SATYRIKiE. 



79 



11. (4.) Pseudonympha Neita (Wallengren). 

 Plate 7, fig. 2, ^ . 



Pseudonympha Neita, Wallgrn., K. Vet.-Akad. Forhandl., 1875, p. 84, 



n. 3. 

 Erebia ISTarycia, Trim., Rhop. Afr. Aust., ii. p. 198, n. 112 (1866). 



Uxp. al., I in. 7 lin. — 2 in. 



Bull-hroion. Fore-wing : a large subqnadrate fulvous patch on 

 disc, commencing immediately beyond discoidal cell, leaving a broad 

 border of ground-colour bounding it on each margin of wing, and half 

 enclosing in its upper exterior portion a black, white-bipupillate ocellus 

 in a paler fulvous ring. Hind-wing : beyond middle, between first and 

 third median nervules, two similar (but unipupillate) ocelli, which are 

 more conspicuous in ^, and of which the superior one is the larger ; the 

 pale fulvous rings of these ocelli, and especially that of the npper one, 

 often suffused. Under side. — Slightly paler; markings very distinct. 

 Fore-wing: fulvous defined inwardly and outwardly by a line darker 

 than ground-colour, the outer line dentate in ^ ; iris of ocellus ochreous, 

 ringed with dark-brown. Hind-ioing : costa at base tinged with ftdvous 

 (in $ some indistinct fulvous tinting along inner margin) ; beyond 

 middle a most indistinct fascia, slightly paler than ground-colour, con- 

 taining four ocelli like that in fore-wing, of which the two wanting on 

 upper side are respectively between first and second subcostal nervules 

 and first median nervule and submedian nervure, the latter being 

 bipupillate. 



Wallengren (loc. cit.) notes a $ from Potchefstroom, in the Transvaal, 

 ■which has on upper side of hind-wing two fulvous spots in place of the ocelli. 



Before seeing the typical Narycia from the interior country, I took this 

 larger, darker form from the Eastern Coast districts for it. Good distinguishing 

 characters, irrespective of size, are the more restricted area of the fulvous patch 

 in the fore-wing, which does not intrude on the discoidal cell, and the presence 

 of ocelli in more or less suffused fulvous rings on the upper side of the hind- 

 wing. On the under side of the hind-wing there are only four ocelli, that 

 which in Narycia is the second of a series of five being always wanting in 

 Neita. Specimens taken by myself near Greytown, Natal, and others found in 

 the Transvaal by Mr. W. Morant and Mr. T. Ayres, are smaller and paler than 

 the KafFrarian examples, but present the distinguishing characters noted. One 

 $ of those I captured has the costal ocellus of the hind-wing distinctly repre- 

 sented on the upper side ; Avhile another $ received from Mr. Morant has that 

 ocellus faintly, and the fourth (near anal angle) pretty clearly shown on the 

 upper side. 



I met with this butterfly rather sparingly in grassy places near Greytown 

 in March 1867. There was nothing in its fliglit or appearance distinguishing 

 it from its congeners. Wallengren notes that Mr. N. Person found it not 

 uncommonly in similar country near Potchefstroom during February. 



Localities of Pseudonympha Neita. 

 I. South Africa. 



D. Kaffraria Proper. — Tsomo and Bashee Rivers {J. H. BoivJcer). 



E. Natal. 



h. Upper Districts. — Greytown. Estcourt (/. M. Hutcldnson). 

 K. Transvaal. — Potchefstroom {W. Morant and T. Ayres). 



