242 Annals of the South African Museum. 



The sexes are nearly alike. The female only differs by the branches 

 of the antennae being a little shorter and the anal tuft filled up in the 

 middle by a mass of grey scales. 



It would be of great interest to know the first stages of this peculiar 

 moth. 



LIMACODIDAE. 



GEN. PARATHOSEA, nov. gen. 



Palpi upturned, falciform, appressecl to the froiis, nearly reaching 

 base of antennae, smoothly scaled, last joint conical. Antennae in 

 male bipectinated to tips, the branches rather short and gradually 

 shorter towards the apex. Thorax scaled, with long tuft on meta- 

 thorax. Abdomen at base with two large dorsal crests of scales. 

 Middle and hind tibiae very broadly clothed with hairs ; hind tibiae 

 with 4 spurs. First joint of middle and hind tarsi clothed with very 

 long hairs, the following joints with shorter hairs or nearly smooth. 

 Fore wing with veins 4 and 5 from a point, 6 a little nearer to apex of 

 cell, 7, 8, 9 stalked, 10 and 11 free from the cell ; 11 straight. Hind 

 wing with veins 6 and 7 stalked, 8 somewhat thickened at base and 

 connected with the cell beyond its middle by a very short oblique bar. 



I have not been able to refer the following species to any of the 

 hitherto described genera of Limacodidae. The palpi are peculiar, and 

 distinguish the present genus from Brachia, Karsch, which in other 

 respects seems to be rather nearly allied. 



PARATHOSEA PERINGUEYI, n. sp. 



^ . Head and antennae yellowish brown ; palpi dark brown on 

 underside, yellowish above. Thorax and legs dark brown, thorax 

 above with plumbeous scales, especially on the patagia. Abdomen 

 somewhat paler brown with the crests yellowish ; apex of tibiae and 

 the tarsi aunulated with yellow. Fore wing above with the basal part 

 dark brown with a, strong plumbeous sheen in certain light ; this basal 

 dark field occupies three-fourths of the costa, but only the first third 

 of the hind margin ; its distal margin is therefore very oblique ; it is 

 marked from the end of the cell to the hind margin with a sharply 

 dentate black line, and followed by an irregular pale yellowish, broad, 

 oblique band from near apex of costa to hind margin ; this band is ill- 

 defined and more or less filled up with irregular spots and patches of 

 greyish scales ; a terminal rather broad dark band more or less spotted 

 with yellowish ; cilia broad, greyish brown, with a distinct yellow basal 



