MOTHS FROM B. E. AFRICA. 



249 



Family NocruiDii. 

 Subfamily Catocalin^:. 



303. Nyctipao acuta, sp. n. (PI. I. fig. 26.) 



Description. — <$ . Head, thorax, and abdomen fuscous brown. 



Fore wing with the basal two- thirds very dark red- brown, 

 the subterminal third pale red-brown with pinkish suffusion, 

 profusely striated with red-brown. Apex of fore wing acute. 

 Antemedial line obsolescent, and hardly distinguishable. An 

 inverted comma-shaped discoidal whorl with bilobate head defined 

 by black, and its head by silvery blue with a red-brown patch 

 beyond it ; its centre reddish brown with an ochreous line on 

 inner side of tail. Medial line black, arising below the costa, 

 excurved round the discoidal whorl, and angled inwards below it 

 on vein 2, and then erect to inner margin. This line is defined 

 outwardly by a pale round ring beyond the whorl. Postmedial 

 line curved, starting from a large triangular black patch below 

 the costa and continued as an indistinct fuscous line to below 

 vein 2, where it forms the outer edge of the basal dark area 

 to inner margin. This line is defined outwardly by a narrow 

 ochreous line from costa to below vein 7, and thence to inner 

 margin by an indistinct line of the ground-colour. Subterminal 

 line obsolete. Hind wing with the basal two-thirds dark red- 

 brown, the terminal third pale red-brown with pinkish suffusion ; 

 the postmedial line represented by double fine lines of the ground- 

 colour ; subterminal line represented by an indistinct, waved, 

 subterminal shade. Cilia pale red-brown. 



Underside of both wings fuscous brown ; fore wing with a 

 white postmedial patch from below costa to vein 6, where it is 

 broadest. A subterminal series of white oblong spots, incurved 

 in interspace 4, excurved in interspace 3. 



2 . Similar to S , but the comma-shaped discoidal whorl is 

 somewhat larger, and there is a pale ochreous postmedial patch 

 from costa to just above vein 6, diffused outwardly. 



This form has, I think, been overlooked by later writers ; I 

 say this because I cannot find amongst the described forms in 

 C. L. P. vol. xii. (published in 1913) a description and figure 

 that absolutely tallies with my specimens. The nearest to it 

 is Nyctipao gemmans Guen. It differs from all the forms of 

 Nyctipao which I have seen in having the apex of the fore wing- 

 acute. The form crepuscularis Linn, is nearest to it in this respect, 

 but its outer margin is highly crenulate, whereas in this species 

 it is evenly rounded. From gemmans in particular it differs in 

 the absence of the white postmedial line, which is represented by 

 a short ochreous striga below the costa. 



Habitat. Hills E. of Toungho, Burma, May 1896, 1 cf , 1 $. 

 Expanse 74 mm. 



The above specimens were taken by some native Lepcha col- 

 lectors sent to the Burma hill-country to collect Lepidoptera by 

 Mr. F. Moller, Mr. J. Apcar, and myself. 



Proc. Zool. Soc— 1917, No. XVIII. 18 



