African Species of the Genus Acraea. 195 



In a beautiful series of very perfect examples bred by Mr. 

 W. A. Lamborn near Lagos, the colours of both surfaces are 

 extremely brilliant, and there is in nearly every case an addi- 

 tional submarginal spot in f.-w. in area 4, and one or two sub- 

 marginal spots on the h.-w. underside in 7, and 6. 



Acraea iiatalica abadhna, subsp. 



This may be regarded as the central race of the species. It 

 has a wide range extending from Angola, across the Upper 

 Congo region to British E. Africa and into Abyssinia. In 

 the f.-w. the spots and markings are as in typical natalica^ 

 though there are often four submarginal spots. The whole f.-w. 

 is rather thinly scaled and has a delicate translucent appearance. 

 The subapical area is grey, and at the inner edge of the apical 

 black there are orange-ochreous internervular markings con- 

 tinued along the margin as more or less rounded marginal spots. 

 There is very little black basal suffusion in either wing. The 

 h.-w. is red, probably rosy red in very fresh specimens. The 

 spots are indistinct. There is no black marginal border, but a 

 narrow black line on which are faintly indicated the black 

 arches of the underside. On the underside the f.-w. is very 

 thinly scaled and glossy, and the marginal spots of the h.-w. are 

 rich ochreous. 



The $ has the same semitransparent f.-w. but the ground- 

 colour is dusky grey sometimes with a slight reddish tinge 

 and the orange subapical marks are replaced by white. H.-w. 

 reddish grey or dull grey often with a slight median white 

 suffusion. 



Between the above forms nearly every grade of inter- 

 mediate pattern may be observed in a long series, though 

 the pseudegina form is perhaps more clearly separated from 

 the type pattern than is abadima. Perhaps the most 

 characteristic features are the wedge-shaped f.-w. fiscal 

 mark, and the black basal suffusion in both wings. A. 

 anemosa has the same features but the black suffusion 

 extends to both surfaces, and is spotted with white on the 

 h.-w. underside. 



The larva of A. natalica is described by Trimen (/. c.) as 

 light buff-yellow with a white, black-edged dorsal stripe, 

 and a white lateral stripe. A black stripe on each side 

 just above the lateral row of spines, and a broad, black 

 vertical stripe interrupted by the bases of the prolegs. 

 The pupa is also noted by the same author as "creamy 

 white, with the limbs and position of wing nervures out- 

 lined in black ; a triple black streak from top of head 



o 2 



