Pull . 1 . 7. 1913 . 
NEPTIS. By Dr. C. Aurivillius. 
201 
— clarei Neave apparently only differs in having discal spot 6 on the forewing absent or very narrowly clarel. 
lhiear and spots 4 and 5 completely joined together. Uganda. — In metanira IIoil. discal spots 4—6 of the metanira. 
forewing are fnlly developed, but shorter than in the type-form. Cameroons to the Congo. — continuata Holl. continuala. 
(= conspicua Neave) only differs in having the discal band of the forewing continuous between vein 2 and the 
costal margin and the median band of the hindwing almost smooth distally, not incised at the veins. Togo 
to Angola and Uganda. —- ab. urungensis Strand is said to differ from continuata in the cell of the forewing urungcnsis. 
above bearing three white dots, while the marginal lines are more distinct. German East Africa: Kitungula. 
N. puella Auriv. has an expanse of 34—37 mm. and only differs from nysiades in discal spots 2—-8 puella. 
on the foreAving forming a completely continuous transverse band with the proximal boundary nearly straight 
and the distal arcuate; the first marginal line of the foreAving is deeply bent proximad in 1 b, but not sharply 
angled; the median band of the hindwing moderately broad, narrowed towards the inner margin. Cameroons 
and Congo. — nina Stgr. seems to be the eastern race and only differs in having the transverse band of the ninu. 
forewing narrowed towards the costal margin and in the somewhat narrower median band of the hindwing. 
German East Africa: Usagara. 
N. trigonophora Btlr. (48 e) is also near N. nysiades, but discal spot 4 of the forewing is small and trian- trigono- 
gular; the cell of the forewing is without markings above. German East Africa. phora. 
The two following species are distinguished by having in the cell of the forewing above and beneath one or two white 
longitudinal streaks at its anterior margin which follow the curve of the latter. 
N. tlicomedes Hew. has the transverse band of the forewing continuous from the costal margin to vein 2, nicomcdcs. 
as discal spots 2 and 3 touch one another or are only very narrowly separated; the wing-expanse is only 
34—40 mm. In the type-form the discal band of the forewing is nearly straight at its proximal side or only 
slightly retracted at vein 4. Gold Coast to Angola and Uganda. — In quintilla Mab. discal spots 2 and quintilla. 
3 on the forewing are short and quadrate, much shorter than spot 4, so that the proximal side of the band 
makes a deep bend at vein 4. Ivory Coast to Angola. 
N. strigata Auriv. (48 e) only differs from nicomedes in its larger size, 45—-47 mm., and in having the discal strigata. 
band of the forewing broadly interrupted at vein 4. Discal spots 2 and 3 on the forewing are more or less 
rounded and separate. Cameroons to Uganda. 
The two following forms are nearly allied and differ from all the others in having the second marginal line of the hindwing 
much thickened and developed into a white transverse band: the hindwing has thus two white transverse bands above. The cell 
of the forewing has 2 or 3 white streaks at the anterior margin and discal spots 4 and 5 on the forewing are long and nar¬ 
row and placed far towards the base just behind the apex of the cell; discal spot 6 is absent or very small; discal spots 2 
and 3 are small and separate. 
N. biafra Ward has the discal band of the hindwing about 6 mm. in breadth and the submarginal biafra. 
band (2nd marginal line) of the hindwing is composed of semicircular or lunulate spots. Cameroons; rare. 
N. paula Stgr. (48 f). The discal band of the hindAving above is only 3—4 mm. in breadth and the paula. 
submarginal band consists of quadrate spots. Sierra Leone. 
To this group probably belongs also N. sextilla Mab., which is unknown to me. The very full, but never- sextilla. 
theless not quite clear description runs: “Allied both to saclava and JciJcideli ; the wings are a beautiful black 
with Avhite transverse band, which on the hindwing is continuous, anteriorly rounded and then narroAv and almost 
entire-margined and on the forewing divided into several spots, two small rounded ones near the base and be¬ 
hind the cell between veins 2 and 4 a large oval spot, which is distally somewhat cleft and separated by the 
black ground-colour from the large hindmarginal spot. The distal margin is undulate with Avhite incisions and the 
distal part is uniform black. The under surface recalls that of kikideli ; the forewing lias in the cell two longi¬ 
tudinal rows of white dots, the one along the middle composed of 6 spots and the other, at the costal margin, 
of 6 streaks; the distal part has at the apex 5 white patches and then 4 large spots of the same colour, 
which are divided by a black line and placed opposite the apex of the cell; tAvo similar ones at the hinder 
angle. On the hindAving the median band is oval and does not reach the costal margin; the base is adorned 
with three curved white transverse bands; before the distal margin run two rows of white spots, the proximal 
composed of very large lunules and the distal of streaks”. Madagascar. 
4. Melicerta Group. 
The cell of the forewing is entirely filled up with white or has a white longitudinal stripe, which follows its hindmargin 
and leaves the anterior part of the cell free. Discal spot 4 on the forewing is absent or quite small; hence the discal band 
of the forewing always consists of three separate divisions, a hindmarginal spots, two spots in 2 and 3 and two or three at 
the costal, margin in 5, 6 and 9. The species may be divided into two subgroups. 
Subgroup A. 
The white longitudinal stripe in the cell of the foreAving without free white spot at the end. 
XIII 
28 
