/Publ. 20. XI. 1913. 
PREFACE. By Dr. A. Seitz. 
TII 
is one of the most remarkable of African Heteroccra. Some of its allies hear a most striking resemblance to 
E. narcisstis, the early Elygma species entering the Palearctie Region. 
The Eutelianae are very well represented, the typical genus Eutelia being very largely African. Both 
the largest as well as the most striking forms, such as Pacidara venustissim.a, and also numerous suialler species 
inhabit tropical Africa, many of them occurring in such enormous numbers that on the coast of the Red ,Sea 
f. i., I counted on a single pole over 50 Eutelia that had alighted there. 
Like the preceding groups, the Stictoperinae occur at times in enoriiious masses, varying, however, to 
such an extent that among hundreds of specinrens one may hardly find two that are quite alike. But their 
centre of distribution is India, only a few stray and inconspicuous species being found in Africa, Madagascar 
and the lesser islands. 
M’hereas among the Acontianae (containing about 300, chiefly tropical, species), those that belong 
to the Indian Region (quite a number having beeir described quite recently from New Grunea) are for the 
rrrost part brightly and unifonrrly coloured, the African genera are nrostly made up of smaller, though frequently 
brillantly gaudy forms; thus Westermannia, Metaleptina and Negeia are chiefly African genera. 
Anrorrg the Catocalinae the tj-pical genus Cntocnla, even if applied in the widest .iense, is not at all 
represented in Etheopian Africa, although in the Atlas Region which is till Palearctie, it shows up almost one 
dozen of species, most of which are extremely common. Their place is taken by Ulotrichopus and some Spiredonia 
which, however, do not rest upon tree trunks or rocks, but conceal themselves on the ground. The huge Nycti- 
pao one meets in the evening racing about like bats, producing with their wings a sti’ong cracking noise, and 
also the Agonista that one sees dashing wildly about, both of Avhich are peculiar to the Indies, are replaced in 
Africa by CycUgranmia, a genus confined to the Etheopian Region. The Hypopyra with their leaf-like upper 
surface and frequently gorgeously red under side are represented both in India and in Africa; this is also the 
case with the gigantic Patula ynacrops with in either of these countries is found under tunnels, arches and brid¬ 
ges and in rocky caverns; but the most remarkable are the Minioides, large-sized Noctuids distinguished by 
their nearly uniformly brillant crimson or blood red hindwings, whereas of the Lagopdera which are likewise 
brightly coloured, although not so brillant, but few species are known to occur in Africa. But the genus Acliaea 
contains a considerable number of typically African Heterocera, often with most brillantly coloured hindwings, 
which, however, are alw^ays concealed under the leaf-like markings of the forewings, very much as in Catocala. 
Well represented we find in Tropical Africa also the Pnrallelia, Leumnitis and Gonospileia groups, all of which 
are in the Tropics of the Old world nearly everywhere abundant, so that in the hotter parts of the Ethiopian 
Region one may hardly find a valley where not one or the other species belonging here, may be found. 
The gold-adorned Phytometrinae, although chiefly inhabiting the temperate zone where they count 
among the most common species, occur also in the Tropics almost everywhere; indeed the most gaudily and 
brillantly gilt species is rather common, entering in the Canary Islands even the Palearctie Region; but on the 
whole we find in the Tropics the Plusiids playing a rather insignificant part, compared with the numerous 
species of the preceding and even more of the succeeding groiqi, and especially in Africa we are struck, in the 
same way as we are in the Indies, by the entire absence of gorgeously coloured species that could be compared 
with those of Europe or of North America. 
Among the Noctuinae s. s. we also count some groups of mostly large sized, brillantly coloured and 
strong flying species which in the Tropics predominate over the sluggish, grey, brown forms depending largely 
on their protective wood-like colour. The Ophideres which remind us somewhat of our Cntocnla, although 
widely differing in their mode of life, the Ophiitsa a. o. are widely distributed, very large genera, represented also 
in Africa ; indeed one may say that this huge Noctuid family to which we may class as the last group the Ply- 
pena-like genera characterized by their long beak, make u]) the great bulk of the Noctuids in many parts of 
the Ethiopian Region. 
Taking everything together, the Noctuids of Ethiopian Africa, although showing a similar ratio to the 
other families as in Tropical India, are represented by much lesser individual numbers than in Temperate 
Asia and Australia and especially also in Tropical America. Further details will be given in the special 
part of this volume. 
Analogous to Vol. 3, 7 and 11, we call also in the present volume the group made up of the combined 
Agaristidae and Noctuidae. 
^ oetiiif 01*111 es. 
XV 
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