Part 21

This beautiful insect belongs to that division of Erycina which has opaque wings, and a short obtuse tail to the hinder pair. It is about two inches in extent of wing. The surface is uniform dark brown, with a bright red oblique band running across the middle of both wings, and a large crescent of the same colour near the origin of the tail. On the inner side of the upper wings there is the appearance of another oblique red band, but it is obsolete except at the hinder margin. The under side forms a striking contrast with the surface, the ground colour being black, with two brilliant blue bands, the outer one very broad, the interior somewhat macular, and terminating behind in a red point. Body brown above and black beneath.

Like most of the species constituting the genus Erycina, it is a native of the new world, occurring in greatest plenty in Surinam and Brazil.

LOXURA ALCIDES.

PLATE XXV. Fig. 3.

Pap. P. R. Alcides, Fabr. Mant.--Hesperia, R. Alcides, Fabr. Syst.--Pap. Alcides, Cramer, Pl. 96, fig. D, E.--Myrina Alcides, Godart.

Loxura includes a few species formerly referred to Myrina, and, like the latter, is distinguished from the allied genera by the extraordinary length of the palpi which rise conspicuously above the head, and are, in fact, nearly half the length of the antennæ. The wings are entire on the edges, and the hinder pair are prolonged each into a single tail, placed obliquely. The antennæ increase gradually towards the apex into a lengthened club, and all the ambulatory legs are of the same form in both sexes. The species represented is a native of Guinea. The extent of the wings is about an inch and three-quarters. On the upper side the wings are dark brown, sprinkled very thickly towards the base with shining violet-blue atoms, making the whole inner half of the wings appear of that colour, and the outer margin of the posterior pair behind the middle, as well as the lengthened tail, are of the same hue. Towards the extremity of the upper wings there is a transverse band of a rusty-red colour, but it is very indistinctly defined. Beneath, the colour is tan-brown as far as the middle of the wings, where there is a narrow yellow line running across the whole surface in the posterior, but abbreviated in the anterior, and placed rather beyond the middle, the space beyond this band covered with a kind of greyish dust. Body brown, the thorax clothed with hairs of the same colour as the base of the wings, antennæ blackish, annulated with white on the under side.

This is an African insect, and seems to be confined to the coast of Guinea. Pap. Corax of Cramer (Pl. 379, fig. D, E) seems to be a variety of the female. The individual figured by Boisduval (Spec. Gen. Pl. 22) appears to differ considerably from Cramer’s figures, as well as Fabricius’ and Godart’s description: it is represented as having a distinct ocellus at the base of the tail.

POLYOMMATUS MARSYAS.

PLATE XXVI. Figs. 1 and 2, Male.

Pap. Marsyas, Linn. Fair. Herbst. Pap. Pl. 296, fig. 1, 2; Cramer, Pl. 332, fig. A, B.--Polyommatus Marsyas, Godart.

Notwithstanding the numerous groups which have been recently withdrawn from this genus, it still includes a great variety of modifications of form which would amply justify further subdivision. Even the few examples which have been selected for illustration might afford the types of more than one group; but, for the reasons already mentioned, we prefer presenting them according to Latreille’s arrangement. Most of these insects are beneath the middle size, they are usually adorned with very beautiful colours on the surface, and ornamented with ocelliform spots beneath, a circumstance which has suggested the name. They are distinguished from the immediately preceding genera by having the palpi of ordinary length, or rather short, and all the legs complete, or adapted for walking, in both sexes. The group to which the first species represented belongs, has the costa of the upper wings more or less arched, particularly towards the base, and the hinder margin of the same wings is very slightly concave, especially in the male. The hinder wings have two linear narrow tails towards the anal angle. P. Marsyas is a native of Brazil, Guiana, and some other countries of South America. It is greenish-blue on the upper side, changing with the direction of the incident light into violet, the costa and apical angle of the upper wings widely black. Beneath the colour is lilac, glossy, with seven or eight small black spots, surrounded by a white circle, scattered over the disk of each wing; the anal angle bluish-green, with two short white transverse streaks and two pretty large black spots; tails black with the extremity white, the outer one about half the length of the other. Body blue above and whitish beneath. The antennæ, as in most of the Polyommati, are black with pale rings.

PLATE 26.

1. 2. Polyommatus Marsyas. 3. 4. ---- Endymion.

1 & 2 from S. America. 3 & 4. Surinam.

Lizars sc.]

POLYOMMATUS ENDYMION.

PLATE XXVI. Figs. 3, 4, Fem.

Pap. P. R. Endymion, Fabr. Herbst. Pap. Pl. 298, fig. 1, 2. Pap. regalis, Cramer, Pl. 72. fig. E, F. (Fem).

The outline of this richly-ornamented insect perfectly corresponds to that of the preceding species, except that the hinder margin of the upper wings is scarcely concave. The whole disk is very brilliant blue with a tinge of green, surrounded by a black border, which is wide and sinuated on its inner edge in the female, and narrow in the other sex. The anal angle of each of the hinder wings bears a large blood-red mark, and the tails are black tipped with white. On the under side the green hue predominates, and the whole is thickly-powdered as it were with gold dust, giving it a very rich appearance. Near the middle both wings are traversed by a distinct black line, angular posteriorly, and bordered externally by pale blue: behind this, on the under wings, there is a broad deep red or ferruginous band, paler towards its hinder edge and sprinkled with blue atoms: the outer margin of all the wings is darker than the interior. Expansion of the wings about two inches.

PLATE 27.

1. 2. Polyommatus Venus. } Surinam 3. 4. ---- Achaeus. }

Lizars sc.]

POLYOMMATUS VENUS.

PLATE XXVII. Figs. 1, 2.

Pap. P. R. Venus, Fabr. Mantissa.--Hesperia R. Venus, Fabr. Systema.--Pap. Venus, Herbst. Pap. Pl. 294, fig. 1, 2. Pap. Imperialis, Cramer, Pl. 76. fig. E, F.

This beautiful little insect is not unlike the preceding both in its form and colours. It belongs to a section of Polyommatus, in which the upper wings of the male are marked with an orbicular spot, of a cottony appearance, and frequently a good deal impressed. The expansion of the wings does not exceed an inch and a half. The colour of the surface is brilliant blue, the costa and outer margin of the wings black, and the disk of each marked with two ferruginous points in the male. Beneath, the colour is likewise green, richly glossed with golden yellow, the anterior portion of the under wings transversely streaked with narrow black marks. The tails are wholly black.

All the examples hitherto brought to Europe seem to be from Surinam.

POLYOMMATUS ACHÆUS.