GENUS. IDÆA, _Fabr. God._ Papilio (Dan. Fest. or Eq. Hel.), _Drury_.
IDÆA LYNCEA. Alis elongatis integerrimis cinerascentibus, venis
maculisque permultis nigris; anticis subfalcatis. (Expans. Alar. 6 unc. 9
lin.)
SYN. Papilio Lynceus, _Drury_, _App. vol._ 2.
Papilio Idea, _Stoll. Suppl. Cramer_, _pl._ 42. _f._ 1.
Idea Lyncea, _Enc. Méth._ ix. _p._ 195.
HABITAT: The Island of Johanna, near Madagascar.
_Upper Side._ Antennæ black and subfiliform. Head, neck, and thorax
black, spotted, and streaked with white. Abdomen black. Wings almost
transparent, and of a glassy hue, much resembling common glass; having a
great number of black spots like velvet on them of different shapes and
sizes, some being round, some oblong, and others like streaks; there
being on each of the anterior wings twenty-eight distinct ones, besides
those placed next the anterior edges, which are not easily ascertained,
from their running into one another. Posterior wings with thirty-three
distinct spots like those on the anterior, whereof some appear double.
_Under Side._ Palpi white. Tongue black, and spiral. Breast, sides, and
legs streaked with black and white. Abdomen white. Wings coloured as on
the upper side. Margins of the wings entire.
{15}The Linnæan specific name of the type of the present genus was Papilio
Idea, a name admirably expressive of the delicate transparent structure of
these butterflies. As several closely-allied species were discovered in
addition to the original type, all partaking of the same appearance,
Fabricius transposed the original specific name into that of the genus; a
new specific name, Agelia, being given to the original species, which is
beautifully figured by Donovan, in his Insects of India, Pl. 24, and is by
him considered identical with the insect figured by Drury. I have adopted
the opinion of the authors of the Encyclopédie Méthodique, who consider the
two insects as distinct.