Publ. 3. VI. 1925. 
HESPERIA. By Dr. C. Aurivilltus. 
501 
1. Genus: Hesperia F. 
The Ethiopian species are entirely like the palearctic species above black or blackish-brown, decorated 
with numerous small white spots. The are without the costal fold of the forewing and the hair-pencil of 
the posterior tibiae. The species only occur on the continent and in Arabia, but are absent in Madagascar and 
all the other islands of the Ethiopian region. Most of the species, however, are confined to South Africa. 
In order to avoid repetitions in the review of the species and in the description, I supply here a description 
of the typical marking of the genus. Forewing: on the upper surface there occur on a blackish or dark brown 
ground the following dots or spots: 2 or 3 basal spots (in I b often parted or strigiform, in the discal cell before 
the centre and in 12 [generally absent], a spot in or somewhat behind the centre of the cell, a minute dot behind 
this spot in 1 b (often absent), distinct discal spots in 1 b to 3 (rarely in 4 and 5), 6 to 8 (of which that in 1 b 
is generally parted and thus composed of 2 spots, of which I denote the interior one, being situate more towards 
the base and adjoining to vein 1, as discal spot 1 b 1 and the other as discal spot 1 b 2 ), and submarginal dots 
in 1 b to 8. Besides there occur at the costal margin itself at the end of the areas 8 to 11 four short 
white longit udinal streaks. The genus is very peculiar since it exhibits, at the base of the areas 4 and 5 immediately 
on the external part, of the cross-veins, a crescentiform transverse spot, the central lima, which therefore is 
not situate in the apex of the discal cell, as is often stated. Beneath the forewing is quite similarly marked, 
but the spots are often larger and the basal spot of the discal cell is sometimes strigiform. 
The hindwing above is blackish or dark brown and normally exhibits the following white markings: 
a basal dot in the discal cell, a discal transverse band of spots in 1 b to 5, and a series of submarginal dots in 
I b to 5, 
On the under surface the hindwing is generally variegated and differs more or less in the numerous 
species. On an average, the ground-colour is white or yellowish-white and generally occurs purely without any 
darkening or spots at the hind-margin in the areas 1 a and 1, whereas the other surface is crossed by two 
dark transverse bands extending from the costal margin to vein 1 b and being separated by a light median 
band which is either coherent or once or twice interrupted by dark transverse streaks. At the base there often 
occur dark spots which are more or less united with the interior dark transverse band, so that either the whole 
basal part is darkened or light spots of the ground-colour appear at the base. In a similar way also the exterior 
dark transverse band may be united with dark submarginal bands, so that the marginal part of the wing becomes 
dark almost as above and encloses small light submarginal spots. The direction of the light median band is 
also of importance, extending sometimes from the centre of the costal margin more or less bent towards the 
hind-margin, or starting sometimes before the centre of the costal margin in the direction of the anal angle 
or the distal margin of the wing. 
I regret very much that the figures of the under surface (pi. 75 c, cl) of several species are veiy inaccurate 
and partly quite irrecognizable. For further particulars I refer to the single species. 
Ch. Oberthur, in 1912, supplied most excellent figures of nearly all the African species of Hesperia 
(Etudes cle Lepiclopterologie comparee 6, pi 142, 143, fig. 1301 to 1332). Those desirous of a closer study of 
this difficult group I refer to these figures. 
Obertiiur is known to have sedulously adhered to the opinion that a lepidopteral species can only 
be ascertained by a figure. I can, however, not espouse this opinion of his, for although a life-like figure is 
much better than a bad description, yet it can only represent a single specimen and not a species. The idea 
of a species is to comprise the characteristic marks common to all the specimens of the species and distinguishing 
it from other species, and it can therefore only be ascertained by a description. The mere comparison of two 
figures does not give us exact information as to which differences may be relied on. 
Review of the Species. 
I. Hindwing beneath with a marking quite different from the marking above. 
A. Forewing above at least in the discal cell with a white basal spot, thus with two white dots in the discal 
cell. Both wings above with submarginal dots. 
a. The light median band of the hindwing beneath is pointing towards the margin at the end of vein 
2 and sometimes posteriorly cleft into two branches; it reaches the margin or it is separated from 
it by dark colouring. The dark bands are sometimes almost entirely broken up into dark streaks 
or spots. Also above the discal spots 3 to 6 form an erect band pointing towards the margin. 
H. ploetzi. 
XIII 
71 
