African Species of the Genus Acraea. ol 



A. damii damii. 



(J. Expanse 50-60 mm. Wings transparent owing to re- 

 duction in number and size of scales. F.-w. slightly suffused 

 from base to about middle witli brick red. Nervures reddish 

 brown. H.-w. more densely scaled with brick red from base to 

 about midway between end of cell and margin. Five black spots 

 at base more distinct on underside. One behind the precostal, 2 

 in area Ic, and one in la and lb, respectively. One large rounded 

 spot in area 7 near middle of costa, one rather larger and nearer 

 margin in area 6, one very small spot below this, in area 5. Two 

 large spots somewhat produced distally and placed iu areas 2 and 3 

 respectively. Underside similar but spots smaller and more 

 sharply outlined. H.-w. dusted with whitish scales. Thorax 

 black, with a few pale spots above and below, abdomen black 

 above and yellow beneath, with whitish lateral segmental spots. 

 Claws unequal. 



9 similarly marked but wanting the brick red suffusion, this 

 being replaced by a dusting of white scales. Expanse 65-75 mm. 



Acraea damii is a veiy variable insect. The above 

 description is taken from an average pair in the Oxford 

 collection. M. Oberthur (/. c.) figures one ^ and five $ $. 

 The $ example has an elongate spot in the h.-w. cell ; in 

 the ^ $ the number of discal spots varies fi'om four to 

 eight, and in some cases the spots are different in opposite 

 wings of the same individual. The author further points 

 out that in two examples the neuration is abnormal, and 

 occasionally the two ^ $ have the reddish colouring of the 

 $ $. In one $ example in the National collection the 

 brick red suffusion extends completely over both wings, 

 whilst the h.-w. spots are reduced in number to three. 

 M. Oberthur states that the type of Ward's masonala is in 

 his collection and that there is no doubt that it is an 

 example of damii. 



Keferstein's figures (/. c.) are of ^ and ^ examples taken 

 in Madagascar by Herr Tolin in 1862. The ^ comes 

 nearest to Oberthur's fig. 11, and the $ to fig. 16. 



The species is probably extremely distasteful. It is 

 described as settling on certain trees in large numbers, 

 when it can easily be picked off with the fingers. 



It occurs in Mayotta, Comoro, and Madagascar, examples 

 from the latter region being usually smaller than those 

 from Comoro. 



The $ armature is (juite distinctive, especially in the 



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