Drury states that he was ignorant from what part of the world his specimen (which was given to him by Mr. Leman) came from. No other individual of this species is recorded to exist in the modern collections, and it is from the figure and description of Drury that all subsequent writers have derived their knowledge of this splendid and unique insect.
Donovan, however, figured this butterfly, or rather copied Drury's figure in his beautiful work upon the Insects of India, observing merely that it might be "mentioned with much propriety amongst the rarest of the Papilio tribe found in India," without giving any account of the source from whence his figure and information had been obtained.
At the sale of Mr. Drury's collection, this butterfly composed lot 4 of the first day's sale, May 23, 1805, and was purchased by Mr. Latham at the price of £2. 12s. 6d.
The Rev. F. W. Hope, however, possesses a specimen, which he has informed me, that he obtained in a small collection of rare insects from tropical Africa, collected by the late Mr. Ritchie.
THECLA SYLVANUS.
Plate [III]. fig. 2, 3.
Order Lepidoptera. Section: Diurna. Family: Lycænidæ, Leach.
Genus. Thecla, Fabr. Polyommatus p. Latr. & God. Hesperia p. Fabr. olim. Papilio (Pleb. ruric.) Linn. Drury.
Thecla Sylvanus. Alis suprà maris obscurè violaceis, feminæ albido cœrulescentibus; subtus fuscis, annulis numerosis albis seu albidis; posticis ocellis duobus anguli ani argenteis rufo cinctis. (Expans. Alar. 1 unc. 3 lin.)
Syn. Papilio (Pleb. rur.) Sylvanus, Drury, App. vol. 2.