Upper Side. Antennæ black. Head grey. Thorax and abdomen grey. Anterior wings white: nerves black, with seven white oblong spots placed along the external edges and tips on a black ground. Posterior wings cream-coloured, with six oval flesh-coloured spots placed along the posterior margin on a black ground, separated by the black nerves.
Under Side. Palpi, breast, and abdomen grey. Anterior wings white, with very broad and black nerves, forming white oblong spots on the upper side. Posterior wings yellow, with a broad black margin along the external edges, whereon are placed six oval scarlet spots, edged or surrounded with white. Nerves black and broad. Margins of the wings entire.
Drury correctly considered this species as distinct from the Linnæan Hyparete, and accordingly named it Eucharis. Fabricius, notwithstanding, united the two species, and applied the name Eucharis to another Indian species (Anthocaris Eucharis of Boisduval, but which it would be more correct to name Aurora after Cramer). Godart, in order to obviate the confusion arising from two distinct species having the same specific name, altered the oldest name (Eucharis, Drury), instead of the incorrectly imposed name of Fabricius. I have therefore reverted to the name proposed by Drury, the other species being now removed to the genus Anthocaris.
PLATE XI.
SATURNIA PROMETHEA.
Plate [XI]. fig. 1, 2. ♂.—Plate [XII]. fig. 1, 2. ♀.
Order: Lepidoptera. Section: Nocturna. Family: Bombycidæ, Steph.
Genus. Saturnia, Schrank. Attacus, Germar. Phalæna (Attacus), Linn.
Saturnia Promethea. Alis subfalcatis, maris fuscis, fœminæ ferrugineis, fasciâ tenui undatâ communi pallidâ margine griseo, anticis utrinque ocello atro. (Expans. Alar. 4 unc. ♂. 4 unc. 3 lin. ♀.)