THE BUTTERFLIES OF CEYLON 129 
2164. TELICOTA (PADRAONA) DARA SATRA. 
217. TELICOTA MASIOIDES. 
Elwes and Edwards group these as Telicota dara, but the 
great difference in the genitalia of psendomesa and mesio- 
ides prove that there are at least two distinct species in Ceylon 
and there may be a third, (my 2162) see Plate 5, figs. 27 to 32. 
I have examined well over I00 specimens of 216 and 217 and 
have found very slight internal variation. In addition I have 
dissected over 50 speciniens from various parts of India and 
find that there are apparently a large number of local races 
which differ slightly externally, but can be easily separated 
by the different form of the genitalia. Most of those I have 
so far examined have the clasp roughly shaped like a crab’s 
claw ; these may be only races of dara. One form from Coorg 
is very distinct and, if the genitalia are of the slightest use 
as a guide, it must be a distinct species. I have examined 
7 or 8 males and found no variation. A specimen from 
Burma is very closely allied. I think this is the species 
described by Lt.-Col. Evans as palnia in the “Journal of the 
Bombay Natural History Society,’ Vol. XXIII., p. 309. 
In all our Ceylon forms the sex mark is a deep black streak 
of specialized scales above the middle of vein 1 of the fore 
wing. Pending a revision of the genus I have retained 
Moore’s names. 
1st, IT. pseudomesa. This is a large form. The yellow 
band on the fore wing is broken, the spots in 4 and 5 being 
never joined to the apical group, but usually to the discal 
in the male. On the lower wing the band is divided along 
the veins by brown lines. There is, as a rule, a small well- 
defined spot in 6, and sometimes a larger faint and diffuse one 
in 7. It varies much in size. In the female the yellow mark- 
ings are much reduced, and the band on the fore wing is more 
broken, the spots in 4 and 5 being almost invariably well 
separated from both the apical and discal series. On the 
lower wing there is usually a very minute spot in 6. For 
prehensores see Plate 5, figs. 27 and 28. The clasp is very like 
Elwes and Edwards’ figure of that of dara, but the tegumen 
is quite distinct. 
