Afo'ican Species of the Genus Acraca. 5 



significance, it would almost appear that Fardopsis ptcncta- 

 tissima should have a sub-family to itself. 



The South American genus Aciinote is less distinct 

 from Acraea than is Planemn. The distinguishing features 

 are black palpi, the presence of a rudimentary nervule in 

 the hind-wing between the submedian and the first branch 

 of the median,* and the heavily marked black nervules and 

 internervular rays on the underside of the hind-wing. The 

 neuration in Actinote is similar to that in Acraea but is 

 more unstable, the sixth and seventh nervules being 

 sometimes stalked in both fore- and hind-wings. In other 

 respects the genus resembles Acraea. The female has the 

 peculiar wax-like seal after pairing, and the male tarsal 

 claws are unequal. The pupae also are white, with black 

 lines and yellow-centred black rings. 



Tlie characters of the genus Acraea may be stated as 

 follows : — Fore-wings either rounded or elongate, the 

 inner- margin straight or very slightly concave. The palpi 

 ochreous, very rarely blackish, the short terminal joint 

 usually set with black hairs. No lateral greyish white 

 line. The fore-legs rudimentary, their tarsi in the female 

 with much reduced joints, and spiued beneath ; in the 

 male hairy and brush-like with rudimentary joints. 

 The second and third pairs of legs are of normal size and 

 their tarsi terminate in the female in two equal and similar 

 claws, lobed at the base. In the male these claws are also 

 equal and similar in a few species, but in the majority they 

 are unequal, one being long and regularly curved, the other 

 short and bent down almost at right angles to the upper or 

 anterior edge of the basal lobe (in one species, scrvona, with 

 normally equal claws, unequal claws are occasionally found). 

 In the fore-wing the discoidal cell is of medium length. 

 The upper discocellular is very short, and the subcostal 

 nervure is five-branched, the first branch being given off 

 before the end of the cell. In the hind-wing the discoidal 

 cell is usually longer than in Planema and reaches to 

 about the middle of the wing. The sixth and seventh 

 nervules usually arise from independent points, but in 

 some species from a common stalk. In one species, A. 

 hurni, they vary in this respect in different individuals, 

 and even in the two wings of the same individual. In 

 others such as A. iturina the stalked condition appears 

 to be constant. In some species nervules 3 and 4 arise 

 * Tliis feature is also present in Acraea mirifica. 



