of the Genus Teracolus, Swains. 505 



93. Teracolus mutans. 



Teracolus vesta, Trimen (not Reiche), South Afr. Butt. vol. iii. p. 160 



(1889). 

 Teracolus mutans, Butler, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 4, vol. xix. 



p. 459 (1877). 

 Teracolus argillaceus, Butler, ibid, (and T. vesta, Staudinger, Exot. 



Schmett. i. pi. xxiii., 1884). 



Ranges from Nyasa southwards to Natal, occurring on the 

 Zambesi, in the Transvaal, and at Delagoa Bay. 



After examining twenty-nine examples of this species, 

 including some interesting varieties recently collected by 

 Mr. Guy A. K. Marshall, I am unable to follow that gentleman 

 in his decision as to the identity of the southern insect with 

 the Abyssinian T. vesta ; the latter, judging from the descrip- 

 tions and the original illustration, is slightly larger and differs 

 in the salmon-buff of the upper surface extending in the cell 

 of primaries right up to the almost black basal suffusion, in 

 the even heavier black border of the secondaries and the 

 yellow suffusion on the interno-median area, in the less 

 irregular and uniformly redder bands on the under surface 

 of the secondaries, the inner and submarginal bands being 

 also broadly and sharply denned. Most examples of T. mutans 

 show very little blackish suffusion at the base of the wings on 

 the upper surface ; but Mr. Marshall, who seems to be one of 

 the most energetic and indefatigable of collectors, has sent us 

 several unusually heavily shaded examples, in which the basal 

 suffusion is deep bluish ash-coloured, but far from approaching 

 the grey-blackish tint of typical T. vesta. The more southern 

 examples of T. mutans are considerably smaller than the 

 Abjssinian species, but the Nyasa examples sometimes run 

 it very close in expanse of wings. 



T. argdlaceus is the dry-season form of the species, and 

 we have some very pretty intermediate examples from 

 Delagoa Bay and Nyasa. 



94. Teracolus vesta. 



Idmais ve*ta, Reiche, in Ferr. Gal. Voy. Abyss., Ent. p. 463, pi. xxxi. 



tigs. 7, 8 (1849). 

 Idmais velleda, Lucas, Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1852, p. 428. 



Abyssinia. 



Both descriptions and the illustration of this species are 

 taken from the wet-season form. Reiche's figures apparently 

 represent a female. It is probable that the male will prove to 

 be less black at the base of the wings above. 





