GENUS. Vanessa, _Fabr. Latr. God. Curtis._ Hamadryades, _Hubn._ Papilio
(Nymphalis Phal.), _Fabr. Drury._
VANESSA CHARONIA. Alis dentatis, supra nigris, fasciâ communi
submarginali coeruleâ, in posticis serie punctorum nigrorum divisâ;
anticis apice productis, posticis subcaudatis. (Expans. Alar. 3 unc.)
SYN. Papilio (Nymph. Phal.) Charonia, _Drury, App. v._ 2. _Cramer, Pap.
tab._ 4. _pl._ 47. _fig._ A. B. C. _Fabr. Ent. Syst._ III. 1. _p._ 119.
_No._ 304. _Enc. Méth._ ix. _p._ 308. 27 (Vanessa Ch.).
HABITAT:: China (_Drury_). India (_Fabr._).
_Upper Side._ The thorax and abdomen black, and furnished with grayish
hair. The ground of all the wings is black; but towards the body inclines
to copper. On the anterior wings, near the tips, is a white spot placed
close to the anterior edge. This edge is narrowly bordered with blue, and
dappled with little wave-like stripes of black; from whose middle an
oblique blue spot, almost half an inch long, extends down the wings. A
little below this, arises a light blue bar of lunules, which runs even
with the external edge, and is continued transversely across the
posterior wing, excluding the anal angle. On this blue bar, in the
posterior wings, are placed six small black angular spots. Beneath these
is a {28}narrow double border of blue, running along their external
margin. All the wings are deeply dentated and angulated.
_Under Side._ The ground of the wings is of a dark orange, with various
broad transverse purplish shades, and with a variety of irregular small
wave-like markings, and different tints of brown, intermingled with
orange shades.
The under side of the male is of a very dark brown, almost black, with
some faint wavings, which are not so strong and beautiful as in the
female.