ANNALS 
MEDEDELINGEN 
OF THE 
VAN HET 
TRANSVAAL MUSEUM 
Vol. 7 
Part 3 
ON THE SOUTH AFRICAN NOTODONTIDAE 
WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF APPARENTLY NEW GENERA AND SPECIES 
As far as the sub-continent is concerned, the family Notodontidae has, on 
the whole, neither been extensively dealt with nor properly classified. Further, 
no attempt has yet been made to catalogue this group of South African moths, 
although the country is fairly rich in species. It has been my good fortune to 
secure and study the majority of these, and only three genera recorded from 
S. Africa have not been before me. 
The most comprehensive account of the family is to be found in Professor 
Packard’s Monograph of the Bombycine Moths of America north of Mexico. 
This work deals only with North American genera of which few indeed occur 
in S. Africa. It has nevertheless been of great assistance to me although I have 
not been able to apply the principles of sub-family grouping therein annunci- 
ated owing to slight acquaintance with local larvae. In the future, therefore, 
when these have become better known, especially the larvae of the first in star, 
some rearrangement of the genera may become necessary. 
In the task which I have set myself, I have also found the Moths of India, 
vol. 1. by Sir George Hampson most useful although not more than ten Indian 
genera occur in South Africa. Further, a paper on the American Notodontidae 
by Schaus which appeared in the Trans. Ent. Soc. Bond. 1901 (pp. 257-343), 
and several papers on European members of this family have also served a 
useful purpose. 
However, the generosity of Sir George Hampson in supplying me with 
notes on genera, which have no doubt led to the avoidance of many an error, 
has been my main assistance and I take this early opportunity of expressing 
my deep sense of gratitude to him. 
As usual, the conventional but entirely artificial northern boundary of 
South Africa has been adopted; i.e. the southern banks of the Zambesi and 
Quinene rivers. 
The material examined is typical of the whole area south of this line of 
demarcation. Most of the specimens came from Natal, the Transvaal or Southern 
By A. J. T. Janse. 
With 14 plates. 
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