8o 



AFRICAN MIMETIC BUTTERFLIES 



THE PLANEMA TELLUS GROUP. 

 PLANEMA TELLUS. 



Aurivillius, Ent. Tidskr., xiv, p. 280, f. 7 (1893). 

 Staudinger (epitellus), Iris, ix, p. 207 (1896). 

 Aurivillius, Rhop. Aeth., p. 119 (1898). 



Plate VIII, Fig. 3. 



This conspicuous Planema was originally described from Cameroon, though it extends 

 to Uganda, and I have received it commonly from Entebbe. The female is somewhat 

 larger than the male, and has the fore- wings especially much more rounded, whilst some 

 examples have a tendency to a whitish suffusion in the sub-apical bar in the fore-wings. 

 Many West African specimens have the sub-apical bar smaller than in those from the east, 

 and the markings of the fore-wing are often more irregular. 



PSEUDACRAEA TERRA. 



Neave, Novit. Zool., xi, p. 332 (1904). 



Plate VIII, Fig. 6. 



This form of Pseudacraea was first observed in the large collection received from 

 Entebbe, and described by Neave in the paper above referred to. It was then represented 

 by one male example. It is still a rare insect, and is invariably taken in company with 

 Planema tellus, which it so closely resembles. As the Planema is a very common insect 

 it may be that P. terra is not in reality so rare as it at present appears, though I have lately 

 had an opportunity of examining a collection which included a very large number of speci- 

 mens of the Planema, and even in this there are comparatively few examples of the mimic. 

 The sexes do not appreciably differ in appearance, but there is a tendency to vary somewhat 

 towards a whitish suffusion similar to that observed in the model. All the specimens 

 with which I am acquainted were taken at Entebbe. 



MIMACRAEA DARWINIA. 



Butler, Lepid. Exot., p. 104, pi. 38, f. 8 (1872). 

 var. apicalis. 



Smith and Kirby, Rhop. Exot., xiii, p. 41, pi. 10, ff. 6, 7 (1890). 

 Aurivillius, Rhop. Aeth., p. 266 (1898). 



Plate VIII, Fig. 17 {apicalis). 



This Lycaenid I have received together with Planema tellus from Cameroon, and 

 there can be little doubt that it presents an approximation towards the Planema pattern. 

 It does not appear to be so rare as the other members of its genus, though it has not, so 

 far as is at present known, extended its range across Africa to the Victoria Nyanza, and we 

 have very little information as to its habits and natural surroundings. Judging from the 

 fact that the type form darwinia is only represented by one specimen and that the variety 

 apicalis is not uncommon, it would appear that the latter is in reality the usual form and 

 that darwinia is the variety. The latter differs from apicalis in having the sub-apical mark 

 in the fore-wing of the same shade as the ground-colour of the wings. 



ACRAEA JODUTTA. 



Fabricius, Ent. Syst. (3), Part I, p. 175 (1793). 



Dewitz (a^ flava), Nov. Act. Acad. Nat. Cur. (41), ii. No. 2, p. 19, pi. i, f. 10 (1879). 

 Moschler {gea), Abh. Senck. Ges., xv, p. 55 (1887). 



Doubleday and Hewitson carmentis) , Gen. D. Lep., p. 140, pi. 19, f. i (1848). 

 Aurivillius, Rhop. Aeth., p. 116 (1898). 



Plate VIII, Fig. 9, ?. 



