isara

Ssp. isara Rothschild, 1908³⁰⁾ [♂, ♀]

(Distribution) [Map 123]

INDONESIA [N. Sumatra] Nias Is. (Dima, Gunungsitoli, Hilisimaetano, Telukdalam),

Batu Islands.

(Episodes of discovery and original description)

The first report on the ♂ and ♀ of T. helena from Nias Island appears to have been made by Weymer (1885), who considered it the same subspecies as Orn. hephaestus. Later, Rothschild (1895) included it in the subspecies cerberus based on a specimen of 1 ♀. However, when he obtained 7♂♂ and 2♀♀ specimens, he redescribed them as a new subspecies in 1908, because the ♂ resembled the subspecies typhaon from Sumatra, while the ♀♀ resembled the subspecies nereis from Engano Island as well as typhaon, but there were clear differences between them.

(Characteristics)

Very similar to ssp. hermes.

(Spotted pattern)

♂: FW glossy black, but on the underside, pale grayish-white vein-stripes are present along the cubitus (discal space 1b) and each vein from V^1b to V^8th.

♀: Light form: Vein-stripes on FW are grayish white with a slight brownish tinge, and all except V^1b reaches the cell. HW resembles those of ssp. hermes, but can be distinguished by the pale yellow on HW pale band, not dirty yellowish white as in ssp. hermes.

(Variation)

♀-f. aphrodite Ohya, 1983²⁴⁾: [Aberration HW pattern] Dark discal spots on HW are either exceptionally small or completely absent.