Zoological Illustrations/VolI-Pl28

by William Swainson

HESPERIA Haworthiana.

Haworth's Hesperia.

Generic Character.

Antennæ mediocres vel elongatæ, rectæ, graciles; clava subterminali, brevi, crassata, cylindracea; unco abrupto, brevi, acuminato. Palpi in fronte compressi, incurvati, lateribus convexis vel angulatis, articulo ultimo erecto, verticali. Alæ (sedentes) erectæ.

Divisiones.

III. Palpi lati, in fronte compressissimi. Antennæ breves, clava crassissima.

III. Palpi pene quadrati, crassissimi. Antennæ elongatæ.

III. Palpi articulo ultimo longiore, gracile. Antennæ mediocres.

Typus Genericus Hesperia Comma Auctorum.

Antennæ moderate or elongated, straight, slender, the club nearly terminal, short, thick, cylindric, ending in an abrupt, short and pointed hook. Palpi compressed, incurved in front of the head, the sides convex or angular; the last joint erect, pointing vertically. Wings when at rest erect.

Divisions.

III. Palpi broad, very compressed in front. Antennæ short, the club very thick.

III. Palpi nearly square, very thick. Antennæ elongated.

III. Palpi with the last joint lengthened, slender. Antennæ moderate.

Generic Type Hesperia Comma of Authors.

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Specific Character.

Hesp. (Div. 2.) alis suprà nigrescente-fuscis, basi nitido-cœruleis, anticis fascia mediali hyalina, posticis subtus fuscis, lineis duabus longitudinalibus viridi-flavis; pedibus fusco-aurantiis.

Hesperia (Div. 2.). Wings above blackish-brown, the base shining blue; anterior with a medial hyaline band; posterior beneath brown, with two longitudinal yellow-green lines. Legs brownish-orange.

The celebrated Latreille, the father of modern Entomology, has well observed, that the immense number of insects crowded together in the genus Hesperia contain many natural genera, but which the paucity of species generally found in cabinets prevents us from discriminating. Having for a long time paid attention to this family, and possessing near 300 species in my own cabinet, I have had the opportunity of attempting their elucidation; and the above generic character is applied to those insects only which I propose considering genuine species of the genus Hesperia, and which will comprise near 170 species.

I have named this new, undescribed and very rare insect, in honour of my esteemed friend A. H. Haworth, Esq. F.L.S., &c., well known by the benefits his writings have conferred on the sister sciences of entomology and botany. The only two insects I ever saw of this species I captured in the southern part of Brazil.