appending the following remarks:[Z]—
I have noticed this species at p. 109 of my catalogue of
Fabrician Diurnal Lepidoptera; Mr. W. H. Edwards of W.
Virginia having decided in his Butterflies of N. America that
it is unquestionably an _Argynnis_ allied to _A. Diana_,
notwithstanding the important discrepancies which Heer points
out [128]. That it may bear some distant relationship to
_A. Diana_ is quite possible, but that it is “plainly an
_Argynnis_” is quite another thing; to my mind it is plainly a
_Vanessid_, probably a _Junonia_ near to _J. Hedonia_, and I
think some points in Heer’s description (of which Mr. Edwards
takes no notice) are very important, as evidencing its near
relationship to _J. Hedonia_ rather than to _A. Diana_ [here he
quotes Heer’s description of the submarginal spots].
The ocelli are well shown in Heer’s figure, but in the woodcuts
by Lyell and Edwards, which have in other respects been made
much darker than the original, the indication of the lower edge
of the ocelli has been omitted altogether, and, consequently,
the resemblance to the species of _Junonia_ is rendered less
evident. I think it just possible, from the great resemblance
which _V. Attavina_ of Heer bears to the under surface of _J.
Hedonia_, that it is the reverse of _J. Pluto_.
This species is very simple in its markings (Pl. II, fig. 17), the
whole upper surface, excepting a broad space next the outer border of
the fore wings (the equivalent part of the hind wings is not preserved)
being of an uniform dusky tint; a broad belt of a lighter shade margins
the (fore) wings, growing less distinct from the darker base above the
next to the lowest subcostal nervule; this belt darkens toward the outer
border, especially in slight dusky fleckings along the nervures and down
the middle of the interspaces; the latter streaks reach small, round,
blackish spots about one-quarter the width of the interspaces, in the
middle of the basal two-thirds of their lighter parts. Heer represents
them too far from the outer margin of the wing, and as often crowned
above with a dark semicircular line, which is not at all indicated in the
drawing made for me; these spots are found in all the interspaces below
the outermost superior subcostal nervule, but they are very indistinct
and minute above, faint below and only distinct and as large as stated
in the three interspaces next above the lowest median nervule. The light
belt is two interspaces wide in the upper median interspace, but widens
a little above this and is separated from the darker base by a vague
and very slightly crenate line (less crenate than in the representation
by Heer), which approaches the outer margin at the nervures and to a
slightly greater extent in the lower part of each interspace than in the
upper.
Pierids with so dark a coloring as appears in this fossil are not
unknown, particularly in the genera Archonias and Pereute; compare for
example the figure given in Doubleday and Hewitson’s Genera of Diurnal
Lepidoptera, Pl. V, fig. 2. And that markings of this character are not
unknown, compare some species of Ixias, Hebomoia and allied genera; if
the colors of _Hebomoia Leucippe_, as given by Doubleday and Hewitson,
were reversed, the resemblance to Pluto would be rather close; and while
light spots in a dark border are the rule in this subfamily, dark spots
on a light ground are not unknown, and the reversal of tints is a not
uncommon occurrence in nearly related Lepidoptera.
A second fossil, which I have been unable to see or to have redrawn, is
given by Heer as probably representing the under surface of the same
insect. His remarks are as follows:[AA]—
Hierher rechne ich auch ein Stück eines Unterflügels aus der
Grätzer Sammlung, das bei Taf. XIV, Fig. 5 [Pl. II, fig. 15],
dargestellt ist. Die Hauptadern treten an diesem Flügelstücke
alle hervor. Die beiden Mitteladern schliessen ein nicht sehr
grosses Mittelfeld ein; ob dieses durch einen Verbindungsast
zwischen den beiden Mitteladern geschlossen ist oder nicht,
war mir nicht möglich zu ermitteln: bei guter Beleuchtung
glaubte ich dort einen schwachen Quereindruck zu sehen, der
als Verbindungsast zu deuten wäre; jedenfalls wäre derselbe
aber äusserst zart, viel zarter als die übrigen deutlichen
Adern. Die äussere Mittelader sendet 4 Aeste aus, der erste
entspringt nahe der Flügelbasis und läuft nach dem Aussenrande,
die drei folgenden entspringen näher flügelspitzwärts. Die
v. interno-media zerspaltet sich in 3 Aeste, ganz so wie die
des Oberflügels, welche auch in gleicher Weise verlaufen.
Alle 3 Aeste sind fast gleich weit von einander entfernt und
entspringen nicht von einem Punkt. Die vena analis zerspaltet
sich bald nach ihrem Ursprung in zwei Gabeläste, welche nach
aussen laufen. Die Farbe des Flügels ist ein helles Graubraun.
[Illustration: Fig. 1.
Fig. 1. The dotted outer border of the hind wing represents the probable
limit of the Gratz fossil. The broken outer border indicates the probable
size of the hind wing of _Mylothrites Pluto_.]
As far as the neuration is concerned (excepting that of the costal
nervure, which is certainly incorrectly rendered, and does not
accord with the description) it agrees sufficiently with the general
neuration of Mylothris[AB] to suppose it may belong to the allied
genus Mylothrites, but that it can belong to _M. Pluto_ is exceedingly
improbable, as one may judge by tracing the probable extent of the broken
hind wing, and placing the tracing in juxtaposition with the fore wing of
Pluto, as in the accompanying woodcut (fig. 1); for it must be remembered
that in all the genera of this subfamily, the cell extends at least to
the middle of the wing; the hind wing of _M. Pluto_ must, therefore, have
certainly been fully one-sixth longer than the wing conjectured to belong
to it; so great a difference is at least unusual among individuals of the
same species in this group; moreover, the neuration is not quite what we
should expect, although the appearance of veins on the drawing we have
reproduced must be in part due to extraneous causes; we will, therefore,
make no attempt to decipher the present condition of the fossil, trusting
that some of the Austrian lepidopterists will give the subject early
attention.
A study of the original description and illustration of the front wing
of this butterfly leads me to the conclusion that the description of the
neuration of the fossil was drawn up from the illustration and not from
the fossil itself. Both agree in the points in which my drawing (Pl. II,
fig. 7) differs from them; and since in these very points they will not
harmonize with the neuration of any living Lepidoptera, while the drawing
I present agrees as well as could be desired with certain of them, I
am forced to believe the original drawing published by Heer, and the
accompanying description, presumably founded upon it, to be incorrect. I
am acquainted with but very few living butterflies[AC] in which a nervule
is emitted from the inferior side of the subcostal nervure nearer the
base of the wing than any of the superior nervules of the same vein; this
is the manner in which the neuration of this butterfly is represented
in Heer’s plate and in his description, if read carefully in connection
with the plate; although he does not tell us on which side of his _zweite
Hauptast his dritte Hauptast_ originates.
The description given by Heer of the markings of the fore wing is more
complete than I have been able to offer from an inspection of drawings
alone; it differs, too, in one somewhat important point, in that what I
have called a broad lighter belt with blackish dots in each interspace,
he has described as a series of pale circular spots as broad as the
interspaces, each containing a blackish pupil. A reëxamination of the
fossil upon this point is desirable; the only indication of such circular
pale spots in my drawing is the curved boundary in each interspace
between the darker and lighter portions.
Tertiaries of Radoboj, Croatia. Fore wing, Hof-Mineralien Kabinet,
Vienna. Hind wing, Museum of Gratz, Austria.
COLIATES SCUDDER.
The fore wing (Pl. II, fig. 5) is slightly more than twice as long as
broad; the costal border is straight for fully two-thirds its length, and
then curves gradually and slightly downward, the apex rounded off; the
outer margin has a nearly regular and slight convexity, but is nearly
straight in the middle half; the lower outer angle is rounded and the
inner margin slightly convex. The costal nervure scarcely reaches the
middle of the costal border; the discoidal cell is but little more than
half the length of the wing; the subcostal nervure has but two superior
branches, although the outer is not only itself forked, but its upper
fork is branched at the extreme tip of the wing; the first superior
nervule is emitted at some distance previous to the tip of the cell,
or opposite the base of the first median nervure; it terminates in the
middle of the outer half, of the costal margin, and the forked branch of
the outer superior nervule supports the extreme apex of the wing; the
inferior subcostal nervule arises midway between the bases of the two
superior nervules, and terminates about one-third way down the outer
border; the vein closing the cell strikes it near the base and has an
inward convexity, meeting the upper median nervule farther from its
origin; the first median nervule originates at some distance beyond the
middle of the cell.
In the form of the wing and its neuration this fossil group is more
nearly allied to Delias (Pl. II, fig. 4) than to any other genus I have
been able to examine. It is plain at first glance that it must be placed
in the vicinity of Delias, Thyca, Prioneris and similar East Indian
Fugacia, in which there are but two superior subcostal nervules, and
in which the outer of these is forked; but I have met with no instance
among these in which one of these forks is itself branched; and this
insect differs notably from them all in the elongate form of the wing,
the remarkably straight costa[AD] and the shorter discoidal cell; and
from all Pierids in the shortness of its costal nervure and the basal
extension of the first superior subcostal nervule; this latter nervure
always originates, in every living type I have examined, at or beyond a
point opposite the middle of the space between the bases of the first and
second median nervules.
COLIATES PROSERPINA SCUDDER.
Plate II, fig. 5.
The fossil to which I have given this name is exceedingly obscure, having
no color whatever distinct from the stone in which it is imbedded; this
is of a chalky gray color. I have seen both impression and reverse, the
latter a little in relief. The fossil consists of both anterior wings,
one beneath and slightly in advance of the other, thus complicating
very greatly the study of the already indistinct neuration; in addition
to this the wings are crumpled and additional longitudinal lines are
present, scarcely distinguishable from the longitudinal nervures. On
this account it should be stated that there may be some doubt about the
exact position of the lowest three branchlets of the subcostal nervure.
The stone has been broken next the edge of the wing, and its form can
thus be traced where the real border is wanting, although again the
drawing presented may be slightly inaccurate next the inner margin; but
the probabilities are great that it is correct throughout. The spots
which are represented on our plate in the middle of the lower median,
subcosto-median and lower subcostal interspaces, are only irregularities
of surface on the stone, but as they appear in regular position are
not improbably dark spots, upon a light ground. A few points for the
insertion of the scales can be detected near the apex of the wings,
·075mm. apart. The neuration of the fossil agrees better with that of
_Delias Pasithoe_ than with that of any other butterfly I have examined.
Length of wing, 21mm.; greatest breadth, 9mm..
Tertiaries of Aix, Provence, France. Collection of Count de Saporta.
PAPILIONIDÆ—DANAI—VORACIA.
PONTIA FABRICIUS.
_Pierites_ HEER, Insekt. Tert. Œning., ii, 182; IB., Nouv. Mem.
Soc. Helv., xi, 182; GIEB., Faun. der Vorw., ii, 187.
Fore wings fully three-quarters as long again as broad, the costal
margin slightly convex at the basal and apical fifth, scarcely bent at
an angle with the nearly straight middle portion, the outer angle abrupt
but softened. Outer margin nearly straight and inclined at an angle of
forty-five degrees with the middle portion of the costal border, above
the middle subcostal nervule receding slightly in a gentle curve. Inner
margin straight, the outer angle well rounded. Costal nervure terminating
a little beyond the middle of the margin. Subcostal nervure with three
superior branches; the first arising shortly before the middle of the
outer half of the cell, a little nearer the apex of the cell in the
female than in the male; the second arising scarcely (male), or a very
little (female), beyond the tip of the cell; the third emitted at about
two-fifths the distance from the apex of the cell to the outer margin,
forked at the extreme tip in the male. Cell half as long as the wing and
nearly four times as long as broad.
The butterflies are scarcely larger than those of the genus Pieris, but
have more pointed fore wings; like them they are white, but extensively
spotted with deep brown; the fore wings have a broad bar at the tip
of the cell, and midway between this and the outer border a widely
interrupted transverse series of similar but smaller spots; the outer
border, especially the upper half, is also more or less distinctly
margined with triangular, frequently confluent spots seated in the
interspaces; these occur more often in the female than in the male.
The characters given above are drawn wholly from recent species of the
genus.
PONTIA FREYERI (HEER) SCUDDER.
Plate II, figs. 16, 18.
_Pierites Freyeri_ HEER, Insekt. Tert. Œning., ii, 182-83, Taf.
14, fig. 6 (1849); IB., Nouv. Mem. Soc. Helv., xi, 182-83, Taf.
14, fig. 6 (1850); GIEB., Deutschl. Petref., 644 (1852); IB.,
Faun. der Vorw., ii, 187 (1856); KIRB., Syn. Cat. Diurn. Lep.,
509 (1871).
The original description of this insect we owe to Heer; it is as
follows:[AE]—
Alis anterioribus lividis, margine maculisque duabus nigris.
Länge des Vorderflügels 9¾ Lin., Breite 5½ Lin.
Radoboi. Ein einzelner Vorderflügel, dessen Spitze und
theilweise auch Hinterrand aber zerstört ist, in der k. k.
montanistischen Sammlung zu Wien. [Pl. II, fig. 16.]
Das Geäder ist nicht in seinem Verlauf zu ermitteln und da auch
der Umriss des Flügels nicht vollständig vorliegt, ist die
Gattung nicht mit Sicherheit zu ermitteln. In Form und Farbe
scheint er am meisten mit manchen Pieriden, namentlich Pieris
Daplidice, zu stimmen, wofür auch das dünne Schuppenkleid, das
er gehabt zu haben scheint, angeführt werden kann, wogegen
die allerdings stumpfen Zacken am Hinterrand eine abweichende
Bildung zeigen.
Der Flügel ist am Grunde stark verschmälert, nach dem
Hinterrande zu stark verbreitert; der Hinterrand ist stumpf
gekerbt; in die Bucht der Kerbe läuft eine Längsfalte, in die
Mitte derselben eine Ader aus, die man aber nicht bis zur
Insertionsstelle verfolgen kann; die äussere Flügelspitze
fehlt; ebenso ein Stück des Hinterrandes an der [183]
Nahtseite. Von den Adern kann man nur die einfache v. analis
in ihrer ganzen Länge verfolgen; sie ist dem Nahtrande sehr
genähert. Die Farbe des Flügels ist hell gelbbraun und war im
Leben wohl weiss oder gelblich. Der Hinterrand ist von der
Mitte an bis zum Aussenrand schwarz, und zwar wird diese dunkle
Parthie auswärts breiter; ungefähr in der Flügelmitte geht
vom Aussenrand ein viereckiger, dunkler Fleck aus, welcher
dieselbe Grösse, Form und Stellung hat, wie der schwarze Fleck
bei Pieris Daplidice; ein zweiter kleinerer, rundlicher Fleck
liegt näher dem Hinter-und Nahtrande und entspricht dem, an
derselben Stelle liegenden, Flecken der Unterseite von Pieris
Daplidice.—Am Flügelgrunde bemerkt man den Schenkel und Schiene
eines dünnen Beines, das wohl diesem Thiere angehört hat.
This insect evidently belongs to the genus Pontia, judging from the
disposition of the markings of the upper surface of the fore wings (Pl.
II, fig. 18); this is the only thing we have here to guide us, although
the drawing made for us in Vienna seems to show that with great pains the
neuration of at least a part of the apex might be traced and lead to more
positive determination. The fossil species seems best comparable with
_P. Protodice_ (Pl. II, fig. 12) of N. America, although, as suggested
by Heer, most nearly resembling _P. Daplidice_, of European species. The
dark spot at the apex of the cell appears to cover a larger area than in
_P. Protodice_, extending with equal breadth almost to the costal margin,
and also covering a considerable space at the base of the subcosto-median
interspace, equal indeed to the entire width of the portion of the spot
within the cell. The region below this spot, next the base of the lower
median interspace, is also rather faintly suffused with griseous tints.
The precise extent of the subcostal spots midway between the cell and the
apex cannot be determined, owing to the imperfect state of the fossil;
but they evidently form a connected series as much larger than the
similar spots in _P. Protodice_ as the cellular spot, and extend from the
costal margin to the lowest subcostal nervures, expanding considerably
baseward in the upper half of their course. There is no spot in the
upper median interspace, as in _P. Protodice_, but, instead, a precisely
similar one in the middle of the apical three-fifths of the lower
median interspace, where it does not occur in _P. Protodice_; and this
affords the principal ground for supposing the insect to be generically
distinct from Pontia, no distinctive premarginal spot occurring in
this interspace in any species of Pontia which we have seen. The dusky
premarginal fleckings of the nervures terminating on the outer border,
often enlarging into distinct spots, which are so usual in Pontia,
especially in the upper half of the wing, are also absent from the fossil
species; but in their place the whole outer margin appears to be almost
uniformly, though not heavily, griseous, a little more distinctly so in
the upper than in the lower half of the wing. The spot just beyond the
middle of the medio-submedian interspace, distinct in _P. Protodice_,
but deepest in shade on the lower half of the interspace, and in other
species sometimes wholly confined to it, is seen in the fossil species,
but is far less distinct, confined to the lower half and situated exactly
in the middle. There are indications also of dark markings following the
basal third of the submedian nervure; and apparently the basal half of
the costal edge, as far as the costal nervure, is darker than any part
of the wing, excepting in a sudden and rather broad, distinct break in
its middle. This darker portion is considered by Heer as the femur of one
of the legs, superimposed upon the base of the wing; perhaps, however,
this is due to an accidental folding of the wing at this point, which
seems the more probable, because if we suppose this darker portion to be
turned back, the curve of the costal border would approximate much more
closely to its condition in _P. Protodice_; while its present form is
much straighter, exhibiting only a very slight and regular convexity. As
far as can be judged from the fragment, the form of the other parts of
the wing coincides with that of _P. Protodice_.
As in all species of Pontia there is a slight wrinkling of the membrane
in the interspaces, forming slight channels running from the outer border
inward, nearly to the depth of two interspaces, indicated in the fossil
by dark lines as heavy as the nervures, and caused by their filling
with sedimentary material. The extreme length of the part of the wing
preserved is 24mm. and the greatest width 22.5mm.
The markings lead one to conjecture that the individual was a male.
PAPILIONIDÆ—PAPILIONIDES—PARNASSII.
THAITES HEER, MS.
Body rather robust (Pl. III, figs. 9 and 10). Vertex of head large,
broad, convex. Eyes pretty large, short ovate, their longer diameter
vertical. Palpi (Pl. III, fig. 7) slender, resembling those of Thais,
but rather longer, extending far beyond the eye, rather thinly clothed
with hairs. Antennæ (Pl. III, fig. 8) resembling those of Sericinus more
than those of Thais, being about half as long as the body, slender and
equal on the basal three-fifths, gradually expanding beyond into a club,
which is more than twice as broad as the stem, and stoutest just before
the well rounded, slightly upturned tip; in the middle of the antennæ the
joints are half as long again as broad, broader than long at the base of
the club, and three or four times as broad as long in the middle of the
club and beyond; on the apical half of the club, and perhaps a little
further, the joints of the club are furnished with a double row of minute
shallow pits, such as are seen in Eurymus. The tongue was at least as
long as the thorax.
The thorax is well arched and pretty stout; the paraptera (Pl. III,
fig. 6) are a little more than twice as long as broad, their outer edge
nearly straight, the posterior extremity broad and well rounded. The legs
are not well enough preserved to state anything concerning them with
certainty, but the middle (?) pair are probably of the length of the
antennæ.
The fore wings (Pl. III, fig. 3) are only a little more than half as long
again as broad, the greatest breadth beyond the middle; the costal border
is pretty regularly and not greatly arched throughout; the outer margin
is more strongly arched but with a similar regularity, and the general
direction of its upper half is at right angles to the outer third of the
costal border, the apex scarcely rounded off; the inner border is nearly
straight. The proportions of the hind wing, as to length and breadth,
are nearly the same as those of the fore wings, making it unusually long
and narrow, as in Thais (Pl. III, fig. 4), and also, as there, nearly as
broad toward the base as at tip. The costal border is rather strongly
convex next the base of the wing, but beyond is nearly straight, sloping
apically so as to make a uniform curve with the outer border, which
is almost entire as in Parnassius (Pl. III, fig. 5), rather than as
in Thais (Pl. III, fig. 4), strongly arched, especially near the last
median nervule, and angulated below where it meets with the regularly and
broadly concave inner margin.