PLANEMA. By Dr. C. Atjeiyillius. 
239 
6. Family: Acraesdae. 
This section would perhaps be better regarded as only a subfamily of the Nymphalids, as in the other 
parts of this work; but in order not to conflict with most other works with regard to this group I have here 
cited it as a separate family. 
The Acraeids only differ from the Nymphalids in having the cells of both wings completely closed and 
in the inner margin of the hindwing having no groove or hollow for the reception of the abdomen. The hindwing 
is consequently spread out flat at the inner margin and scaled and marked in cellules 1 a—1 c as elsewhere. 
The forewing is elongate with the distal margin curved or straight, the apex rounded and the costal mar¬ 
gin straight beyond the middle. The hindwing has the costal margin straight and the distal margin almost 
uniformly curved. Distal margin of both wings entire or slightly undulate with short fringes. Abdomen long and 
slender, almost cylindrical or thickened towards the tip and at the base more or less compressed. Antenna 
moderately long with distinctly defined club. Palpus with long middle joint and very short, knob-like terminal 
joint, thinly scaled and clothed with single stiff bristly hairs. The hindwing has the precostal vein distinctly 
curved towards the base. The forelegs are aborted quite as in the Nymphalids and without claws, in the <$ 
thin and longhaired, in the $ with appressed scales, at the end somewhat thickened and beneath with short 
spines. The claws of the other legs are well developed and usually angled in the middle beneath; in the they 
are nearly always of unequal size or otherwise dissimilar. 
The larvae are gregarious and are clothed with branched spines. The spines are arranged in a very 
characteristic manner, hence the larvae of Acraea can be at once distinguished from all the Nymphalid larvae 
known to me. Segments 4—11 have each 6 spines of almost equal length, placed in a straight transverse line; 
the first segment has only two dorsal spines and the second and third in addition to the dorsal spines a la¬ 
teral spine at each side, which, however, is placed quite at the anterior margin of the segment or almost in the 
connecting skin between the segments; segments 12 and 13 each with two spines. 
The pupae are elongate, almost cylindrical, neither ventricose nor strongly convex dorsally; the first 
segments of the abdomen have often each on the upperside two small protuberances or two long spines bent at 
the tip; the head also has occasionally ear- or horn-shaped appendages. They are nearly always light-coloured 
with sharply prominent black markings. 
The Acraeids have a slow, gentle flight and are gregarious also as butterflies. They eject from the thorax 
a yellowish fluid, which has an unpleasant smell and apparently protects them against most enemies. Even 
the dead and dried specimens in collections are not or but little attacked by destructive insects. 
The Acraeids occur everywhere in the tropics, but in the Ethiopian Region are much commoner and more 
numerous than in the other regions. 
The African species belong to three genera, the third of which is very variable. 
Synopsis of t h e Gene r a. 
A. Upper discocellular of the forewing absent or very short and placed almost vertically to the anterior 
margin of the cell. Hence vein 6 of the forewing arises from the apex of the cell or near to it and is widely 
separated from vein 5. 
a) Vein 11 of the forewing arises beyond the cell from the stalk of 7—10 or occasionally just from the apex 
of the cell. The cell of the hindwing is short, not reaching the middle of the wing. Palpus black or blackish 
with a whitish longitudinal line. 1- Planema. 
b) Vein 11 of the forewing arises before the end of the ceil. The cell of the hindwing is long, reaching the 
middle of the wing. Palpus light yellowish or whitish and only the short terminal joint blackish. 
2. Acraea. 
B. Upper discocellular of the forewing very long and placed very obliquely, so that it looks like a continuation 
of the anterior margin of the cell. Veins 5 and 6 arise from the same point (apparently the apex of the 
cell) and the stalk of veins 7—10 consequently appears to arise far before the apex of the cell. 
3. Pardopsis. 
1. Genus: Planema Doubl. a Hew. 
This genus embraces the largest of the African Acraeids and indeed the largest of all known Acraeids. 
In the scheme of markings the Planema species nearly agree with the first species of the following genus. The 
