GENERA OF AFRICAN LYCAENIDAE 183 



I have examined the male genitalia of Thester brachycora, T. obscurus, T. holmesi 

 and T. strutti. Bethune Baker (1914, Trans, ent. Soc. Lond. 1914 : 333) described 

 and figured those of T. basnta. van Son (1949, Ann. Transv. Mus. 21 : 215) dealt 

 with T. penningtoni and the same author (1951, Ann. Transv. Mns. 21 : 440) 

 described those of dnkei, obscurus, holmesi, penningtoni and strutti. Pennington 

 (1962, J. ent. Soc. sth. Afr. 25 : 281) figured the male genitalia of vansoni, petra, 

 tempe, rileyi and obscurus. A comparison of these works shows clearly that all the 

 species examined belong to the same type as T. protumnus, the type-species of the 

 genus. The genus Thestor seems to be at the same time both very specialized and 

 very homogeneous. 



Bethune Baker (1914, Trans, ent. Soc. Lond. 1914 : 333) found some resemblance 

 between the dorsal elements of T. basuto and of Mimacraea. I do not believe, 

 however, that there is any affinity between these two genera. The uncus in 

 Mimacraea is asymmetrical ; in Thestor it is not. In Mimacraea the tegumen is 

 extremely reduced and subunci are absent ; they are well developed in Thestor. 

 The only resemblance lies in the two long curved and pointed processes of the uncus, 

 which are a quite spectacular character, but not one to which any considerable 

 taxonomic importance should, in my opinion, be attributed, since it recurs in various 

 degrees of development in several other widely separated groups, for example in 

 Myrina ficedula and certain species of palaearctic Theclinae such as icana, butleri 

 and attilia. 



The early stages of E. protumnus, E. basuta, E. brachycera and E. obscurus have 

 been described by Murray (1935 : 99), Dickson (1945, J. ent. Soc. sth. Afr. 8 : 

 151) and, in the same journal, by Clark (i960, 23 : 279, 282). 



List of Species of Thestor 



Thestor basuta (Wallengren), 1857. Fig- Trimen, 1887. 

 zaraces (Hewitson), 1874. 

 *Thestor brachycera (Trimen), 1883. Fig. Trimen, 1887. 



Thestor braunsi van Son, 1941, /. ent. Soc. sth. Afr. 4 : 186. 



Thestor dicksoni dicksoni Riley, 1954, Entomologist 87 : 98, fig. 



Thestor dicksoni calviniae Riley, 1954 : ioi, fig. 



Thestor dukei van Son, 1951, Ann. Transv. Mus. 21 : 439, fig. 

 *Thestor holmesi van Son, 1951 : 441, fig. 



Thestor montanus montanus van Son, 1941, /. ent. Soc. sth. Afr. 4 : 191. 



Thestor montanus pictus van Son, 1941 : 192. 



Thestor murrayi Swanepoel, 1953, /. ent. Soc. sth. Afr. 16 : 191, fig. 

 * Thestor obscurus van Son, 1941, /. ent. Soc. sth. Afr. 4 : 186. 



Thestor penningtoni van Son, 1949, Ann. Transv. Mus. 21 : 214, fig. 



Thestor petalus (Cramer), see protumnus. 



Thestor petra Pennington, 1962, /. ent. Soc. sth. Afr. 25 : 280, fig. 

 *Thestor protumnus protumnus (Linnaeus), 1764. Fig. Cramer, 1779 (as 

 petalus) . 

 petalus (Cramer), 1779 ; silvius (Fabricius), 1787. 



