10 
PINGASA. By L. B. Prout. 
floridivenis. 
ruyinar'ia. 
conimiitnia. 
dccrifitaia ■ 
comnl)<ni- 
cans. 
inierrupia ■ 
grandidler'i ■ 
eugni- 
phdria. 
hypoxaniha 
hoJocliroa. 
rhddamar'ut 
rdfifcmcid- 
aHenuans. 
aHerdtd. 
white lines. In order to determine them correctly, it is often therefore necessary to give careful attention to 
the structural characters; the figures alone, although giving valuable help as regards the shape of the wings 
and their tone of colour, cannot furnish all the needed clues. 
Apart from the remarkable prevalence of green colouring, the subfamily is nearly always recognizable 
by the presence of all the veins of the Macroleiyidoptera with tlie 2nd radial arising close to the first, or in any 
case well before the middle of the discocellulars. Only in a few very specialised genera, such as Acidaliastis, has 
it reverted to a more central position; these are to be distinguished from Sterrhinae (formerly called Acidalimae) 
and Larentiinae by the sid^costal venation of the fore wing, etc. 
The more primitive Heniitheinae, in which the coloration is adapted to treetrunks or rocks, are very 
weakly represented in the region, chiefly by a few stragglers of the genus Pingasa. On the other hand a few 
highly specialised species — in Prasinocyma, the Hemithea-growp, Acidaliastis, etc. — have adopted a sandy 
coloration which is extremely rare or unknown in the other faunistic regions. 
In the earlier genera (Pingasa to ArchicMora) the frenulum is developed in both sexes, though in 
Vicforia and ArchicJdora it begins to weaken in the $. In the group from Metacineta to Xanthodura it is wanting 
or non-functional in the 9, unless perhaps in that of Ejngelasm.a. In the last group (Gacochloris to Acidcdiastis) 
it is wanting in both sexes. 
1. Genus : Piiig^asa Moore. 
Relatively large moths, with the white or whitish-green ground-colour heavily dusted with different 
shades of grey which give them a cryptic upperside; the underside cleaner white, but commonly with conspicuous 
black borders and with more or less orange colour proximally. Palpus (as in very many of the subfamily) with 
the 3rd joint much longer in the $ than in the G. Antenna in the G very shortly pectinate, in the 9 simple. 
Hindwing in the narrowed, in both sexes with abdominal margin elongate; 2nd subcostal not stalked with 1st 
radial. Scarcely known outside the Indo-Australian Region and Africa. 
P. floridivenis Prout. Distinct from all other African species in the bright ochreous admixture in 
the distal area of both wings and the proximal of forewing, the veins in these areas particularly bright. Underside 
vdth black borders rather broad, white-spotted distally; base bright yellow; cell-spot large. Founded on a 
single specimen from A’koon, Gold Coast. 
P. ruginaria (vol. 12, pi. 5 f) is the most widely distributed species of the genus. The name-typical race, 
as described by Gfekee, belongs to the Indo-Australian Region (s. vol. 12, pi. 5 d). The species is best recognized 
by the marked outward curve in the middle of the postmedian line and this line is less dentate than in most of the 
species. - commutata Walk. ( = - batiaria Plotz) ( 2a ), described from Sierra Leone and extending to the Congo, 
is very variable, but can generally be distinguished from ruginaria by the less highly coloured upperside, the 
borders being more olive or grey-mixed than reddish or purplish. Basal orange-yellow of underside moderate. 
- decristata Warr., from Sao Thome, has the borders of the upperside still paler — light blue-grey, the underside 
yellow as far as to the black borders. communicans Walk., from Natal, is also variable. Underside with 
the dark borders commonly more broken, the yellow at base more resticted, on the hindwing chiefly limited 
to the costal region. I have seen a similar form from Nyasa. -- interrupta Warr., from Ran, Nandi Country, 
is an extreme development (“dry” form ?) of communicans, with the border of the hindwing beneath weak, 
broken into two quite isolated patches. The British Museum has a similar example from Kilimandjaro. 
P. grandidieri Btlr. (2 a) represents ruginaria on Madagascar. Forewing with 1st line much straightei', 
2nd also with the outward curve slighter; this line, especially on hindwing, commonly more dentate. Underside 
with little yellow at base. — ab. eugrapharia Mah. has the borders above more grey, less I’eddish. 
P.hypoxantha Prout (2 a). Possibly an extreme, “dry” form of ruginaria. Much paler, the borders 
above scarcely noticeably darkened. Antemedian line of forewing twdce angled outward, postmedian oblique 
oiitward from costa to 1st radial, the median area nearly twice as broad anteriorly as postei'iorly. Underside 
more or less extended yellow proximally, the black borders incomplete, chiefly apical. Nandi Country; also 
Belgian Congo. - - holochroa Prout is a form with the borders beneath complete, though rather narrow, the 
rest of the under surface yellow. Uppei’ C'ongo. 
P. rhadamaria Guen. (= signifrontaria Mah.) (2 a). Another variable species, whitish like the preceding, 
from which it chiefly differs in the absence of yellow at base beneath. Antemedian line less sharply angled, 
postmedian less distally placed at costa, both rather sharply blackened at costa. Borders beneath commonly 
broken into quite isolated spots. Madagascar. ab. rufifascia ab. nov. has a narrow red subterminal band 
on both wings. - attenuans Walk., from scattered localities in W. Africa, has the black borders better developed 
but is otherwise weakly marked. I cannot separate from it a single A fi’om Bahr-el-Ghazal. - alterata Walk. 
