there is a great variability, since one and the same breed may yield the most 
various colourings. The most reliable are the larvae known of many species, because they often exhibit great 
differences, whereas the imagines can hardly be distinguished one from another. On p. 499 we have given an 
account of the silk produced from Anth. mylitta *). In the palaearctic region no locality has yet been found, 
where more than one species of Antheraea occurred. In the tropics, however, there are districts in which 
presumably 2 or 3 species occur beside each other. But that more than half a dozen forms of Antheraea which 
have been described both from Java and Sumatra are all to be good species existing independently beside each 
other, we shall only be able to prove when the differences of the early stages and a minute examination of 
the genitals will have been published. For the present, however, we have separately quoted the forms, as they 
have been described. 
A. paphia L. This extremely variable insect is distributed from India and Ceylon to Southern China, paphia. 
and mostly common. It is rather similar to (the palaearctic) pernyi (Vol. II, pi. 34 d), so that some paphia look 
like gigantic pernyi-QQ] but the hyaline spot in the forewing occupies almost the whole central ocellus which 
is invariably and distinctly surrounded by dark and parted by the cross-vein. Moreover, the paphia- forms 
almost invariably exhibit a distinct, inside red, outside white postmedian line; on the under surface there is a 
dark antemedian stripe and a postmedian nebulous streak, analogous to the reddish-yellow transverse stripe 
on the under surface of pernyi. Such a great number of names have been distributed among the variations of 
colours, that it is often very difficult to separate the forms. Many authors unite even paphia with mylitta, 
disregarding the marks of distinction mentioned here (and referring to the specimens before me). — mylitta mylitta. 
Drury (53 a, b) shows a marking quite similar to that of paphia, but the colouring is mostly rather monotonously 
yellowish-red in the <$, yellowish-brown in the Some authors also regard the orange-yellow specimens as 
genuine mylitta ; besides distinguished from paphia by the antennae being somewhat stronger in both sexes. 
The central eyespot on both wings is a little farther remote from the exterior transverse stripe; this mark, 
however, varies by the fact that the central eyespot may sometimes be larger, whereby its distal border 
approaches the distal margin of the wing. India, widely distributed and mostly common. - The larva is thick, 
green with small red bristly tubercles, a blackish-brown head and a yellowish lateral stripe; in the anal region 
a large blackish-brown spot. On various foliage-trees; imported mylitta are most practically bred with oak 
in Europe; in India they live on numerous trees, such as Ficus, Gnidia, Terminalia, and the ,,Chinese date- 
tree“ Ziziphus jujuba. — Whilst typical mylitta only occurs on the Asiatic continent, it is represented in the 
islands by a great number of very similar lepidoptera, many of which were treated as distinct species, though 
they certainly are merely local races. — In ab. fasciata Mr. the median shadow, which is generally very feeble, fasciata. 
is intensified to a distinct dark stripe. — nebulosa Hutt. exhibits irregular cloudy shadows darkening the nebulosa. 
greenish-brown median area as far as the postmedian line. - olivescens Mr. is a dark greyish-green form olivescens. 
particularly common in the female sex. — Some specimens, chiefly are most variegated, exhibiting a red- 
brown ground of the forewing, a grey margin separated by purple lines, a dark median shadow, and honey- 
coloured embeddings below the costal stripe, especially in the apical portion. Such variegated specimens may 
be separated as ab. versicolor Mr. or pulchra Mr .; in case of the honey-coloured coverings being increased and versicolor. 
the ground being brownish ochreous the name ochripicta Mr. may be applied. — Cocoons of paphia and mylitta ^hripieta 
shaped like a nut suspended on a long silk thread have recently been imported to Europe in great masses, and 
they often yield series of such aberrations and transitions by which they are connected with each other, so 
*) Since the publication of the Palaearctic Volume, a few more forms of this genus have become known from 
the south-western parts of this, region, such as chengtuana Wts. from Szetchuan near to assamensis, and francJci Wts. 
near to roylei. 
