SATYRINAE 
B1 
MEEANITIS 
Genus MELANITIS Fabricius. 
Illiger’s Magazine, vi, 1807, p. 282. 
Antennae less than halt* the length of costa, with clubs long, gradual and slender. Eyes smooth. 
Forewing with vein 10 i’roni subcostal before end of cell: cell more than half the length of wing. Hind¬ 
wing with vein 3 and vein 4 arising well ai)art: ternien produced to a blunt tooth at vein 2 and at vein 
4. (Fig. I). 
Type. Melanitis leda Linne, from Amboina. 
22. Melanitis leda Linne. (Amboina). 
The habits of this well known and Avide ranging buttertly are unusual: during the daylight it is 
rarely seen on the wing, but it flies at and after dusk. There ai*e tAvo forms of the Australian race: 
they ai’e not sharply divided in the times of their appeai’ance; from December to ^larcli barnardt pre¬ 
dominates but later in the season both forms may be taken on the wing. The tAvo figures represent 
the tAvo extremes of shape. 
22a. M. leda bankia Fabricius. Fig. 59. 
Systenia Entomologiae, p. 499, 1775. 
o’. Above. ForeAving rich red-broAAUi Avith a discal suffusion dull orange-bi’own: a large patch betAveen 
A’ein 3 and vein 5, black, enclosing tAvo spots, AA’hite. Hindwing rich red-broAvn: often a faint sub¬ 
terminal dot in area 2, Avhitish. 
Bexeatii. Very A'ariable: often mottled or A’ariegated; no Iaa’o examples exactly alike: ocelli 
usually absent, if jjresent onl}'’ faintly indicated. 
g. Above and Bexeatji as in male: usually slightly paler. 
Loc. Cape York 5 7 10. Prince of AVales Is. 5 6 7. Murray Is. 9. Cairns (i 8 9. Kuranda 5 0 7 10. 
Atherton 3. Ingham 4 5. TownsAulle 6 7. Mackay 4 5 0 7. Brisbane 3 4 5 6 11. Richmond R. 4.55.^.vo. 
Port Macquarie 10. llarAA'in^ll. 30c? 2/9. 
This is the more abundant non-ocellated form: it is taken A-ery freely from April to August, but 
also occurs later in the season. The termen of the foreAving is produced at vein 5 to a blunt tooth. 
We IiaA'e an example from Brisbane with an additional small black discal patch in area 2 of foreAving 
above. 
