158 



INSECTS OF SAMOA. 



27. Cleora samoana (Butler) (pi. V, figs. 1-18). 



Boarmia samoana Butler, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lbnd., 1886, p. 433, 1886 (Samoa). 



Boarmia acaciaria samoana Rebel. Denkschr. K. Ahad. Wiss. Wien, 31atJi.-No.timr. Kl., lxxxv, 

 429, t. xviii, f. 5, 6, 15, 1910 (Samoa). 



Upolu : Apia, Vailima, Malololelei, a series of 160 3<3, 100 22, taken in 

 every month of the year (various collectors). 



" Tutuila/' iv.1918, 1 £ (Kellers). Tutuila : Pago Pago, 1 8.ix.l923 ; 

 1 9.ix.l923 ; 1 10.ix.1923 ; 10 2 22 ; 14.ix.1923 ; 2<3<$,1 2, 18.ix.1923 : 

 1 2, 21 .ix. 1923 ; 6 gg, i.1924 : 10 3 22, ii.1924 (StefTany). 



Savaii : Palauli, 1 1 9, 8.viii.l924 ; Salailua, 2 12.viii.1924. 



Manu'a : Ofu, 1 27.ii.1926 (Judd). " Samoa," 3 2 2$, 1920 ; 2 

 iii.-viii.1921 (O'Connor). 



It has already been noticed by Rebel that this is an excessively variable 

 species, and the long series of specimens, mostly of very small size, collected 

 by Woodford for the Tring Museum, showed similar variability. But the 

 material now brought together is so extraordinarily interesting that it has 

 been thought desirable to figure (pi. V) a representative series of the most 

 remarkable forms. In order to produce a more striking effect, we have drawn 

 exclusively on the wonderful series collected at light by Mr. Hopkins on a single 

 night (Upolu : Vailima, 7.ix.l925) ; and even with this restriction, the task 

 of selection has been difficult, many of the minor variations having inevitably 

 been left out. Perhaps the most usual forms of the are whitish- or yellowish- 

 brown, more or less heavily dark-irrorated and mottled, with no extremely 

 sharp colour contrasts ; the 22 are on an average much whiter, and in conse- 

 quence more definitely or sharply marked. The cell-marks are always large 

 or fairly so, on the under side dark, on the upper side forming faint rings or 

 ocelli (as in pi. V, figs. 15, 16, etc.), or strong ones (figs. 4, 13, 17, etc.), or solid 

 black spots (figs. 7, 8, 12, etc.). The ante- and postmedian lines are always 

 traceable, though varying greatly in distinctness ; the antemedian (as in allied 

 species) is often duplicated proximally in blackish or brown, and very occasion- 

 ally (as in fig. 15) these two lines may be fused into a narrow band ; the 

 postmedian very occasionally (as in fig. 14) suggests the presence of a similar 

 companion line distally, but is usually succeeded merely by an indefinite buff, 

 cinnamon or tawny shade, as in most of the allies, and even this may be 

 absent. The median line is extremely variable, sometimes (except at the 

 costa) weak or wanting (see figs. 7, 12, 16), sometimes strong (figs. 14, 15), some- 



