Zoological Illustrations Series II/Plate 111
ZEONIA Heliconides.
ZEONIA Heliconides,
Zeonia Butterfly.
Family Erycinidæ. Sub-family Erycinæ. Genus ——; Sub-genus Zeonia. Nob.
Sub-Generic Character.
Wings trigonal, hyaline, the posterior ending in long tails; Palpi very short, not projecting beyond the head; Antennæ hairy, with the club very small, but gradually thickening from the base.
Specific Character.
Wings hyaline; the margins, and a common central band black and opaque; inferior wings two-tailed, with a red stripe at the anal angle.
No method is more calculated to demonstrate the existence of that symbolical representation which reigns throughout nature, than that of bringing before the eye of the student a series of forms belonging to different families, but which are disguised, under an outward appearance of general similitude; How few, even among professed entomologists, would suspect that the present butterfly, and Leptocircus Curius, pl. 106, were of totally different families: looking to their general aspect, as size, form, and colour, we should even be tempted to place them in the same genus; On closer examination, however, we find that one is a genuine Papilio, and the other an Erycina; That this fact may be placed beyond all doubt, we have given magnified details of both insects, which, from their great rarity, will be highly acceptable to the Entomologist.
The specimen here figured is the only one we met with in Brazil, nor have we seen the species in any other collection; Excepting the black bands and the crimson spots, all the wings are transparent; the under surface being similar to the upper. We possess the mutilated remains of a second species; but we know not to what natural genus they belong.
Fig. 1. Zeonia, wing. 2. Leptocircus, wing. 3. Zeonia; anterior foot, with the claw more enlarged; 4. head and palpi in profile; 5. Antennæ.