564 New Forms of African Lepidoptera 



39. Charidea splendidissima sp. nov. 



$ . Upperside of fore wing with black ground-colour and markings 

 of light-blue, strongly metallic. 



Five blue spots along the costa, a cell stripe from base to vein 2; 

 reaching below margin of cell and joined to the first three costal spots ; 

 a large spot at end of cell and one beyond it, hour-glass shape, both 

 touching the costal spots, and the outer spot with a spur in cellule 6 ; 

 a broad blue median stripe in 2 and 3 from the edge of cell to near 

 margin where it fades out, joined at the middle of vein 2 by a 

 columnar spot to the stripe occupying the inner margin. Distal margin 

 with a deep-green flush. Hind wing dark metallic blue-cyaneous. 



Head and thorax bluish-black, marked with bright metallic-blue 

 antennae and palpi bluish-black ; abdomen bright metallic-blue banded 

 with bluish-black, and with five white ventral spots ; legs bluish-black 

 marked with metallic-blue, mid and hind tibiae with a white spot on 

 the outside, hind tibia furnished with a hair tuft in a pocket as in 

 other members of the genus. 



Length of fore wing : 21 mm. 



Habitat. — Cameroons : Bitje, October, wet season, one $ taken 

 by G. L. Bates. 



