African S2)ccu'S of the Genus Aeraea. 65 



$. Expanse 40-50 imn. (very variable). F.-w. like that of 

 (^ but red siifl'usi(jn replaced by yellowisli. H.-\v. usually 

 powdered with white scales, having the dusky marginal border 

 bearing half black and half red spots as in ^J, though the 

 border extends a little further towards the inner margin and 

 has a well-developed black and red spot in area Ic. The discal 

 black spots are well separated leaving an extra dot at base of 

 nervure 5 (this dot is occasionally recognisable in (^ examples). 

 The basal spots and those of the cell are in various degrees of 

 obsolescence, some of those nearest the base being altogether 

 wanting. 



From this normal appearance of the 2 a long series shows 

 practically every degree of red suffusion to a form which has as 

 much red as the ^J. Ward's manandaza is a $ presenting the 

 minimum amount of red. 



A. raniindona f. maransetra. 



In this form the basal and discal spots are confluent. It 

 would appear to l>e if anything commoner tlum the typical 

 form. 



Boisduval describes the species as generally found in 

 the forest in Ste. Marie and on the mainland of Madagas- 

 car in April and May, reappearing in July and August. 

 Fond of settling on grasses, 



Mabille states that it is common all over Madagascar, 

 flying during a large part of the year in woods and 

 cultivated places, and having several broods. 



The male armature is of very peculiar form and re- 

 sembles that of no other Aeraea except its near ally 

 inaehequena. 



It is a matter of some difficulty to unravel the confusion 

 which has arisen in the synonymy of this species, owing to 

 Ward's description of his Aeraea mancDulaza. Boisduval's 

 original description of the ^ states that the base and ner- 

 vules of the f.-w. are rufous and the h.-w. white or very 

 rarely flushed with a reddish tinge. Ward received two 

 alleged pairs of the species, stated to have been taken in 

 coitu. Of the first pair both ^ and $ were of the red type 

 of coloration and this red $ is now known to be a some- 

 what rare variety, a figure of which will be found on Plate 

 9a, in Mabille's volume (Hist. Nat. Mad.), To this pair 

 Ward assigned the original name ranavalo^ia. His second 

 " pair " (subsequently proved to be two $ $) he describes 

 as having the " f.-w. transparent suffused with carmine," 



TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1912. — rART I. (JULY) F 



