Hætera Philoctetes. Alis suprà violaceo-fuscis; posticis ad angulum ani maculis tribus cœruleis, externis duabus puncto nigro, punctisque tribus albis, subtus fasciâ latâ communi purpureo-fuscâ utrinque albomarginatâ. (Expans. Alar. 4 unc. fere.)
Syn. Papilio (Equ. Achiv. Philoctetes), Linn. Syst. Nat. 2. 750. No. 29. Cramer, tab. 20. fig. A. B. C. Fabr. Ent. Syst. III. 1. p. 83. p. 259. (Nymphalis Ph.) Herbst. tab. 55. fig. 2. 3. Enc. Méth. ix. p. 481. (Satyrus Ph.)
Habitat: Surinam (Drury). "In Indiis." (Linn.)
Upper Side. Head, thorax, and abdomen dusky brown. Anterior wings fine mellow dark brown or snuff colour towards the tips; but near the body, glowing with a fine dark glossy purple. Near the tip of each wing are two small white specks, one scarcely visible; on the lower part of each wing is a rather large oval spot, of the same snuff colour with that near the tips. Posterior edges circularly dilated, and gradually widening from the shoulders to the external edges. Posterior wings dark brown, but glowing all over in some directions with a dark glossy blueish purple. Near the abdominal corners are two black eyes on each wing, surrounded by beautiful dazzling blue.
Under Side. Breast and sides yellowish sandy-coloured. Anterior wings divided into three parts by two lines or bars; one being brown and narrow, the other white and rather broad. The first division, next the body, is of a russet or light hair colour, tinctured with pearl, having a short black streak near the middle; the next, or middle division, is light brown; the third is dark clay-coloured. A considerable number of long hairs arising from a single point or stalk, spreading like the leaves of a fan, and occupying the space corresponding with the oval spot mentioned before; those on the outside bending downwards, and curling. (See Fig. 3. This circumstance is peculiar to one sex only.) Posterior wings next the body russet, with a single black spot near the middle of each. Abdominal groove russet. Middle of the wing with a rather broad bar of a fine deep chocolate colour, beginning at the anterior edge and ending at the abdominal groove; the upper side of the bar next the body being russet. Lower part of the wing, next the external edge, of a colour between russet and chocolate, with three small white spots near the upper corner. The two black eyes are distinct on this side, with narrow blue irides. The wings are a little dentated.
Drury's figure represents an individual in which the posterior wings have no appearance of the short tail, which the species ordinarily exhibits. It may, perhaps, originate in the figure being taken from a mutilated specimen. The Papilio Morna of Fabricius, appears nearly allied to this insect.
THECLA FAUNUS ♀.
Plate [I]. fig. 4, 5.
Order: Lepidoptera. Section: Diurna. Family: Lycænidæ, Leach.
Genus. Thecla, Fabr. Polyommatus p. Latr. Hesperia p. Fabr. olim. Papilio (Pleb. ruric.) Drury.