148 A. WATSON 



Oretopsis vohilava (Viette) comb. n. 

 (Text-figs. 235-239 ; PL 17, fig. 339) 



Spidia vohilava Viette, 1954 : 79- 



Description. q\ Palp reddish brown. Front of head reddish brown, palest ventrally ; 

 scales between base of antennae dark greyish brown, tipped with white, elongate to form fringe ; 

 vestiture of head posterior to antennal bases buff or greyish white. Upper surface of antennal 

 shaft pale buff except for few pink basal segments. 



Dorsal surface of thorax buff or pinkish grey, paler at anterior margin ; each scale tipped with 

 white or very pale buff. Ventral surface of thorax pale pink or orange. Legs pale pink or 

 orange, with front surface of fore leg, and sometimes of remaining legs, clothed with grey or grey 

 and white scales. 



Ground-colour of upper surface of both wings buff, greenish grey or pinkish grey, variously 

 speckled with black ; fore wing usually darker between antemedial and postmedial fascia, colour 

 pattern as in Plate 17, fig. 339. Upper surface of fore wing with trace of black or brown ante- 

 medial fascia, strongly marked at costa ; white discocellular spot and posterior cell-spot ; well 

 marked, oblique, very pale buff or grey postmedial fascia, usually white near apex, bordered 

 proximally with black, greyish brown or greenish brown and distally with pale brown or grey ; 

 black or grey marking at about three-quarters distance from base along costa ; tornal spots 

 usually very dark brown, buff in one specimen ; fringe much darker than ground-colour of wing. 

 Upper surface of hind wing usually with trace of antemedial fascia, otherwise unmarked ; fringe 

 as for fore wing. Under surface of fore wing with pinkish grey or orange-grey costal and anal 

 area, remainder greenish or yellowish grey lightly speckled with darker grey ; trace of post- 

 medial fascia. Under surface of hind wing pinkish grey or orange-grey lightly speckled with 

 darker grey, paler in anal area ; trace of anterior part of antemedial fascia in some specimens. 



Abdomen similar in colour to corresponding adjacent surface of hind wing, but pinkish or 

 orange-grey posteriorly. 



5* genitalia (Text-figs. 237-239). Uncus bifid, each arm bifurcate apically ; gnathus lan- 

 ceolate anteriorly, forming part of dorsal wall of diaphragma pocket, heavily sclerotized, 

 acuminate and down-curved (displaced to left in Text-fig. 239) ; valve auriform, produced into 

 short spine posteriorly ; curved spine arising from near saccular region of valve fused at base 

 with two-spined diaphragma pocket ; saccus broad, shallow ; aedeagus as in Text-fig. 238, base 

 weakly bilobed ; eighth abdominal sternum and tergum as in Text-fig. 237. 



$. Similar to male but with strongly falcate fore wing and strongly arcuate (not nearly 

 straight as in <J) outer margin (see Viette, 1954 : pi- 2, n g- 8). 



$ genitalia with distinctive dorsal structures (Text-fig. 236) ; signum a bilobed scobinate 

 patch. 



Measurements. A.P.R. : $, $. 5. Wing : <?. 19-0, 17-5-20-5 mm. (6) ; $. 24-5, 

 23-5-25-0 mm. (3). 



Discussion. As indicated in the description, this species is subject to much 

 individual variation in the coloration, especially of the upper surface of the wings. 

 Particularly noticeable is the variation in the colour of the medial area on the fore 

 wing, which may be only slightly darker than the ground of the wing, dark reddish 

 brown, or almost completely black. 



Distribution. South, east and south-east Madagascar. 



Material examined. Type. Holotype $, S.E. Madagascar, vallee du Faraony, 

 Vohilava, 1942 (Catala) ; Drepanidae genitalia slide No. 508 ; in the Museum 

 national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris. 



