Papilio Menestheus. Alis dentatis, caudatis, nigris, fasciâ maculari maculisque marginalibus flavis, omnibus subtus basi albido striatis, posticis lunulis rufis cœrulescentibusque. (Expans. Alar. 5 unc. 3 lin.)
Syn. Papilio (Eq. Ach.) Menestheus, Drury, App. vol. 2. Cram. pl. 142. fig. A. B. Fabr. Ent. Syst. III. 1. p. 31. Enc. Méth. ix. p. 59. Boisd. Hist. Nat. Lep. 1. p. 236.
Habitat: Sierra Leone (Drury). India (erroneously, Fabr.).
Upper Side. Antennæ brown. The head, thorax, and abdomen greenish black. Anterior wings black, covered with minute green spots, the tips like black velvet. Some long russet-coloured hairs, occupying a space the size of a sixpence, are situated close to the posterior margin, near the lower corner; there are also twenty lemon-coloured spots on each, eight of which are very small and marginal; eight other oblong spots form a bar, rising on the anterior margin and running obliquely across the wings, meeting near the extremity of the body. Posterior wings velvety black, covered at the base with small green spots, and having five lemon spots running along the external edges. Each of these wings is furnished with a tail, having a lemon spot on each side; and on the abdominal edge is an eye, whose under part is red, and the upper blue. Near the upper corner is a red spot, hidden in the figure by the superior wings.
Under Side. Head and breast ash-coloured. All the spots and marks which on the upper side are lemon colour, on this are pale cream-coloured. Anterior wings soot-coloured, the spots very distinct; those next the external edges being larger, with many cream-coloured stripes at the base running longitudinally parallel with the tendons both of the anterior and posterior wings. These are adorned with several eyes of velvety black; the upper sides being blue, and the under orange verged with cream. The marginal spots are considerably larger than on the upper side.
THECLA THETIS ♀.
Plate [IX]. fig. 3, 4.
Order: Lepidoptera. Section: Diurna. Family: Lycænidæ, Leach.
Genus. Thecla, Fabr. Polyommatus p. Latr. God. Hesperia p. Fabr. Linn. Papilio (Dan. Cand.), Drury.
Thecla Thetis. Alis integris; maris supra fulvis margine exteriori nigro; fœminæ fuscis disco albo: subtus albis. (Expans. Alar. 1 unc. 9 lin.)