The insect inhabits various parts of South America, in some places rather plentifully.
MARIUS THETIS.
PLATE XIX. Fig. 1[34].
Pap. Thetis, Fabr.—Nymph. Thetis, Godart.—Pap. Petreus, Cramer, Pl. 87, fig. D, E; Stoll’s Supp. Pl. 2, fig. 2, A, (caterpillar), fig. 2, B, (chrysalis); Swainson’s Zool. Illus. Pls. 59 and 110.
This singular looking insect is distinguished generically by the peculiar shape of the wings, and the equally remarkable appearance of the caterpillar. Of the former the posterior edge of the primary pair is concave, and the apex is distinctly truncated; the same edge of the secondary wings has two long linear tails, the anal one shorter and curved outwards, the external long, obtuse at the extremity, and turned somewhat obliquely outwards. The caterpillar is naked, with four long fleshy filaments on the back, and two others projecting from the hinder part of the head; the chrysalis likewise with several projecting filaments.
The Marius butterfly is a native of Guiana and Brazil. The colour of the upper side is tawny, varying somewhat in the shade according to the sex, the surface traversed by three black narrow lines, running obliquely from the anterior to the abdominal margin: near the base, and between the second and third lines are the rudiments of two others, and the costa is likewise black, as well as the posterior margin behind the middle: the under wings are black along the hinder edge, and likewise the tails, and on the anal angle are a few whitish crescents placed over two black points surrounded by a white circle. The colour of the under side is rusty-brown, glossed with violet and pale green, and across the middle of both wings there is a dark oblique line, having a series of black ocellated spots behind it.
PLATE 19.
1. Marius Thetis. 2. Fabius Hippona. Guiana.
Lizars sc.
The following description of the caterpillar and chrysalis is given by Stoll:—“The head of this beautifully coloured caterpillar is dull yellow, with two short rays and small spots of black. The head is furnished with two long black spines garnished with short stiff hairs. The first five segments of the body are reddish-brown, spotted with black. The belly is white, and the anterior legs black. The rest of the body is reddish-brown; but from the sixth to the eleventh segment, the back is of a beautiful yellow, and bordered on the sides with short black and white rays. The back is armed with four long spines, the last of which, placed on the eleventh segment, is curved backwards, and very similar to the horns with which most of the caterpillars of the Sphinges are provided. The intermediate and posterior legs are yellow. It feeds on the leaves of the Cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale), and transforms into a perpendicular chrysalis of a yellow colour, spotted with black, garnished with black spines on the head, thorax, and back. When the butterfly is about to appear, the yellow colour changes into white.[35]”