GENERA OF AFRICAN LYCAENIDAE 



247 



with white hair, tibia shorter than the femur, tarsus unsegmented, finely spinose below. 



Wing shape. Fore wing subtriangular, costa slightly convex, apex rounded, outer margin 

 convex ; hind wing oval, no tail. 



Wing venation (Text fig. 339). 



Male genitalia (Text-fig. 212) (see also Bethune Baker, 191 3, Trans, ent. Soc. Lond. 1913 

 pi. 4 and Stempffer, 1937, Bull. Soc. ent. Fr. 42 : 214). Uncus composed of two long digitate 

 processes with rounded apices ; subunci long, bent in an acute angle close to their massive 

 bases, apices hooked, tegumen reduced as in all species of the subfamily Plebeiinae ; arms of 

 the 9th sternite united dorsally to form a pseudotergum (for an account of this structure, 

 peculiar to the Plebeiinae, see Bayard (1933, Bull. Soc. fr. Microsc. 3 : 4), and Stempffer, 

 (i937. Bull. Soc. ent. Fr. 42 : 213, fig. A) ; lower fultura in the form of a furca with very long 

 slender arms ; valves fusiform, the upper process connected in its middle to the pseudotergum 

 by a weakly sclerotized membrane, traces of which can be seen in the dorsal region, ending in 

 a finely toothed comb, lower process with a rounded apex ; penis elongate, slightly curved, 

 apex pointed ; uncus and lower process of valves densely pilose. 



I place in the genus Chilades the following African species, of which I have been 

 able to examine the male genitalia, eleusis, nigeriae, elicola, kedonga and parrhasius, 

 their genitalia being of the same pattern as in laius ; those of eleusis, nigeriae and 

 elicola are indeed so similar that they may be races of a single species. In kedonga 

 (see Text-fig. 213) the valves are shorter and broader, but the other parts are very 

 like those of laius. 



I have not been able to examine the genitalia of sanctithomae and alberta, and only 

 refer them to the genus Chilades with reserve. 



Fig. 212. Chilades laius (Cramer), <$ genitalia. 



