GENERA OF AFRICAN LYCAENIDAE 211 



Comparison of the genitalia of the above species with those of rosimon, can only 

 lead to the conclusion that the Ethiopian species of Castalins have no true relation- 

 ship with the type-species rosimon. 



Besides rosimon, I have examined only four Indo-Malayan species, viz : decidia 

 Hewitson, ethion Doubleday, roxus Godart and etna Hewitson. Their male genitalia 

 also differ considerably from those of rosimon and they show no resemblance to the 

 so-called Castalius of Africa. 



Fruhstorfer (Seitz, 9 : 883) has already pointed out the great diversity that is 

 found in the male genitalia of species of this genus and yet he considered that the 

 genus Castalius, as he understood it, was a valid systematic group. I cannot agree 

 with him. It is evident that the species of Castalius auct. do not constitute a natural 

 genus, but that they form a heterogeneous collection of groups of species whose 

 convergent characters are of minor importance, e.g. the type of venation, which is 

 commonplace, and the undeniable similarity of external appearance, with the white 

 ground-colour of the upperside more or less tinged with blue, and with black mark- 

 ings, and especially a strong black streak parallel to the costa on the underside of the 

 fore wing. I do not consider that this black streak has any particular systematic 

 value, being only a recurrent character found also in species of T aniens and in 

 Azanus isis Drury, which have genitalia very distinctive from those of C. rosimon. 

 In my opinion, the generic name Castalius should be restricted to rosimon and its 

 Indo-Malayan congeners, if there are any. The Ethiopian species should be 

 divided into four groups, probably with the status of genera : — 1. hintza ; 2. calice, 

 gregorii, cretosus and kaffana ; 3. melaena and griqua ; 4. carana, ertli and margari- 

 taceus. At present however, I refrain from naming these groups as genera, prefering 

 to wait till the related Indo-Malayan species have received comprehensive treatment. 



The early stages of hintza and cretosus have been described by Jackson (1937, 

 Trans. R. ent. Soc. Lond. 86 : 231-2) : for hintza see also Pinhey (1949 : 112). 



List of Species of Castalius 



Castalius analogramma Bethune Baker, see cretosus nodieri. 

 *Castalius calice calice (Hopffer), 1855. Fig. Hopffer, 1862. 

 *Castalius calice gregorii Butler, 1894. 



Castalius calice (Wallengren), nee Hopffer, see melaena. 

 *Castalius carana carana (Hewitson), 1876. 



Castalius carana kontu (Karsch), 1893. Fig. H. H. Druce, 1910. 

 *Castalius cretosus cretosus Butler, 1876. 



Castalius cretosus lactinatus Butler, 1886. 



Castalius cretosus nodieri (Oberthur), 1883. 

 analogramma Bethune Baker, 191 1. 

 *Castalius cretosus usemia Neave, 1904. 

 *Castalius ertli Aurivillius, 1907. 



*Castalius hintza hintza (Trimen), 1864. Fig. Trimen, 1887. 

 rosimon (Wallengren), 1857, nee Fabricius, 1775. 



Castalius hintza resplendens Butler, 1876. 



