448 MR. L. DE NICtviLLE ON NEW OR [May 3, 
5. Descriptions of some new or little-known Butterflies from 
India, with some Notes on the Seasonal Dimorphism 
obtaining in the Genus Melanitis. By Lionel de 
NiCEVILLE, F.E.S. 
[Eeceived May 3, 1887.] 
(Plates XXXIX. & XL.) 
Lethe nicetella, n. sp. (Plate XXXIX. fig. 5, c^ .) 
Hab. Sikkim, 
Expanse. S ^ r8 to 2 inches. 
Male. Upperside : both wings brown, with a brilHant golden- 
bronzy sheen when fresh, the outer margins with a regular band of 
the ground-colour devoid of this gloss. Fore wine/ with a short 
obscure ochreous subapical fascia at the bifurcation of the fourth 
and fifth subcostal nervules. Hind wing with a submarginal series 
of five round black spots with pale outer rings, of which the second 
from the apex is the largest, the uppermost and the fourth subequal, 
and the next largest, the third the smallest, though but little smaller 
than the fifth or anal. Underside : both wings paler than above. 
Fore wing with an obscure dark bar across the middle of the cell, an 
oblique discal band beyond the cell, prominent at the costa, be- 
coming obsolete towards the anal angle, beyond this band the ground- 
colour is abruptly paler ; the subapical fascia as on the upperside, 
but more extended violet-white ; two marginal fine dark lines en- 
closing a line of the ground-colour, the inner one defined with a 
somewhat coarser pale line, all these lines extending from the second 
median nervule to the apex. Hind wing with two basal and two 
discal highly irregular violet lines, the one furthest from, the base with 
an irregular dark brown fascia placed outwardly against it ; the 
discocellular nervules defined on both sides with a fine violet line ; 
a submarginal series of six ocelli, the first, second (usually), fifth, 
and geminated sixth composed of a black centre with a pure white 
pupil, an ochreous, a dark brown, and an outer violet ring ; the 
second (occasionally), third, and fourth ocelli composed of a small 
dark brown centre with a violet pupil, a violet, a dark brown, and 
an outer violet ring ; marginal lines as in the fore wing, but the 
innermost line violet, very prominent towards the anal angle. Cilia 
cinereous, dark brown at the ends of the veins. — Female. Upper- 
side : both wings paler. Fore wing with the discal band of the 
underside showing through. Underside ; both wings also paler. 
L. nicetella may be known from L. nicetas, Hewitson, from Kulu 
and Sikkim, on the underside of the fore wing in both sexes by not 
possessing three small subapical ocelli divided by the discoidal ner- 
vules, and in the discal band being much less prominent (in L. nicetas 
it is broadly outwardly defined with ochreous) ; in the iiind wing 
in having at least two and often three of the ocelli with small dark 
brown instead of deep black centres (in L. nicetas all the ocelli are 
P.Z.S. 1887,?!. XXXIX. 
I 
'W.Purkiss litK , 
TMEW INDIAN BUTTERFLIES 
Han^iarb imp. 
OCR text unavailable for this page.P Z.S.1887 Pl.XL. 
"A.rurK-.ss liii'. 
NEW raDIAlT 3"jt:i?.?l:zs 
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1887.] LITTLE-KlNOWN BUTTERFLIES FROM INDIA. 449 
similarly formed), and in the outer discal violet line having a dark 
brown fascia placed against it (in L. nicetas this fascia is much 
more deeply scalloped and of a rich ochreous colour). 
I have described L. niceiella from a laro;e series of males and a 
single female collected in Sikkim by Mr. Otto MoUer. In Sikklm, 
judging from the number of specimens before me of each species, 
L. nice(ella\s much the commoner of the two. 
Lethe tamuna, n. sp. (Plate XXXIX. fig, 6,2 ■) 
Hub. Little Nicobar. 
Expanse. $ 2v inches. 
Female. Upperside : both wings dull dark fulvous. Fore wing 
with the apical half fuscous, bearing two pure white spots below the 
costa, placed midway between the apex and the median ochreous 
band, the upper of the two spots much the smaller, and divided into 
two portions by the fourth subcostal nervule ; below tliese spots in 
the upper discoidal interspace is an obscure oval black spot ; near 
the margin are four bright ochreous lunulas placed between the 
veins from the lower discoidal nervule to the inner angle, beyond 
these lunnles in each interspace is a fine ochreous line ; across the 
disk of the wing, from the middle of the costa to near the inner 
angle, is a broad bright ochreous band, its inner edge nearly sti'aight 
and even, its outer edge produced into points between the veins, the 
lower portion of the band composed of two spots (the lower one 
very small) in the submedian interspace. Hindwing with the ocelli 
of the underside more or less showing through by transparency ; a 
series of bright ochreous lunules with inner dark borders placed 
near the outer margin between the veins, with a darker ochreous 
line beyond. Underside : both wi?igs dull brown. Fore wing 
with a whitish subbasal line crossing the middle of the discoidal cell 
from the subcostal to the submedian nervure ; the broad discal band 
as above, but with its edges more even and wider at its lower end ; 
beyond it are four ill-shaped ocelli with black pupils dotted with 
white, a pale violet ring, then a browner ring and an outer pale 
violet ring ; the margin marked much as above. Hind wing with a 
subbasal line in continuation of that on the fore wing, not reaching 
the abdominal margin ; a discal series of ocelli placed on a pale 
violet band, which more or less follows their outline ; the upper 
ocellus very large, its centre deep black dotted with white, then a 
broad rich ochreous ring, outwardly defined with a fuscous ring ; 
the next largest ocellus is in the first median interspace, with two 
small, equal-sized ocelli in the interspaces above and below it, and 
two very small and indistinct ocelli diAuded by the discoidal nervule; 
the bright ochreous lunules on the margin of the upperside white, 
almost silvery, on the underside. 
Lethe tamuna is a local form of the widely-distributed L. europa, 
Fabricius, which occurs in the Andamans (but is replaced apj)a- 
rently in the Nicobars by the specits under notice), almost through- 
out India (though not in Ceylon), the Malay |)eninsula and islands, 
and has been recoidcd from China. L. tamuna 2 "'f^y b^ ^^ once 
450 MR. L. DE NICEVILLE ON NEW OR [May 3, 
distinguished from the same sex of L. europa by its more tawny 
coloration on the upperside, the discal band bright ochreous instead 
of white, with its outer edge more irregular, and by the underside 
of the hind wing having four well-formed perfect ocelli ; 
L. europa 
the black middle portion of all the ocelli except the upper one is 
entirely disintegrated and broken up into black dots. 
Mr. E. H. Man obtained a single specimen of this interesting 
species on Little Nicobar. 
Lethe gulnihal, n. sp. (Plate XXXIX. fig. 7, 6 •) 
Hah. Bhutan. 
Expanse. S 2-45 inches. 
Male. Upperside: both wings dark brown, with a distinct rich 
vinous gloss. Fore wing unmarked, except that the narrow discal 
band of the underside shows through paler on the upperside, the 
wing being somewhat paler beyond. Hind wing with the four middle 
ocelli of the underside showing through indistinctly. Underside : 
both wings dull brown without any vinous gloss. Fore wing with a 
short narrow ferruginous line across the middle of the cell, another 
similar one towards its end, the lower discocellular nervule marked 
with ferruginous ; a slightly outwardly-curved discal line from the 
subcostal nervure to just below the first median nervule, beyond 
which are four somewhat obscure small perfect ocelli placed between 
the nervules from the upper discoidal to the first median nervule ; 
a fine dark brown marginal line bordered on either side with paler 
and an anteciliary similar dark line. Hind wing with a pair of 
narrow ferruginous lines across the disk from the costal to the sub- 
median nervure, the outer one very irregular ; the lower disco- 
cellular nervule marked with ferruginous ; a series of six small 
distinct perfect ocelh composed of a black centre with a white pupil, 
a yellow, a black, and lastly a pale violet ring ; the upper ocellus out 
of line, placed furthest from the margin and the largest, the three 
lollowing subequal, the fifth a little larger, but not so large as the 
first, the sixth the smallest of all and geminate ; two fine dark 
marginal lines enclosing a fine ochreous line, the inner one. inwardly 
defined with pale lunules. 
The secondary sexual characters (" male marks ") of L. gulnihal 
are very peculiar and interesting. On the upperside of the hind 
wing it possesses the tuft of long black hair which is found in L. 
scanda, L. bhairava, L. latiaris, L. minerva, L. siha/a, and L. dyn- 
sate ; in addition it has a large oval patch of deep black lustrous 
scales, which is bounded above by the first subcostal nervule, partially 
inwardly and beneath by that portion of the subcostal nervure 
between the bases of the first subcostal and discoidal nervules, the 
patch not nearly reaching the margin (this feature occurs in L. 
bhairava in a somewhat modified form); lastly, the inner margin 
of the fore wing is deeply outwardly bowed, which is a unique 
feature, the bowed portion beneath the submedian nervure clothed 
with difi'erently formed and modified scales to those on the rest 
of the wing, this portion of the wing being clearly defined on 
1887.] LITTLE-KNOWN BUTTERFLIES FROM INDIA, 451 
the underside by a large deep black oval patcli. In L. bhairava 
there is a large patch of black scales on the inner margin of the 
fore wing ou the upperside, but it extends into the submedian inter- 
space. L. gulnihal is nearest to L. bhairava, its markings being 
very similar ; but it is smaller, and the bowed inner margin of the 
fore wing will at once distinguish the males of the two species. 
Two male specimens have been obtained in Bhutan by the native 
collectors of Messrs. Otto Mciller and A. V. Knyvett, in whose 
collections the specimens above described are deposited. 
Lethe brisanda. (Plate XXXIX. fig. 8, rS •) 
L. brisanda, de Niceville, Journ. A. S. B. vol. Iv. pt. ii. p. 249. 
n. 1, pi. xi. fig. U, female (1886). 
Hab. Bhutan. 
Expanse, rj 2'4 inches. 
Male. Differs from fresh native Sikkim specimens of L. dinarbas 
on the UNDERSIDE of the fure wing in the lilnc baud across the 
middle of the discoidal cell being much narrower, with uneven 
instead of straight edges ; the discal oblique band lilac throughout, 
straight, and of equal width throughout (in L. dinarbas the upper 
portion of the band only is lilac, this portion too in that species 
being wider) ; in having an additional ocellus in the subcostal inter- 
space (in a long series of L. dinarbas before me there are always 
three ocelli only). On the hind wing the discal bands are deep brown 
instead of ferruginous, and the lilac washings througiiout much more 
brilliant. 
Should the above-given characters prove constant in a large series 
of specimens, the males of L. brisanda and L. dinarbas will be easily 
distinguishable, the latter species being apparently very uniformly 
marked. The females are abundantly distinct. 
A single mide has been obtained near Buxa, Bhutan, by Mr. A. 
V. Knyvett's native collectors. 
Melanitis bethami, n. sp. 
Hab. Pachmarhi, Central Provinces, 3500 feet. 
Rainy-season form. 
Expanse. S 2'8, 5 3 inches, 
Male. Upperside: bothwings sooty hl&ck. Fore wing With the 
outer margin paler, the apex very slightly truncate, there being a 
small notch only below the lower discoidal nervule, a well-defined 
subcostal nearly round ochreous patch beyond the cell divided into 
three portions by the discoidal nervules. Hind wing unmarked. 
Underside : both wings paler than above, densely and evenly 
striated with darker, the outer margin ferruginous. Fore wing with 
four small obscure discal ocelli, of which the two in the second 
median and upper discoidal interspaces are the largest. Hind wing 
with a series of six submarginal ocelli, the second from the apex 
minute, the anal one geminated, the other four subequal and much 
452 MR. L. DE MCivILLE ON NEW OR [May 3, 
larger. — Female. Upperside : both wings much paler than in tlie 
male. Fore icing slightly more truncate than in the male, with the 
v\hole apical thiid of the wing ochrcous, on which is placed a round 
black spot with a white centre in the second median interspace, with 
one suiall obsolete ocellus in the interspace below and three above it. 
Hind wing with the outer margin paler, a round black spot with a 
white centre in the first median interspace. Underside : both 
ivings with the ground-colour pale purplish, thickly striated with 
brown. Fore wing with an obscure ochreous fascia before the middle 
of the wing, a more prominent discal one from just beyond the 
middle of the costa directed towards the anal angle, which it does 
not reach ; the ocelli as in the male, but rather larger, the outer 
margin broadly ochreous. Hind wing with an outwardly curved 
discal ochreous fascia, its outer margin sharply defined ; the ocelli as 
in the male ; the outer margin broadly ochreous. Cilia throughout 
blackish in both sexes. 
Dry-season form. 
L\rpanse. S 3'3, $ 3'2 to 3"3 inches. 
Male. Upperside : both wings deeper black than in the rains 
form, the outer margins ashy. Fore iving highly falcate ; with a 
large rich ochreous, inwardly almost ferruginous, patch, wide at the 
costa, narrowed to a point at the first median nervule, outwardly 
banded by the ashy marginal area, and just extending into the apex 
of the cell. Hind wing unmarked, the tail much longer tlian in the 
rains form. Underside rery dark, very irregularly striated ; all 
the ocelli obsolete. Fore wing with a large wedge-shaped subapical 
pale violet patch, behind which are three obscure straight fasciae 
compored of pale mottles. Hind wing with the basal half of the 
wing much darker than the outer half, and sharply defintd, 
a patch of ochreous mottles at the end of the cell. The general 
character of the markings of the underside is similar to that of 
M. duryodana, Felder, and as they show but little variation in a 
long series of specimens, 1 have described them somewhat minutely. 
— Female. Upperside : both wings much paler than in the n.ale, 
and somewhat purplish, with no distinct outer ashy margin. Fore 
loing even more falcate than in the male, euorn ously more so than 
in the corresponding sex of the rains fcrm. 'J^ie apical two thirds 
rich ochreous, extending well into the disccichd cell, and reaching 
the anal angle, enclosing spots as in the female of the rains form, 
but which, however, so far as the two lower ones are concerned, are 
vaiiable in size, in one specimen having their black portions much 
lengthened inwardly ; the outer margin just mottled with ashy. 
Hind wingv,\{\\ the outer margin narrowly mottled with feriuginous 
and ashy, a small submarginal white dot in the first median inter- 
space (sometimes present in the male), sometimes with another 
smaller one in the interspace above. Underside : both wings with 
all the ocelli obsolete and much paler than in the male, being fer- 
ruginous-ochreous, fairly evenly covered with blotches of dark brown 
irrorations ; the fasciae as in the femi'Ie of the rains form, but blackish 
1887.] LITTLE-KNOWN BUTTERFLIES FROM INDIA. 4.53 
instead of ochreous. The markings of the underside of this sex, 
too, seem to be fairly constant in a number of specimens. 
My recent experiments proving by breeding from tlie egg that 
M. leda and M. ismene are but seasonal forms of one species, and 
the acquisition of both forms of M. bethami, has thrown a flood of 
light into my mind regardina; the Butterflies of this difficult genus. 
It mav now, I think, be accepted as au axiom that in all tropical 
and subtropical countries in which the year is divided into two well- 
marked seasons, a dry and a wet, the 3Ielanites that occur there 
will also have two well-marked forms, — a rains form, with slightly 
falcated fore wing, short tail to hind wing, and prominent ocelli on 
both wings on tlie underside; and a dry-season form, which has the 
fore wing highly falcate, a long tail to hind wing, and obsolete ocelli 
below. In the ' Lepidoptera of Ceylon,' in addition to M. leda 
and M. ismene (one species), Mr. Moore records only M. tainbra ; 
but in the Indian Museum, Calcutta, is a specimen marked by Mr. 
Moore himself " M. suyudana," which certainly differs from the 
form Mr. Moore has figured and described as M. tambra. I possess 
in all six specimens of this group from Ceylon, and though they 
present but slight variation in the size of the ocelH (it should be 
remembered that Ceylon has a very equable chmate throughout the 
year), there is a well-marked difference in outline, what I should 
call M. tambra being the rains form, and M. suyudana the dry- 
season form. In Sikkim we have, besides M. leda and M, isinene, 
M. zitenius, of which Herbst has figured the dry-season form and 
Mr. Distant^ the rains form ; and M. aswa, Moore, the strongly 
occllated rains form, and M. bela, Moore, and M. duryodana (tiie 
two latter I now believe to be but varieties of one form), the dry- 
season form of a third species. 
An intimate knowledge of the species of Melanitis occurring in 
other parts of the Old World, to be obtained only by living amongst 
them and carefully noting their different forms and the seasons when 
they occur, and by breeding them from the egg, would, I feel sure, 
reveal the fact of the seasonal dimorphism which occurs in all the 
species of the genus, and I trust that notice being now drawn to the 
subject, collectors and entomologists will devote attention to it. 
To return to M. bethami, I have described the rains form from a 
pair taken on the 8th August, and the dry-season form from five 
pairs taken between the 15th and 27th October at Pachmarhi, by 
Mr. J. A. Betham, after whom I have much pleasure in naming the 
species. 
CyLLOGENKS JANETS, U. Sp. 
Hab. Bhutan. 
Expanse. S 3"5, $ 3'55 inches. 
Male. Upperside : both wings deep dull brown, almost black. 
Fore wing with a broad rich ochreous curved subapical band, 
attenuated towards the anal angle, which it hardly reaches, the rich 
^ Rbopalocera Malayuua, p. 41i!. ii. 3, pi. xxx\iii. fig. 2,(5 (1886). 
454 MR. L. DE NIC^VILLE ON NEW OR [May 3, 
ochreous colour extending along the first median nervule for a short 
distance ; cilia black. Hind vnng with the outer margin somewhat 
broadly ochreous, sprinkled with dark-brown or blackish irrorations ; 
cilia black, tipped with white on the three upper indentations 
between the veins. Underside : both wings very variegated, the 
ground-colour apparently being ochreous, thickly irrorated with 
dark-brown striae ; a discal obscure purplish fascia, inwardly bounded 
by a dark line. Fore wing with three short subcostal bands reaching 
the middle of the cell, and a broader subapical one, ochreous (these 
fasciae are formed by those portions of the ground being free from 
irrorations), an obscure purplish patch at the apex, an irregular 
series of five round violet-white spots placed between the veins mid- 
way between the cell and the outer margin, the two in the median 
interspaces large, the other three very small. Hind wing with the 
inner edge of the black discal line marked with an ochreous bar at 
the costa, the outer margin showing more of the ochreous ground- 
colour than the rest of the wing ; five discal viulet-white spots 
between the veins, the three lower ones large, the two upper small, 
the lower ones surrounded by a black ring, the spot in the first 
median interspace the largest of all. — Female. Upperside : fore 
wing with the subapical band broader, richer-coloured, and extending 
along the costa ; the black apical patch crossed by yellow veins; the 
r.iedian nervules also marked with yellow near the band. Hind wing 
with the outer margin richer ochreous. Underside much paler ; 
the darker irrorations far less dense ; no trace of the diffused pur- 
plish fasciae. 
I have placed this species somewhat doubtfully in the genus 
Cyllogenes, the chief recorded structural character of which is the 
presence of a large deep black patch in the male, this " sexual 
mark " being entirely absent in my species, the sexes being prac- 
tically marked alike. C. janetce is, however, much more closely 
allied to C. suradeva, Moore (hitherto the type and only species in 
the genus), than to any other described species, the yellow band on 
the fore wing and the upperside being a striking feature, which is 
common to both species. On the underside the blind ocellated spots 
are precisely similar in both species ; and the purj)lish fasciae on the 
underside of the male of C. janeta is of the same tint as obtains on 
the upperside of both sexes of C. suradeva. The truncation of the 
apex of the fore wing in both sexes of C. janetce (more especially in 
the male) is a good structural character by which to separate the 
two species in both sexes. It agrees also structurally with Cyllogenes 
suradeva in the almost similar extraordinary character which obtains 
also in the genus Parantirrhcea of Wood-Mason, and which for 
Cyllogenes has not hitherto been noticed, viz. : in the male the three 
median nervules of the fore wing are considerably further apart at 
their apices than in the female, owing to the fact that the lower one 
has to supply the place normally taken by the submedian nervure, 
as it reaches the outer margin but a very short distance anterior to 
the anal angle ; while the submedian nervure is very short, slightly 
sinuous, and reaches the inner margin at considerably less than half 
1887.] LITTLE-KNOWN BUTTERFLIES FROM INDIA. 435 
the length of the margia from the base. In the female, however, 
the median riervules and submedian nervure are quite normal, the 
neuration being very similar to that of Melanitis. 
Described from two male examples in the collection of Mr. A. V. 
Knyvett (after whose wife I have named it), and a female in that of 
Mr'. Otto Moller. 
EuTHALIA DUDA. 
E. duda, Staudinger, Ex. Schmett. part i. p. 152, pi. liii., male 
(1886). 
Hah. Near Buxa, Bhutan ; Sikkim. 
Expanse. $ 4*5 inches. 
Female. Upperside : fore wing differs from the same sex of 
E. durga, Moore, which also occurs in the same locality, in the four 
white spots between the veins beyond the discoidal cell being much 
smaller, their inner ends excavated ; the lowest one in the lower 
discoidal interspace the smallest and most deeply excavated, and 
shilted outwards, thus breaking the line of the spots ; the four spots 
from the third median nervule to the inner margin also much smaller, 
the two lower ones with their outer edges highly diffused instead of 
ha\ing them sharply defined. Hind wing with the discal white 
band narrower, its outer edge not defined with a line of the ground- 
colour as in E. dvrga ; its inner edge much more even ; the diffused 
fascia immediately beyond it bluish purple instead of green. Un- 
derside : fore wing with the black increasing submarginal band 
springing posteriorlv from the two apical white spots twice as wide ; 
the discal macular band on both tvings as on the upperside. 
A single female of this quite distinct species was obtained by Mr. 
A. V. Knyvett's native collectors near Buxa. 
Since my description was written, I have received Dr. O. Staudiu- 
ger's work quoted above ; and from it I learn that he has described 
this species from two male specimens from Sikkim, collected many 
years ago by the late W. S. Atkinson. 
Catapcecilma delicatum, n. sp. 
C. bubases, de Niceville (nee Hewitson), Journ. A. S. B. vol. liv. 
pt. ii. p. 118, pi. ii. figs. 11, male, \, female (1885). 
Through the kindness of Mr. W. L. Distant in sending me an 
advance copy of the figure of the true C. bubases, Hewitson, which 
is shortly to appear in the final part of his ' Rhopalocera Malayana,' 
I am at once enabled to see that Hewitson's description of his species 
does not apply to the species which occurs in Sikkim, but to which 
it is somewhat closely allied. "When redescribing and figuring 
this species I was very uncertain whether or no to give it a name, 
and wrote: — " Hewitson's description of C. bubases is very meagre ; 
a comparison of his Malaccan female type with Sikkim specimens 
may disclose specific differences." This latter conjecture turns out 
to be a correct one, so I name the Sikkim species C. delicatum. 
4:)6 MR. L. DE NicfiviLLE ON NEW OR [May 3, 
Cheritrella, nov. gen. 
Fore wing with the costal marc/in slightly and regularly arched ; 
the outer margin highly truncated from the apex to the termination 
of the third median nervule, this truncated portion, moreover, being 
concave ; below the third median nervule to the inner angle the 
margin is nearly straight and oblique ; inne?' margin straight. Gostal 
nervure very short, not nearly reaching to opposite the apex of the 
cell ; the first, second, and third subcostal nervules at regular dis- 
tances apart before the origin of the upper discocellular nervule, the 
fourth springing from the third about the middle of its length ; 
upper discocellular nervule directed outwards, middle and loiver 
upright and concave ; the bases of the second and third median 
nervules half the distance apart of the bases of the second and first ; 
submedian nervure straight. Hind wing with the costal margin 
strongly arched at the base, thence to apex nearly straight ; outer 
margin to base of long tail at termination of first median nervule 
straight but waved from thence to anal lobe at right angles ; abdo- 
minal margin strongly convex at base and highly excavated above 
the anal lobe ; a short tail at termination of submedian nervure. 
Costal nervure strongly arched at base, afterwards nearly straight ; 
Jirst subcostal nervule originating some little distance before apex of 
cell, nearly straight ; discocellular nervules of nearly equal length, 
concave, outwardly oblique, the origin of the third median nervule 
at the lower end of the cell, the second just before its end, that of 
the first being fully four times as distant from that of the second as 
is the latter from the third ; submedian nervure nearly straight ; 
internal nervure very short, ending on the abdominal margin above 
the deep excavation, and highly sinuous. 
Nearest to Tichei-ra, with which it agrees in having no secondary 
sexual characters in the male, in the neuration of the hind wing ; 
also in the length and position of the tails, the anal lobe, and the 
deep excavation above it, but differs from it in the truncation of the 
fore wing, the costal nervure terminating long before the apex of the 
cell, and the fourth subcostal nervule spiinging from the third about 
its middle instead of considerably nearer the apex. 
Cheritrella TRUNCirENNis, n.sp. (Plate XXXIX. figs. 4, c? ; 
3,?.) 
Hah. Sikkim. 
Expanse. <S 1"5 to 1-6, $ r45 inch. 
Male. Upperside : both wings black. Fore wing with all but the 
costa narrowly, and the outer margin broadly deep dull purple, with 
a very slight gloss in certain positions. Hind wing with a large 
brilliantly iridescent, rich bright steel-blue ' patch from the base of 
the wing, not reaching the outer n)argin, anteriorly bounded by the 
costal nervure, extending into the upper portion of the discoidal 
^ Very similar to the colour exhibited in the male oi Jana'des bocJiiis, Cramer, 
on the upperside, but not quite so brilliant, and more jiurple in shade rather 
than blue. 
1887.] LITTLE-KNOWN BUTTERFLIES FROM INDIA. 4.57 
cell and into the upper portion of the second median interspace ; ' 
the anal lobe and short tail beyond it deep ferruginons ; the long 
tail becoming white towards its termination, pure white at its tip ; 
an obscure round black spot between tlie bases of the two tails. Un- 
derside : bothvnngsumhev-hrown. Fore loing with a darker brown 
pair of lines across the middle of the discoidal cell, another pair 
enclosing the discocellular nervules, a discal irregular fascia from 
the costa to the first median nervule, very broad and dark posteriorly, 
a submarginal series of dark dots between the veins, the inner margin 
very broadly pale fuscous without markings. Hind wing more or 
less covered with fuscous, dark brown, and umber fasciae and spots, 
the most conspicuous of which are two black spots iu the subcostal 
interspace, a ring-spot at the middle, and an oblong one at the end 
of the cell, a very dark oblique band from the middle of the abdo- 
minal margin to the middle of the wing, a discal irregular fascia 
recurved upwards to the abdominal margin, and a marginal dark 
fascia more or less sprinkled with whitish scales towards the anal 
angle. — Female. Upperside : fore luing with the purple area in 
the male replaced by a smaller pale blue patch, leaving the apical 
half of the wing and the outer margin at the anal angle black, a dif- 
fused white spot at the end of the cell and another beyond it divided 
by the second median nervule into two portions. Hind wing also 
pale blue, all except the costa widely and the outer margin decreas- 
ingly, which are black. Underside: both wings paler than in the 
male, but similarly marked. Cilia pale ferruginous throughout. 
There are single males of this very beautiful species in tlie collec- 
tions of Major Marshall and Messrs. Otto MoUer and A. V. Knvvett, 
and a single female in that of Mr. Moller, all of them taken in 
Sikkim, Mr. Moller's specimens in June. It is quite unlike any 
species known to me. 
TiCHERRA, nov. gen. 
Closely allied to Cheritra, Moore, but differs in the male in the 
absence of the secondary sexual characters on the costal margin of 
the hind wing on the upperside ; the fourth subcostal nervule of the 
fore wing springing from the third much nearer its apex, conse- 
quently being shorter ; the cell of the hind wing longer, the disco- 
cellular nervules being much more awkwardly oblique. 
Type Ticherra acte, Moore. 
TiCHERRA ACTE. (Plate XL. fig. 5, (S .) 
Myrina acte, Moore, Horsfield & Moore, Cat. Lep. Mus. E.I. C. 
vol. i. p. 47. n. 77, female (1857); id. Hewitson, III. Diurn. Lep., 
LycceniddB, p. .30. n. 10, pi. xii. figs. 8, 9, male, wet-season form 
(1863). 
Dry-season form. 
Male and Female. Underside : both wings differ from the 
typical rainy-season form of the species in the ground-colour being 
cinnamon-brown instead of rich ochreous-orange ; the markings in 
458 MR. L. DE NICiVILLE ON NEW OR [May 3, 
the cells and the fioe linear discal fasciae are also much more 
prominent. 
Described from specimens from Sikkim, Assam (Shillong), and 
the Dafla Hills. I considered these specimens at first to constitute 
a species distinct from T. acte, but Mr. Otto Miiller pointed out to 
me that all his dated specimens with the orange underside were 
captured in Sikkim during the rainy months, while all those with 
brown-coloured undersides were taken in either the spring or 
autumn, so I have but little doubt that this is another case of the 
extensive seasonal dimorphism which takes place in many of the 
LycEcnidee occurring in the oriental tropical and subtropical regions. 
Tajuria istroidea, n. sp. (Plate XL. fig. 3, ? .) 
Hah. Sikkim. 
Expanse. $ 1-45 inch. 
Female. Upperside : both wings deep black. Cilia greyish 
fuscous. Fore winy with the disk and base rich blue, with hardly 
any gloss. Rind wing with the disk and base also rich blue, out- 
wardly nearly to the margin sprinkled with blue scales between the 
veins ; an antecihary fine blue line from the anal angle to the third 
median nervule ; anal lobe rufous, with a black centre sprinkled 
with white scales; tails black, tipped with white. Underside: 
both wings rufescent or cinnamon-coloured ; cilia of the colour of 
the ground. Fore wing with a prominent, slightly outwardly 
curved, discal hne of a deeper shade of red than the ground, out- 
wardly defined by brilliant white, this line does not quite touch the 
costa, and ends "posteriorly at the submedian nervure ; a submar- 
ginal indistinct somewhat macular fascia. Hind wing witli the 
discal band as in the fore wing, its upper portion as far as the third 
median nervule straight, below highly zigzag, and curved upwards 
to the abdominal margin ; the submarginal fascia as in the fore 
wing, ending in a small round deep black spot, broadly surrounded 
with ferruginous in the first median interspace ; the anal lobe 
entirely occupied by a large round deep black spot, crowned with a 
very few greenish-silvery scales ; the area between the two spots 
and beyond the anterior one as far as the third median nervule 
thickly irrorated with black and white scales ; a fine black anteciliary 
line from the anal angle to the third median nervule, defined on both 
sides by an equally fine pure white line. 
Most nearly allied to lolaus isterof Hewitson \ from " India," but 
differing therefrom in its broader wings, the apex of the fore wing 
less acute, the outer margin convex, the blue coloration of the 
upperside deeper and richer in shade and confined to the basal and 
discal areas of the wings (all these are female characters) ; the mark- 
ings of the underside much the same, but the discal line on the fore 
wino- considerably further from the margin, rather less so on the 
hind wing. I have described this species with some hesitation, 
solely owing to the fact that Hewitson, in describing I. ister, seems 
' 111. Diiirn. Lep., Lyccenidcs, p. 43. n. 13, pi. xix. figs. 15, 16, female (1865). 
18y7.] LITTLE-KNOWN BUTTERFLIES FROM INDIA. 450 
to have gone out of his way to emphasize the fact that his species is 
a female ; judging from his figure alone, I should have said that it 
was taken from a male, and that my specimen (which is unquestion- 
ably a female) was of the opposite sex. The matter must remain in 
abeyance till some one will examine the sex of Hewitson's type. 
Described from a single example in the collection of Mr. Otto 
MoUer. 
Tajuria albiplaga, n. sp. (Plate XXXIX. figs. 1, S ; 2, $ .) 
Hai, Sikkim. 
Expanse. S 1'5, 2 1"6 inch. 
Male. Upperside: both wm^fs cerulean blue with hardly any 
gloss ; cilia grey throughout. Fore wing with the costa bounded 
posteriorly by the subcostal nervure, the apex broadly (including 
the anterior portion of the cell) and the outer margin decreasingly to 
the anal angle black. Hind wing with the costal margin and apex 
Hght fuscous, the two fine tails black, tipped with white, a fine 
anteciliary black line. Underside: both wings grey, of the same 
shade as in T.jehana, Moore '^ ; a prominent narrow, straight, dark 
line on the discocellular nervules. Fore wing wiih a similar discal 
line not reaching the costa anteriorly, touching the submedian ner- 
vure posteriorly; beyond this line is a somewhat similar, but indi- 
stinct line. Hind wing with a discal line much as in the fore wing, 
but reaching the costa and recurved to the abdominal margin, the 
upper portion straight as far a^ the third mecUan nervule, below this 
the line is formed of outwardly convex lunules ; beyond the discal 
line is an obso'ete submarginal line as in the fore wing ; a small 
deep black round spot in the first median interspace, close to the 
margin and another on the small anal lobe, both outwardly margined 
with pale yellow ; no secondary sexual characters. — Female larger, 
both wings broader, the apex of the fore wing less acute. Upper- 
side : both wings of a slightly darker shade of blue than in the 
male ; cilia white throughout. Fore wing with a large quadrate 
diffused white patch on the disk, its inner margin well defined by 
the discocellular nervules, and that portion of the median nervure 
between the bases of the first and second median nervules. Under- 
side marked exactly as in the male. 
Near to Tajuria diceus, Hewitson ^ from Sikkim, but the blue 
coloration of the upperside is much lighter ; the discal line on the 
underside of the fore wing in T. diceus is much straighter, its 
edges more even, and it increases in width to the costa, which it 
quite reaches ; the colour of all the hues being somewhat rufous 
also in that species. In T. diceus female, which sex I have not 
seen, there is a submarginal band of brown spots on the upper- 
side of the hind wing. T. albiplaga '\s also allied to T.jehana^, 
Moore, but the sexes of the former differ considerably, while in the 
1 Proc. Zool. Soc. 1883, p. 529, pi. xlix. fig. 7. 
^ lolaus diceus, 111. Diurn. Lep., Lycaiiidce, p. 45. n. 17, pi xx fles 27 28 
<J, 26,5(1805). "^ 6- . . 
^ Proc. Zool. Soc. 1883, p. 529, pi. xlix. fig. 7. 
460 MR. L. DE ntcj6ville*on new or [May 3, 
latter they are described as being nearly alike. The three black 
marginal spots from the anal lobe on the upperside of the hind wing 
are also absent in T. albiplaga in both sexes. 
A single pair of this very distinct species is in Mr. Otto Moller's 
collection. 
Tajuria melastigma, n. sp. (Plate XL. fig. 1, d .) 
Hah. Sikkim, Nilgiris. 
Ejfpanse. rf" 1'5 inch. 
Male. Upperside : both wings cerulean blue ^. Fore wing 
with the costal, the apical half of the wing, and the outer margin 
decreasingly to the anal angle black ; a large quadrate shining 
black " sexual mark " on the disk, bounded on two sides by the 
discocellular nervules and the first median nervule. Hind wing 
with the outer margin verv narrowly black, widening at the apex ; 
the abdominal margin whitish ; the anal lobe and inner tail dull 
reddish, the outer tail black, both tails tipped with white. Under- 
side : both wings dull pinkish. Fore wing with the inner margin 
somewhat broadly greyish ; a discal straight narrow deep Indian- 
red line, outwardly defined with whitish, from near the costa to the 
submedian nervure ; an extremely obscure pale fascia near the 
margin. Hind wing with the discal line in continuation of that on 
the fore wing, the portion between the median nervules very irre- 
gular, from the third median nervule oblique to the abdominal 
margin ; the anal lobe marked with a rust-red spot, crowned 
obscurely with orange ; a smaller very obscure spot on the first 
median interspace, between which the ground is obscurely sprinkled 
with white scales ; two indistinct series of dark spots between the 
veins above the second median nervule on the margin ; an ante- 
ciliary fine dark line. Cilia fuscous throughout. Body blue above, 
pale red below, whitish at the sides. 
T. melastigma has no secondary male sexual characters between 
the wings, and so far as I am aware the peculiar shining black 
quadrate patch on the disk of the fore wing on the upperside is 
unique amongst Indian Lyceenidae. Judging from Hewitson'a 
figure alone it is closely allied to his lolaus ister, the type of which 
is from " India," and is a female ; T. melastigma may be the 
hitherto unknown opposite sex of that species. 
The type and only perfect specimen of T. melastigma is in the 
collection of Mr. Otto Moller. I have received a single male fore 
wing of this species from Mr. G. F. Hampson, collected iu the 
Nilgiri Hills, South India. 
Zephyrus pavo, n. sp. (Plate XL. fig. 11, ? .) 
Hab. Bhutan. 
Exjjanse. 2 1"35 inch. 
Female. Upperside : both wings black. Fore wing with the 
costa somewhat widely, the apical third of the wing, and the outer 
^ Of almost the exact sliade of the common " Polyommatus " cleohis of 
Godart. 
1887.] LITTLE-KNOWN BUTTERFLIES FROM INDIA. 461 
margin at the anal angle black, the rest of the wing rich peacock- 
purple ; a quadrate spot beyond the end of the cell and an elongated 
one beyond and below it in the second median interspace, orange. 
Cilia black. Hind wing unmarked, the tail tipped with white. 
Cilia white, tipped with black, except at the termination of the 
veins from the second median to the second subcostal nervule, where 
the cilia are entirely white. Underside brownish fuscous. Fore 
wing with the discocellular nervule defined with a white line on 
each side, an obscure darker broad discal fascia outwardly defined 
wich a narrow white line from the costa to the first median nervule, 
beyond which the wing is sprinkled with pale violet scales ; another 
dark fascia from near the anal angle, decreasing in width from the 
inner margin to the third median nervule, where it becomes obli- 
terated, also outwardly defined with a whitish line. Hind wing 
sprinkled almost throughout with pale violet scales ; a broad irre- 
gularly wedge-shaped discal fascia, free of violet sprinkling, broad 
on the costa, narrowing to a bluntly rounded point above the anal 
angle, its margins defined with a fine violet-white line ; another 
similar fascia beyond, inwardly defined with violet-white lunules; 
two subbasal ring-spots, one of which is with the discoidal cell, and 
a pair of lines on the abdominal margin, all violet-white ; an oval 
black spot in the first median interspace, surrounded by a deep 
orange ring ; a deep orange patch at the anal angle extending a 
short distance up the abdominal margin ; a fine anteciliary dark 
line, inwardly defined by a white line. 
Zephyrus pavo is nearly allied to the Z. katuru of Hewitson ^ 
that species being probably the female of Z. ataxus, Doubleday and 
Hewitson, but differs on the upperside of the fore wing in having 
the basal area of a richer shade of purple, of greater extent, and not 
divided by the black veins ; on the underside the silvery bands in 
Z. katura are replaced in Z. pavo by violet irrorations ; they also 
differ in other minor particulars. 
The type specimen is unique, and is deposited in Mr. A. V. 
Knyvett's collection, by whose native collectors it was obtained near 
Buxa in Bhutan. 
Rapala distorta, n. sp. (Plate XL. fig. 6, $ .) 
Hab. Sikkim. 
Expanse. 5 1'6 inch. 
Female. Upperside : both wings almost black, somewhat paler 
on the hind wing. Fore wing with all but the costa widely, the 
apex and outer margin still more widely (which are of the ground- 
colour), rich bluish purple. Hind wing with a lengthened discal 
patch of bluish purple, which occupies the lower half of the discoidal 
cell and extends beyond it into the discoidal and median interspaces, 
but does not nearly reach the outer margin. Tail dull ferruginous, 
tipped with white. Underside : both wings dull ferruginous or 
cinnamon-coloured, glossed with vinous. Fore wing with a narrow 
^ Dipsas katura, Hewitson, 111. Diurn. Lep., Lycanidw, p. 65. n. 4, pi. xxvi 
figs. 1, 2, female (1865). 
Proc. Zool. Soc— 1887, No. XXXI. 31 
462 MR. L. DE NICEVILLE ON NEW OR [May 3, 
white discal line formed of short lunules between the veins, that 
portion below the first median nervule shifted inwards ; a double 
submarginal series of short white lines, more diifused than tbe discal 
line, placed between the veins, which give the appearance of six 
increasing spots of the ground-colour defined with white. Umd 
wing with a discal white line as in the fore wing, but much more 
distorted and irregular ; an obscure similar basal line, and a sub- 
marginal very dentate one ; the area beyond the latter irrorated \\\ i\ 
whitish, including an obscure rounded ferruginous spot ir, the fir»r 
median interspace ; a fine white anteciliary line obsolete anteriorly. 
Cilia brownish ferruginous throughout. 
Allied to Rapala amisena, Hewitson, who describes and figures 
the female \ while Mr. Distant figures the opposite sex ^, from 
Singapore. Differs from the same sex of that species, juJg:r,P: fi " tiie 
figure and description only, in having the purple area of the upper- 
side of the fore wing of less extent and sharply defined (in R. 
amisena it appears to be suffused over nearly the whole wing, with 
no sharp edges), and on the underside of both wings in the markings 
being fewer and white throughout, instead of dark fuscous, with no 
trace of the dull light-blue irroration at the anal angle of the hind 
wing, with a lunular black spot between the tails, described by 
Hewitson as occurring in his Amblyjiodia amisena. 
Mr. Otto Moller took two female specimens of R. distorta on 
22nd March, in Sikkim, at about 1500 feet altitude. 
NiLASERA wiMBERLEYi, n. sp. (Plate XL. fig. 4, $ .) 
Hab. South Andaman Isles. 
Expanse. $ r65 inch. 
Female. Upperside : both wings rich cerulean blue. Fore 
wing with the costa as far as the subcostal nervure, the apex, and 
outer margin widely black. Hind iviug with the costal zvA cut'?r 
margin less broadly black, that colour ascending a short distance 
into the blue colour between the veins ; tail black, tipped with 
white. Underside : both wings pale olivaceous. Fore wing with 
a round spot at the base, an oval one at the middle, and a quadrate 
one at the end of the cell, with a small one between these two latter 
placed on the subcostal nervure ; a spot at the base of the first 
median interspace, and another quadrate one in the middle of the 
submedian interspace ; a discal regular macular band composed of 
six conjoined spots from the costa to the first median nervule, its 
inner edge almost straight, its outer edge scalloped ; a submarginal 
macular band very prominent about its middle : all these markings 
fuscous, outwardl}' defined with sordid white ; a fine black ante- 
ciliary line. Hind wing with the usual spots and bands, the chief 
of which are two series of four round spots, each towards the base, 
an elongated spot closing the cell, and a much broken discal macular 
1 Amblypodia amisena, Hewitson, Cat. Lycsenidre B. M. p. 13. n. 62, pi. vii. 
figs. 74, "tS, female (1862). 
^ Rapala amisena, Distant, Rhop. Malay, p. 277. n. 1, pi. xxiii. fig. 13, male 
(1885). 
1887.] LITTLE-KNOWN BUTTERFLIES FROM INDIA. 463 
band ; all these spots composed of a pale centre, then a narrow black 
line, outwardly defined with a pale line ; beyond the discal macular 
band is a fuscous diffused fascia, outwardly defined from the abdo- 
minal margin to the second median nervule by a pale luuular line ; 
in the next two interspaces the fuscous fascia almost reaches the 
margin and encloses two of the pale lunules ; a series of black mar- 
ginal lunules between the veins ; a fine anteciliary black line ; the 
very small anal lobe with a deep black round spot, with a few obso- 
lete silvery scales crowning it ; a few also in the two next interspaces. 
Cilia of the colour of the ground throughout. 
Apparc'itly nearest to the Amblypodia ocrida of Hewitson', from 
which it differs in the colour of tlie upperside, that species being 
" silvery cerulean blue ; " there also appears to be some difference 
in the details of the markings of the underside. 
I have named this species after Mr. R. Wimberley, who captured 
two specimens of this beautiful species in the South Andamans, 
together vvitli several other species which had not been previously 
obtained on those islands, not the least interesting of which is a 
female specimen of the Veudorix smilis of Hewitson, described 
ambiguously from " East India." 
IsoTETNON FLAVALUM, n. sp. (Plate XL. fig. 10, (S .) 
Hub. Sikkim. 
Expanse. ^ \-2 inch. 
Male. Upperside: both wings dark brown. Fore wing with 
three small subapical increasing spots, the upper one minute; a 
small quadrate spot at the lower outer end of the cell, an elongated 
one at the base of the second median interspace, a much larger 
quadrate one below it and })laced nearer the base of the wing in the 
first median interspace, all semitransparent diaphanous ochreous. 
Bind wing with the middle of the disk clothed with long greenish- 
ochreous hairs. Cilia cinereous throughout. Underside : fore 
wing also dark brown, the spots as above, the costa narrowly and 
the apex widely (but not reaching the anal angle or the outer mar- 
gin) yellow, //njrfw/w^ yellow throughout except the outer margin, 
which is increasingly dark brown, widening to the anal angle ; a 
conspicuous thougli small black spot on the discoidal cell, three 
smf 11 darii-brown ring-spots placed very close together below it, and 
a fourth minute black spot well separated from the others towards 
the apex. No secondary male sexual characters. Head and bodg 
above dark brown, below with legs yellow. AntenncB black, the 
club tipped beneath with white. 
This pretty and very distinct little species is nearest allied to Iso- 
teinon safwa, inihi -, but is abundantly distinct ; the underside h.is 
no purple washing, and on the hind wing the yellow coloration 
occupies nearly the entire surface ; in /. satwa it is confined to the 
anterior half of the wing. 
1 111. Dium. Lep., LycanidcB, p. 14 h. n. 80, pi. iii. a. figs. 38, 39 (1869) ; from 
Mindanao, one of the Philippine Islaiids. 
- Jouru. A. S. B. vol. Iii. pt 2, p. 86. u. 31, pi. x. Cg. 15, mala (188.3). 
31*