138 SOUTH- AFRICAN BUTTERFLIES. 



spicuous. Fore-wing : pale-red very faint, both in wide space and at 

 apex. Hind-iving : basal black well marked, and enclosing two or 

 three conspicuous creamy-white spots ; other black spots as above, but 

 more distinct ; spots in hind-marginal border larger, creamy-white, six, 

 with a seventh (between first median nervule and submedian nervule) 

 incompletely enclosed interiorly ; vaguely-defined rufous clouding on 

 costa at base, along inner edge of hind-marginal border, and along inner 

 margin . 



^ Similar, usually rather paler and duller, and with the spots often 

 smaller. 



An example C? ? ), captured in Socotra by Professor J. B. Balfour, has been 

 noted and figured by Mr. A. G. Butler in Proc. Zool. Soc. Loncl, 1881, p. 177, 

 pi. xviii. f. 5. This specimen has the blackish spots unusually large throughout, 

 and the rufous colouring on the under side of the hind-wings is represented as 

 less diffused, and forming distinct inter-nervular rays. In these respects it is 

 nearer to the Abyssinian example figured by Reiche (op. cit.) than to specimens 

 from the more southern parts of Africa. 



Two $ specimens captured on the Gold Coast by Lieut. Richards, R.N., 

 and presented by him to the South- African Museum, are unusually large (ex- 

 panding 2 in. 8-9 lin.), and less rufous than usual, with the spots of hind-wing 

 very well marked. 



The species is closely allied to A, Horta, and may be said to occupy a posi- 

 tiou between that species and A. Mahela, Boisd., of Madagascar. From the 

 former insect it constantly differs in its paler and duller ground-colour, in having 

 spots on the fore-wings beyond, as well as in and below the discoidal cell, and 

 in the complete black border of the hind-wings, which eridoses the spots of the 

 ground colour ; its abdomen in both sexes being much paler than that of Horta, 

 owing to the greater width (in most instances conjluence) of the pale ochreous 

 markings. The whitish spots on the head and on the back and pectus of the 

 thorax are much more conspicuous, especially in the 5 j which possesses in 

 addition a spot behind each eye, two spots on back of mesothorax, and two 

 salmon-reddish spots on back of first abdominal segment. From A. Mahela 

 {Faune Entom. de Madagascar, p. 31, pi. vi. fig. i) the well-marked border of 

 the hind-wings readily distinguishes it, the Madagascarene Acrcea having only 

 small fuscous spots at the extremities of the nervules ; but the other markings 

 are almost identical in the two butterflies, except that Neohide, like Horta, 

 possesses some short reddish rays at the apex of the fore-wings, and has gene- 

 rally smaller spots than those of Maliela, besides being much more rufous in 

 general colouring. 



Localities of Acrma Neohidc. 



I. South Africa. 

 B. Cape Colony. 



a. Western Districts. — Victoria West (Kenhart ; F. Ghitte7iden). 



h. Eastern Districts. — Bathurst (Kowie River Mouth: Plant). Coles- 

 berg {A. F. Ortlepp). 



d. Basutoland (Maseru : J. H. Boivlcer). 

 E. Natal. 



a. Coast Districts. — D'Urban. 



h. Upper Districts. — Estcourt (/. M. Hutchinson). 

 K. Transvaal. — Potchefstroom {T. Ayres). Vaal and Hart Rivers {T. 



Ayres). Upper Limpopo River {F. C. Selous). 



