N TMPHA LIN PE. (Group NYMPH ALIN A . } 
81 
J. Asterie is the commoner in the wet-season, while J. almana predominates in the 
dry-season” (J. A. Bethune, J. Bombay N. H. S. 1890, 279). “ Common every¬ 
where in the Bombay district, frequenting damp grounds and ditches. The Almana 
form appears in October, and gives place to Asterie in June ” (J. Davidson and 
E. H. Aitken, J. Bombay 1ST. H. S. 1896, 249). “ We have reared Almana in 
Bombay on Asteracantha longifolia , which grows in wet ditches everywhere during 
the monsoon and withers soon after. The butterfly appears in October, a little later 
than Asterie. In Bombay we have reared Asterie on Lippia nodiflora , and once, in 
company with Almana , on A. longifolia ” (id. l.c. 1890, 272). Mr. F. M. Mackwood 
states that Asterie is “found in Ceylon all the year round, occurring in the 
Plains and up to 4000 feet. Very abundant about September to November. Capt. 
Hutchison found it, in the Plains of the Western Provinces, in open and waste land 
among shrubs. Its habits like those of Orithya , but quicker in flight and more shy. 
Capt. Wade took it at Galle and Kandy; sits on roads and paths basking in the 
sun (Lep. Ceylon i. 43). Mr. A. Grote, in his Calcutta drawings, states that the 
larva “feeds on Gloxinia and Osbeckia .” “In Sikkim it is found at low elevations 
throughout the year. It is, however, rarer west of the Tista river than it is on 
the eastern side, and it does not appear to occur in the inner valleys. I do not 
think there can be any doubt about Almama being the dry-season and Asterie the 
wet-season form of one and the same species ” (de Niceville, Sikkim Gaz. 1894, 135). 
“ Both forms of this insect are very common throughout Burma, the ocellated form 
( Asterie ) appears to be the more abundant, as I have caught it in all the months of 
the year, while the unocellated form I have only caught in Lower Burma from 
November till June” (Col. C. H. E. Adamson, List 1897, 18). Dr. J. Anderson 
records both forms ( Asterie and Almama) as being taken in “ Minthantoung, Mergui, 
in December” (J. Linn. Soc. Zool. 1886, 34). Mr. H. Druce records it from 
“ Nahconchaisee, Siam” (P. Z. S. 1874, 105). Mr. J. J. Walker (Tr. Ent. Soc. 
1895, 433) records it as “ common in Hong Kong among long grass, especially in 
somewhat damp open places, but also found on the flowers of Lamtana camera. 
Those taken in December, January, and February are nearly all of the form Almaiia, 
occasionally, however, examples occur in these months with the ocelli of the under¬ 
side more or less developed, approaching in this respect to the wet-season form 
Asterie , which appears at the end of April and in May. I also found Almana com¬ 
monly at Hang-chau, Haining, and Shanghai, in October, the specimens being much 
larger and finer than those taken in Hong Kong.” We possess specimens from 
Java showing that both the dry and ivet-season forms do occur there. The dry-season 
form, however, has the outline of the wings as in Asterie (wet-season), the under¬ 
side being dull brownish-ochreous, with markings and the discal row of small black 
dots, as in Almana. The Javan wet-season form being normal Asterie . 
VOL. IV. 
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