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.
THECLA SIMAETHIS.
Plate [I]. fig. 3.
Order: Lepidoptera. Section: Diurna. Family: Lycænidæ, Leach.
Genus. Thecla, Fabr., Horsfield. Polyommatus, Latr. et Godart. Hesperia, Fabr. olim. Papilio (Pleb. rur.) Drury.
Thecla Simaethis. Alis supra fuscis, nitidis, subtus flavo-viridibus, vittâ transversâ argenteâ, posticis apice ferrugineis strigâ è punctis margaritaceis. (Expans. Alar. 1 unc. 3 lin.)
Syn. Papilio (Pleb. rural.) Simaethis, Drury, App. v. 2. Herbst. Pap. tab. 280. f. 3. 4. Fabr. Ent. Syst. III. 1. p. 286. No. 97. (Hesperia S.) Latr. et God. Enc. Meth. 9. 643. 97. (Polyommatus S.)