RHOPALOCERA AFRICA AUSTRALIS. 



Genus A C R & A . 

 Acraea, Fab. 

 Telchinia, Hubn. 



This Genus, being the only one in the Family, is suffi- 

 ciently characterised by the particulars of structure given 

 above. With regard to the early states of these Butterflies, 

 figures of the Larva and Pupa of Acrcea Fiolce, Fab., in 

 PI. 5 of Horsfield and Moore's Catalogue, agree with the 

 very brief characters, given by Mr. Doubleday in the 

 " Genera," that I have quoted above ; the Larva being 

 rather short, of apparently almost equal thickness throughout, 

 and possessing branched spines on each segment ; while the 

 Pupa is slender, with a long abdomen, rather wide and angu- 

 lated about the insertion of the wings, and suspended by the 

 tail only. The fifteen South African species are all known 

 to inhabit Natal, except A. Dice, Drury, which, however, is 

 probably also to be found there. My personal acquaintance 

 among the Acrcece is limited to A. Horta, Linn., and A. Ra- 

 hira, Boisd., the only species that, to my knowledge, are 

 found in the Western Province of the Colony. Their flight 

 is slow and flapping, and both may be very easily captured. 

 From the accounts of those who have taken other species of 

 the Genus, this flight appears to be common to all the 

 Across. I am not acquainted with the Caterpillars or Chry- 

 salides of a single African species ;* and any information 

 concerning them will be most acceptable. I know of no 

 Genus of Butterflies of which the species are more closely 

 allied ; and this necessarily, in the absence of all knowledge 

 of the Larvae, makes the task of distinction and description 

 of the several species a matter of no slight labour and un- 

 certainty. I do not, therefore, pretend to consider the 

 species hereafter described as all firmly established, but have 

 done my best to describe all those at present held as species, 

 from the South of Africa. 



57. Acrsea Horta. ^ / /^ / 4^/^^ ^ 



Papilio Horta, Linn., Syst. Nat., II, p. 755, n. 54. 



Mus. Lud. Ulr. Reg., p. 234, n. 53. 



Fab., Syst. Ent., p. 459, n. 69. 



Drury, III. Nat. Hist., Ill, pi. 28, f. 1, 2. 

 Wulfen., Capens. Insect., p. 31, n. 29. 



* Since the above was written, I have reared numerous specimens of A. 

 Horta, Linn., from Larvss discovered by Mr. C. A. Eairbridge, of Ronde- 

 bosch, near Cape Town, and also from Larvre subsequently taken by myself. 

 For description of these vide p. 93, 



