36 A. WATSON 



The syntype figured by Rothschild and labelled 'type' by him has been selected 

 as lectotype. The three other syntypes have been found. 



Material examined. 



Automolis ockendeni lativitta Rothschild, lectotype <$, Brazil: Amazonas, Fonte 

 Boa, ix.1906 {Klages) (BMNH). 



Brazil: 3 g paratypes, Amazonas, Fonte Boa, vi.1906, vii.1907 {Klages) (BMNH); 1 £, 

 Amazonas, Rio Madeira, Manicore, x-xi (USNM) . 



HIMERARCTIA gen. n. [Gender: feminine] 

 [Automolis Hiibner sensu auct. Partim.] 

 Type-species: Automolis docis Hiibner, [1831c] : 32. 



<J. Palp extending to about middle of clypeo-frons ; apical segment minute. Antennae 

 bipectinate. Head without processes or tufts ; ventral part of clypeo-frons brilliantly iridescent 

 blue or green. Patagia and tegulae uniformly brown, or brown marked with orange or reddish 

 orange. Metascutum, and mesoscutum (except griseipennis) with iridescent blue or green 

 scales. Tymbal organ with about 50 microtymbals. Legs with iridescent blue or green 

 markings. Midtibia with one pair of spurs; hind tibia with two pairs. Wing venation as in 

 Text-figs 7 & 8 ; forewing brown, with or without orange or reddish orange markings ; hindwing 

 with yellow or orange scales in cell on both upper and under surfaces (except in few specimens 

 of docis and griseipennis) ; anal area folded, enclosing scent scales and hair-pencil. Segments 

 1 and 2 of abdomen orange or reddish orange dorsally; posterior segments (at least 5-8) brown 

 with iridescent blue or green patches medially and laterally ; ventral surface of abdomen similar 

 to dorsal surface, but orange or reddish orange more extensive and medial iridescent markings 

 absent. 



§. Similar to $ but hindwing greater in area. 



<J genitalia. Eighth abdominal tergite and sternite with short apodemes — equal in size 

 except in griseipennis in which apodemes of sternite are shorter and broader than those of 

 tergite. Saccus small, almost obsolete. Valve broad, robust; sacculus expanded apically 

 into broad, flattened plate; costa with arcuate, digitate, apical process; juxta with two free, 

 posterior, digitate processes, the right-hand process spinose, the left-hand process without 

 spines. Lateral margins of tegumen extended ventrally and curved inwards (medially), the 

 posterior part clothed with anteriorly directed spines. Uncus sulcate dorsomedially except 

 at slender apex. Vesica of aedeagus with several short lobes and two long lobes. 



§ genitalia. Corpus bursae with pair of ovate, weakly invaginate, scobinate signa; ductus 

 bursae short, sclerotized; appendix bursae opening into posterior third of corpus bursae. 

 Ductus seminalis opens into appendix bursae. Posterior margin of 7th abdominal sternite 

 emarginate medially; lamella postvaginalis invaginate medially. Anterior apophyses short; 

 posterior apophyses over twice as long as latter. Single pair of dorsal scent tubules opening 

 dorsally at base of papillae anales. 



There are similarities in the male genitalia between Himerarctia and Melanarctia, 

 particularly in the shape of the tegumen and the juxta, but other characters do not 

 suggest close affinities. The wing-shape and the colour-pattern of the abdomen 

 of Himerarctia is matched in some species of Ormetica, but the genitalia are markedly 

 different in several features. 



The similarity in abdominal coloration suggests that Himerarctia species will 

 prove to have a similar protective display pattern to that of Ormetica, in which 



