LYaEMD.E. 211 



narrow. Legs short, very stout, thinly scaled, without hairs ; tibiro 

 without terminal spurs ; tarsi spinose beneath : fore-legs of $ with tibia 

 very finely spiuose beneath, — tarsus very short, not articulated, blunt 

 at tip, spiuose beneath. 



Abdomen, long, much thickened posteriorly, where it is also clothed 

 with short appressed hair. 



This curious genus consists of nine or ten species of yellow or 

 reddish-ochreous or yellowish-white buttei'flies, more or less spotted 

 and bordered with blackish, whose weak structure and sub-diaphanous, 

 thin, lustreless wings give them the aspect of moths of the Geometrce 

 group. The very small palpi, short and somewhat thick antennae, very 

 small thorax, long discoidal cell in both fore and hind wings, ample 

 wings, and long incrassate abdomen, render Pentila easily recognised, 

 and very unlike the mass of Lycasnideous genera. In the minute palpi 

 it resembles Alccna, and in the development of the superior (first) disco- 

 cellular nervule of the fore-wings, and short, thick, hairless legs, it is 

 like Deloncura ; but in most respects it is a very isolated form, its 

 general habit somewhat recalling that of Font la (~ NycMtona, Butl.) 

 among the Pierincc. 



All the known species inhabit Tropical Africa, and, with the excep- 

 tion of P. Pcuceticc, Hewits., and P. tropicalis (Boisd.), apj)ear to be 

 confined to the West Coast. The two species named inhabit Eastern 

 Africa (the Zambesi and Mozambique respectively), and Tropicalis is 

 abundant on the coast of Natal. It is very doubtful whether the latter 

 also occurs in West Africa, Hewitson having associated with it the 

 P. Abraxas of Westwood, an Ashanti form, which appears to be quite 

 distinct. 



As might be inferred from its structure, Pentila is an exceedingly 

 slow flyer. P. troincalis, which I had many opportunities of observing 

 in Natal, is of somewhat gregarious habits, and many examples may 

 be met with about a particular spot, flitting feebly among shrubs or 

 long grass. 



227. (1.) Pentila tropicalis, (Boisduval). 



$ Tingra trojncalis, Boisd., App. Voy. Deleg. I'^Vfr. Aust., p. 589, n. 46 



(1847). 

 $ „ „ Var., Wallengr., K. Sv. Vet.-AkaJ. HantlL, 1857, — 



Lep. Pvhop. Caffr., p. 46. 

 S Pentila tropicalis, Hopff., Peters' Reise Mossamb., p. 413 (1862). 

 $ „ ,, Hewits., Exot. Butt., iii. pi. 60, f. 2 (1866). 



(J 9 ,, ,, Trim., Ithop. Afr. Aust., ii. p. 284, n. 176 (1866). 



Exp. al, {$) I in. 3I-5I lin.; (?) I in. 3-7 lin. 



$ Oehre-yclloiu, with a few small rounded blackish spots ; in both 

 xvings a terminal disco -cellular spot ; fore-icing loith a rather ivide 

 ap)ical kind- margined blackish border ; cilia ochre-yelloic, in fore-icing 



