Plate I. fig. 1.
ORDER: Lepidoptera, _Linn._ SECTION: Diurna, _Latr._ FAMILY: Nymphalidæ,
_Swainson_.
GENUS. NYMPHALIS, _Latr._ Papilio Eq. Achiv. _Linn. Drury_. Papilio
Nymphalis, _Fabr._
SUBGENUS. Jasia, _Swainson_. Charaxes, _Boisduval_.
NYMPHALIS (CHARAXES) JASON. Alis fuscis, anticis utrinque strigâ maculari
limboque apicali fulvis, posticis bicaudatis, ordine postico macularum
sublunarium fulvescentium, omnibus subtus ad basin ferrugineis
caracteribus fasciâque albis. (Expans. Alar. 3-4. unc.)
SYN. Papilio Jason, _Linn. Syst. Nat._ 2. 749. _No._ 26. _Herbst. tab._
64. _f._ 3. 4. 5. _Cram. pl._ 339. _f._ A. B. _Drury, vol._ 1. _p._ 2.
Pap. (Nymphalis) Jasius, _Fab. Ent. Syst. t._ III. _part_ 1. _p._ 61.
191. _Drury, vol._ 2. _App._
Nymphalis Jasius, _Latr. et Godart. Enc. Meth. v._ 9. _p._ 350. 1.
Charaxes Jasius, _Boisduval Hist. Nat. Lepidopt. pl._ 7. _f._ 12.
(_imago_) _pl._ 3. _A. f._ 9. (_larva and pupa._)
HABITAT: Barbary, Asia Minor, and the Northern Coast of the Mediterranean
Sea.
_Upper Side._ The anterior wings are of a fine chocolate, with an
orange-coloured margin running along the exterior edge, within which are
some faint round orange spots; those next the anterior edge, where they
begin, being strongest. The posterior wings are furnished with four tails
(the outer ones being the shortest) and are of a blue black. A yellow
scolloped margin runs round their external edges, verged with black;
above which are some lunate spots of a sky blue.
_Under Side._ The anterior wings, next the body, are of a faint dark red,
with many spots and marks of a dirty olive, differently shaped, margined
with white. An orange margin runs along the exterior edge, intersected by
the blue tendons; and above it are several triangular marks of a faint
orange, on a blueish hazel ground, which deadens as it approaches the
margin. The posterior wings have on each a white band, running
transversely, and meeting just below the extremity of the body; within
which, and including the anal groove, are many round, oval, and other
shaped marks of chocolate and dark olive; verged with white. A scolloped
margin, of a deep lemon colour, runs along the posterior edges, verged
with dirty green, and separated from the white band by a bar of hazel
colour, and some large brown reddish spots and marks. Two blue spots are
placed just above the two longest tails, with several lesser ones, just
above the lemon-coloured margin.
I have thought it more in accordance with the principles which are now
almost universally adopted, in regulating specific nomenclature, to revert
to the original Linnæan {2}name of Jason in preference to that of
Fabricius. This butterfly may be regarded as one of the most splendid of
the Lepidoptera of Europe, to the southern portion of which and to the
northern shores of Africa it appears to be confined. The strength of its
general structure indicates great powers of flight, and we accordingly find
that it is able to sustain itself in the air with very little motion of the
wings. The female differs from the male only by having the centre of the
posterior wings adorned with small blue spots on the upper side. There are
two broods in the year, namely in June and September, and, according to M.
De Villiers, the insect emits a strong scent of musk. The caterpillar is
naked and thickened in the middle of the body; the tail tapering into two
short points, the head is also armed with two conical erect horns. In this
respect, therefore, this insect very nearly approaches the genus Apatura,
of which the purple Emperor, Ap. Iris is the type, thus proving the
advantages to be obtained, in studying the natural relations of this
difficult order of Annulosa, from an accurate acquaintance with the
structure and habits of the early stages of the insect.
There are several species, having the same general form as the Jason,
including Athamas, pl. 2. fig. 3. 4; Eudoxus, vol. iii. pl. 33. f. 1. 4;
Camulus, vol. iii. pl. 30. f. 1. 2. Mr. Swainson has, accordingly, formed
them into a distinct group, to which he has given the name of Jasia, in
pursuance with his customary, but scarcely correct plan, of raising the
specific name of the typical species into a generic name, and then giving a
new specific name to such type. M. Boisduval, rejecting this system of
nomenclature, has more recently proposed for the same group the name of
Charaxes, which I have adopted.
Amongst the species very nearly resembling Jason, is one sent from
Africa[20] to Mr. Drury by Mr. Smeathman, which, according to the
observations of that traveller, published by Drury, in the introduction to
his third volume, flies in the heat of the day with amazing rapidity, and
seldom descends within eight feet of the ground. It glances from the
prominent branches of one tree to those of another, as swift as a swallow,
and turns its head about instantly to the glade, or path, and will not
suffer any person to approach within a striking distance of it, but darts
away on the least motion of the body. If the collector exert his patience
it will at last become more familiar and careless, and is then to be caught
upon some particular branch, to which it will appear more attached than to
another.
{3}THECLA ACIS.
Plate I. fig. 2.
ORDER: Lepidoptera. SECTION: Diurna. FAMILY: Lycænidæ, _Leach_.
GENUS. THECLA, _Fabr._ (Syst. Gloss. Synops. in Illig. Mag.) Polyommatus,
_Latr. et Godart_. Cupido p. Schrank Papilio (Pleb. rural.), _Drury_.
THECLA ACIS. Alis suprà fuscis subtùs pallidioribus, posticis bicaudatis
maculâ rufâ ad angulum ani, subtùs punctis duobus fasciâque obliquâ
albis. (Expans. Alar. 1 unc. 3 lin.)
SYN. Papilio Acis, _Drury, App. v._ 2. (1773). _Cram. pl._ 175. _fig._ C.
D.
Papilio Mars, _Fabr. Mant. Ins._ 2. 66. _No._ 624. (1787). _Herbst. Pap.
tab._ 288. _f._ 1. 2. _Fabr. Ent. Syst._ III. 1. 265. 24. (Hesperia M.)
_Encycl. Meth._ 9. 635. (Polyommatus M.)
Papilo Ixion, _Fab. Mant. Ins._ 2. 71. _No._ 671?
HABITAT: New York (_Drury,_) taken on 31st August. South America
(_Fabr._): Antilles (_Godart_). Cape of Good Hope (_?? Cramer_).
_Upper Side._ The anterior wings are entirely dark brown, without any
spots or marks.--The posterior wings the same, with four tails, the inner
ones much longer than the others; close above which latter are two red
spots, edged at the bottom with black, and two more, placed at the anal
angle. The cilia is white.
_Under Side._ All the wings are of a dark lead colour. A very narrow
black and white line crosses the anterior wings, parallel to the external
edges; another indented irregular line crosses the posterior wings,
beginning near the middle of the anterior edge, and meeting just below
the extremity of the body. Four long reddish spots are very visible on
this side, below which are four black ones.
This species is nearly allied to Papilio Echion, Linn. Syst. Nat. p. 788.
figured by Roesel, tom. i. tab. 7. f. 3. 4. which is also an American
species, but differs, as Drury observes, in wanting the red spots on the
upper surface of the lower wings, in having a red line crossing the wings
on the under side, &c.