RHOPALOCERA AFRICA AUSTRALIS. 



Genus A T H Y M A . 

 Athyma, Westw. 

 Biblis, Fab. 

 Acca, Hubn. 

 Nymphalis, Godt. 

 Limenitis, JBoisd. 



IMAGO. Head rather broad : eyes prominent, naked ; 

 palpi short, acute, scarcely rising above forehead, more pro- 

 minent than in Neptis, and not so slender ; antenna as in 

 Neptis. Thorax more robust than in Neptis, and more thickly 

 clothed with short hairs anteriorly and posteriorly. Fore- 

 wings very similar in outline to those of Neptis, perhaps not 

 so elongate : hind-margin usually slightly concave about 

 middle ; inner-margin straighter than in Neptis, being little, 

 or not at all, excavate. Hind-wings less rounded than in 

 Neptis: dentations of hind-margin stronger; anal angle marked 

 and prominent ; inner-margins more convex, and forming a 

 more complete groove. Abdomen stouter than in Neptis, and 

 not so elongate. 



LARVA. Almost of equal thickness throughout; armed with 

 branched spines of various length ; head sharply serrated along 

 its upper edge, large, and somewhat pushed forward, as in 

 Neptis. 



PUPA. Two curved protuberances on the back, one on 

 thorax, the other at base of abdomen ; head very acutely 

 bifid. 



These characters, of the earlier states of the insects com- 

 prised in this Genus, are taken from the figures of the Larva 

 and Pupa of A. Lencothoe, Linn, in Plate V of Horsfield and 

 Moore's Catalogue of Indian Lepidoptera. 



My authority for giving this Genus as South African con- 

 sists of a single specimen of a Butterfly in the British Museum, 

 which I have no hesitation in referring to the Limenitis 

 Saclava of Boisduval, (now included in the Genus Athyma), 

 which was discovered in Madagascar b}*- M. Goudot. The 

 specimen in the British Museum is labelled as from Natal, 

 where it was, I believe, taken by M. Guienzius. This, the 

 only known South African .species, seems closely allied to 

 Neptis, not possessing such robustness of body as is presented 

 by its congeners. 



88. Athyma Saclava. 



Limenitis Saclava, Boisd., Faune Ent. de Mad., &c. t 



[p. 49, n. 1. 



Athyma Saclava, Chenu, Enc. d'Hist, Nat. Pap., p. 152, 

 Expands 1 in. 8 lin. [f. 248. 



