P. ESBEN-PETERSEN, AFRICAN MYRMELEONIDAE. I. 3 



synonyms, or at most varieties», I subscribe his opinion in 

 every way, and I suppose that when so many new species 

 from Africa have been described during the last few years, 

 the reason is tbat too much stress bas been laid on the shape 

 and number of markings on the wings as specific cbaracters. 

 I believe that these markings in many cases are only of se- 

 condary value, and that there may be great variations within 

 the various species as to them. 



Palpares sparsus Mac Lachlan. — Journ. Linn. Soc. 

 Lond., Vol. IX, p. 240, 1867. 



Palpares nyicayius Kolbe, Die Netzfliigler Deutsch-Ost- 

 Africas, p. 11, Taf. IV, fig. 6, 1897. 



Palpares cemidus Péringuey, Ann. South-African Mus., 

 p. 31. fig. 1, 1911. 



Palpares sobrinas Péringuey, ibid., p. 33, fig. 3, 1911. 



Palpares nudatiis Navas, Ann. Soc. Brux., p. 23, 1912. 



This species was described by Mac Lachlan from a male 

 from Zambesi River and a female from Damara Land. Present 

 in the collection was a typical specimen, J", from Brit. East 

 Africa (Lönnberg leg.), three specimens from Caffraria (Wahl- 

 berg leg.) and one from Damara Land (De Vylder leg.). 

 The four last mentioned specimens agreed in every respect 

 with P. cemulus, of which form I have a specimen in my own 

 collection presented to me by the autlior himself. It is quite 

 certain that P. cemulus and P. nyicanus are P. sparsus, and 

 as to P. sohrinus and P. nudatus I have no doubt that these 

 two species may be referred to the same. In the material 

 before me (including several specimens in my own collection) 

 are connecting-forms from the small-dotted sparsus — sohrinus 

 to nyicanus— cemulus with the large döts on the hindwing. 



In P. sparsus the Rs arises opposite to the cubital fork, 

 and in the forewing the Rs forks 3 — 5 cellules from its base, 

 in the hindwing 2—4 cellules. The »oblique vein» is placed 

 nearer to the cubital fork than to the origin of the first 

 sector from Cu^. The intercalary nervure arises from Cu^ 

 like a sector a little beyond the »oblique vein». 



The species bas a wide range in Africa, and along the 

 East coast it goes as far north as German East Africa. 



