56 SOUTH- AFEICAN BUTTEEFLIES. 



Genus AMAUKIS. 



Amauris, Hiibner, Verz. Bek. Schmett., p. 14 (1816). 

 Danais, E. Doubl., Gen. Diurn. Lep., i. p. 89 (1847), [Part]. 

 Amauris, Eeakirt, "Proc. Acad. ISTat. Sci, Pliilad., 1866, p. 240." 

 „ Butler, Lep. Exot,, p. 54 (1870). 



Imago. — Characters of Danais, except the following, viz., Antennce 

 rather longer, with the club more abruptly formed, thicker, and curved ; 

 paljpi with the third joint longer, more porrect. Fore-ioings with the 

 disco-cellular nervules forming a much more obtuse angle (or even a 

 continuous curve only) at junction of lower radial nervule. Hind-wings 

 with discoidal cell longer, and wider near its extremity ; sexual badge 

 of the 6 not a distinct sac, but a double, elongated, shining patch, near 

 anal angle, divided by the submedian nervure. Abdomen rather longer, 

 and more distinctly thickened posteriorly. 



Laeva. — With five pairs of divergent subdorsal filaments, on the 

 2nd, 4th, 6th, I ith, and 12th segments (A. Echeria). 



Pupa. — Gibbous, moderately angulated. 



The structural distinctions from Danais are so slight, that, without 

 the additional characters presented by the larva and pupa, the peculiar 

 fades of the group, and its absolute limitation to the Ethiopian Eegion, 

 I should have hesitated to follow Eeakirt and Butler in treating 

 Amauris as a distinct genus. 



The ten or eleven species known are all black or brownish-black, 

 with extremely conspicuous, semi-transparent, white (rarely ochrey- 

 yellow) spots and patches. In A. Ochlea, Nossima, and dominicanus, 

 the white patches are so much enlarged as to occupy half the area of 

 the wings, but in A. Niavius they are much reduced, and in the others 

 still smaller and more broken into spots. The hind-wing patch, so 

 conspicuous and largely' developed in the majority of the species, 

 becomes smaller in A. Damocles, very small in A. inferna, and altogether 

 disappears in A. Vashti. Seven of the species (including the three 

 South- African ones, A. Echeria, A. Ochlea, and A. dominicanus) are very 

 accurately mimicked by butterflies of quite different groups {Nympha- 

 lincs and Papilionince), and it is probable that the remaining species 

 will also be found to have their faithful imitators in the countries 

 where they occur. 



Of the three species inhabiting Southern Africa, only A. Echeria, 

 Stoll, is at all widely distributed, being found in wooded spots very 

 generally, but not, as far as I know, occurring farther westward than 

 the Knysna District of the Cape Colony. The very striking and con- 

 spicuous A. dominicanus, mihi, and A. Ochlea, Boisd., have not hitherto 

 been recorded south of D'Urban in Natal. All the species of Amauris 

 appear to be strictly sylvan in their haunts, but I have taken A. 

 Phcedon, Fab., in Mauritius, on flowers in gardens at some little distance 

 from the woods. 



