74 



AFRICAN MIMETIC BUTTERFLIES 



The female closely resembles that of aganice, but the white areas are of greater extent. 

 One female I have examined has the discal area of the hind-wing pale ochreous, and one 

 male has all the light areas of that colour. 



The larva and pupa are thus described by Trimen (S. Af. Butt., i, p. i8i) : — 



' Larva. Pale whitish-green ; the spines not rigid, very long, yellowish, set with 

 inconspicuous black bristles. Head yellowish-brown, shining, the base slightly tridentate ; 

 mandibles black. Legs of the same colour as the body, longer than usual. Along middle of 

 back, on segments four to eleven, a row of indigo-blue dots arranged in pairs between each 

 subdorsal pair of spines ; only one such spot on segments three to twelve. On each side, 

 between subdorsal and lateral rows of spines, a row of larger indigo-blue spots, one on each 

 segment from the second to the eleventh ; spiracles ringed with the same colour ; also 

 an indigo-blue sub-spiracular festooned streak. 



' Pupa. Whitish-green. On back of abdomen four pairs of long divergent red spines, 

 set rather widely apart ; on each side between each spine and its successor two indigo-blue 

 dots ; on back of thorax three pairs of short tubercular processes, each marked with an 

 indigo-blue dot ; head with a pair of similar, longer, curved processes.' 



The same author describes this butterfly as essentially a woodland species. It appears 

 to be confined to the Natal region, and is represented in British and German East Africa 

 by the variety montana, which has a much wider range, being common in the Belgian Congo 

 (see note, Trans. Ent. Soc, 1908, p. 524). Marshall describes P. aganice (Trans. Ent. Soc, 

 p. 413, 1902) as emitting a lot of acrid juice, ' not only from the thorax, but also from the 

 antennae and the nervules of the hind-wings.' 



PSEUDACRAEA IMITATOR. 



Trimen, Trans. Ent. Soc, p. 107 (1873). 



— S. Af. Butt., i, p. 293, pi. 6, f. I 5 (1887). 



Aurivillius, Rhop. Aeth., p. 177 (1898).! 



Plate VII, Fig. 7, ?. 



Just as Planema epaea is represented in South Africa by P. aganice, so in the latter 

 region we have Pseudacraea imitator taking the place of P. eurytus, to which it is closely 

 allied. P. aganice presents no such wide difference between the sexes as does its West 

 African representative, and so in correspondence we find the sexes of P. imitator are similar 

 in appearance. It is still a comparatively rare species. I have only seen some half-dozen 

 examples and have never received it in collections from abroad. Its close resemblance 

 to P. aganice may have something to do with its rarity in collections. In describing the 

 species, Trimen quotes from a letter he received from Colonel Bowker who forwarded him 

 a pair from Pinetown. In this letter the writer says, ' It is quite impossible to distinguish 

 between this butterfly and aganice, either when settled or on the wing ; and the first notice 

 you get is the brittle crunch between finger and thumb of imitator, or the soft leathery feel of 

 aganice. Death is, moreover, instantaneous with the former, while you may squeeze aganice 

 as long and as hard as you like without effect ; nothing but the poison bottle will settle him.' 



I have been unable to find records of this species being taken in any region except Natal. 



PSEUDACRAEA ROGERS!. 



Trimen, Trans. Ent. Soc, p. 548 (1908). 



Plate VII, Fig. 11, ; Fig. 14, 5. 



1 Aurivillius includes P. conradti, Oberth., under this species ; but conradii is evidently a very different form 

 and has the paler markings brownish-yellow. It appears to resemble the P. euryius. 



