250 MEMOIRS NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. vol. xn, 



This new genus differs also from Philosamia in having the sexes unlike each other, while in the 

 latter they are identical [The species are] 

 "1. D. albida (Druce). 

 "2. D. antinorii (Oberth.). 

 "3. D. vacuna (Westw.). 

 "ab. ploetzi (Plotz). 

 ''ab. getula (Maas. and Weym.)." 



[Drepanoptera is African, Philosamia Asiatic. Dr. Packard had copied the above from 

 Rothschild without indicating any opinion as to the validity of the genus. The manuscript in 

 which vacuna and albida appear under Philosamia is therefore unaltered. On a small slip of 

 paper Dr. Packard has some notes on P. ploetzi, getula, and vacuna, and adds: "Philosamia, 

 plainly enough, arose in Guinea or west Africa and spread into eastern Asia. This is near the 

 stem form."] 



Imago. — One 6" . Much larger than P. cynthia; apex of the fore wing produced, square; 

 basal and extradiscal lines white, very broad and diffuse compared with P. cynthia or ricini. 

 Discal spot more incurved at the ends than those of hind wings, much broader and shorter in 

 proportion and much curved, like a comma mark. The central portion of the discal spots of 

 both wings is translucent, almost diaphanous. Ocellus oval, black area much larger, and 

 regularly oval ellipical, the whitish blue semicirclar line long, with parallel sides. Marginal line 

 scalloped along the entire length of the wing, and the spots on the margin of the hind wings are 

 smaller and more numerous than in P. cynthia. 



The general color of the body and wings is Vandyke brown, much as in P. ricini, but there 

 is more white in this species than the others and there is much white on the under side of the 

 wings. The hind wings are much in shape like P. cynthia (American adventive form). 



The palpi are short and almost indistinguishable from the hairs of the front of the head. 

 Abdomen white at the base, but with no white above, only on the side is a double white line, 

 and a double ventral interrupted white line, the white being mixed with ochreous hairs. There 

 is a ventral white stripe on each side of the thorax. 

 Expanse of fore wings, 170 mm. 



My specimen is from Benito, French Kongo, west Africa. 



It differs from the two Asiatic species P. ricini and cynthia in the discal spots being large, 

 somewhat commahke hi shape, and with the central portion nearly transparent, while the 

 subapical ocellus is complete, the black area large and oval-elliptical. I have examined West- 

 wood's type of this species in the Oxford Museum, and though I did not directly compare my 

 specimen with the type, a brief description agreed with Westwood's example. 



P. ploetzi and P. getula have the same general style of markings as cynthia, the convexity 

 of ocelli being turned toward costal edge; apical ocellus well developed; abdomen banded; 

 very large species. 



PHILOSAMIA ALBIDA (Druce). 



Attacus albidus Druce, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1886, p. 409, PI. XXXVII. 

 Philosamia albida Kirbt, Syn. Cat. Lep. Het., i, p. 749, 1892. 



This form from the Cameroon Mountains, is in size and general appearance allied to P. vacuna 

 from the coast of 'the French Kongo, at a point 150 to 200 miles south of Cameroon Mountains. 

 It occurs also at Ashanti, about S00 miles northwest from Kongo, Cameroon lying between these 

 two localities. It is so similar in its markings to vacuna that it seems possible that it is only 

 a local albinic variety of that species. 



It differs, judging from Mr. Druce's colored figure, in the white bands and spots being 

 wider, more diffuse, while the discal ocelli of the hind wings are considerably wider, rounder. 

 In other respects it is as in vacuna, the ocelli near the apex of the fore wing, the submarginal 

 scalloped lines, and the dull madder markings of both wings being the same; though the extra- 

 discal band of the fore wings is more oblique, ending on the costa at a point about halfway 

 between the outer end of the discal lunule and the ocellus. 



