84 



AFRICAN MIMETIC BUTTERFLIES 



Speaking of the butterfly the same author records that it is ' rather a heavy flyer, 

 haunting wooded spots, and is very conspicuous on the wing '. 



The top row of figures on Plate IX show the undersides of five butterflies of different 

 genera, the first being the present species. The similarity of pattern in these insects is very 

 remarkable. The species are as follows : — 



PHRISSURA PHOEBE. 



Butler, Proc. Zool. Soc, p. 936, pi. Iviii, f. 67 (1900). 



Plate IX, Fig. 2, 5 ; Fig. 20, 



The butterfly figured as above corresponds as nearly as possible with the phoebe of 

 Butler, though it might perhaps also be referred to isokani, Grose Smith. I have examined 

 Butler's figure, and the specimen shown at Fig. 2 differs only in the absence of a slight 

 orange suffusion along the hind-margin of the hind-wing. Fig. 20 on the same plate differs 

 only from Butler's figure in the fact that the latter has yellowish hind- wings. The example 

 at Fig. 2 was taken on the north-east shore of Lake Victoria Nyanza, and that at Fig. 20 

 was recorded from Sierra Leone. The male is white with a pinkish flush at the base of the 

 fore- wings, and a powdery black border, narrow along the costa, broad round the apex, 

 somewhat broken up towards the hind-angle, and blacker and indentate on the nervules. 

 The hind- wing has a marginal border of large, rounded, powdery black spots on the nervules. 

 The underside is white with minute black dots at the ends of all the nervules. 



PINACOPTERYX RUBROBASALIS. 



Lanz, Iris, ix, p. 116 (1896). 



Aurivillius {Pteris), Rhop. Aeth., p. 412 (1898). 



Plate IX, Fig. 3, 5. 



Occurs in British East Africa. On the upperside the female is rather dull white, with 

 a powdery black border on the fore-wings, and a black spot between the second and third 

 median. A slight pink flush at the base. Hind-wings with an orange mark at base above 

 the subcostal, and a yellow suffusion round the anal angle. A small black dot at end of each 

 nervule. The male is pure white on the upperside and is without the discal spot. 



BELENOIS THYSA.i 



Hopffer, Monats. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, p. 639 (1855). 



— Peters Reise, Mos. Ins., p. 349, pi. 21, ff. 7-10 (1862). 

 Trimen (agathina var.), Rhop. Af. Aust., p. 29 (1862). 



— {thysa), S. Af. Butt., iii, p. 44 (1889). 



Butler (sabrata), Trans. Ent. Soc, p. 526 (1870). 



— (var. meldolae), Proc. Zool. Soc, p. 725 (1871). 

 Aurivillius, Synonymy, Rhop. Aeth., p. 409 (1898). 



Plate IX, Fig. 4, ; Fig. 10, 5. 



This species occurs from Angola to East Africa. The example figured is from Mombasa. 

 On the upperside, as in the other species here described, the male resembles the male 

 M. agathina, being white with marginal black spots. The female resembles that of 

 M. agathina on both surfaces, the uppersides being shown together at Figs. 9 and 10. 



^ Professor Aurivillius gives this species under 

 the name larima, Boisd., but I have for the present 

 purpose retained the name thysa as that attached 

 to the specimen figured, and which is in the Hope 



Department at Oxford. The same author also puts 

 Pinacopteryx and Belenois in one genus, Pieris. But 

 they are now separated in the British Museum. 



