African Species of the Genus Acraea. 345' 



This interesting species is only found on the Island of 

 Sao Thome. It is quite unlike any other known form. 

 The figure in Rhop. Exot. seems scarcely black enough^ 

 the spots having in reality a somewhat velvety appearance. 

 I have examined two ^ ^ in the Staudinger collection. 

 These and the type in the Lisbon Museum are the only 

 examples known to me, 



133. Acraea insularis. 



Acraea insvlaris, Em. M. B. Sharpe, Proc. Zool. Soc, p. 555 

 (1893); Smith and Kirby, Ehop. Exot., Acraea, 5, p. 1(5, 

 pi. 5, 11". 6, 7 (181)4); Aurivillius, Eliop. Aeth., p. 112 (1898). 



Sao Thome. 



^ . Exp. 48 mm. 



F.-w. black brown. In cell, just before origin of nervule 2, a 

 yellow transverse spot traversing the whole width of cell. Just 

 before end of cell a broad orange quadrate patch contiguous 

 with a large orange spot at base of area 2, and beneath the latter 

 a crescentic orange spot in lb nearer margin. Two small orange 

 subapical spots separated by nervule 6, and beneath these but 

 rather nearer margin a smaller spot in area 4. In the transverse 

 area between the spots the ground-colour is somewhat darker. 



H.-w. with a dark basal suffusion followed by a yellow patch 

 outwardly shading into orange. A dark brown marginal border, 

 its inner edge traversing the wing almost perjjendicularly as far 

 as nervule 4, where it bends sharply inwards to inner margin. 

 Black spots as on underside. 



Underside. F.-w. much as above but spots pale ochreous 

 dusted with reddish, and ground-colour somewliat paler with 

 dark streaks in cell and areas 6, 4, and lb. 



H.-w. pale greenish grey with a brown border as on upper- 

 side but outwardly bounded by a paler marginal line. Black 

 spots as follows. One in 9 at base, two in 7 rather close together 

 the second just beyond origin of nervule 7, three diseal spots in 

 5, 4, and 3 the middle one larger and more proximal. Two in 

 cell and two on discocellulars, a basal, a subbasal and a distal 

 in Ic, two distal spots in lb, and a subbasal in la. 



Head, thorax and abdomen black. 



I have not had an opportunity of examining the type of 

 this species which is in the Lisbon Museum. As Prof 

 Aurivillius has noted (/. c.) its true affinity is obscure. It 

 does not resemble any other species with which I am 

 acquainted. 



