SPILOSOMA. By M. Gaede. 
95 
1. Genus: &|>ilosoma Steph. 
Proboscis stunted, palpi moderately long. Head and thorax hairy. Forewing broad. Neuration: vein 
3, 4 and 5 near together, vein 6 sometimes below the upper cell-angle, veins 7 -j- 8 + 9 + 10 forked. Tibiae 
hairy, anterior tibiae without claws, hind tibiae with 2 pair of spurs. Type: lubricipeda Esp. — This genus 
contains a vast number of species of a rather different exterior, which other authors have divided into numerous 
genera. In arranging the species we have almost completely followed the order chosen by Hampson. Cf. Vol. II, 
p. 87; Vol. VI, p. 307; Vol. X, p. 238 (as Diacrisia). 
Group I. Antennae of the bipectinate. 
White species, mostly with a marking composed of black dots. 
S. pundulafa Wallgr. (= nivaria nyassana Brtl., auricinctum Btlr.) (12 c). White. Head and tegulae punclulata. 
margined with yellow, with black dots. Abdomen above orange with black spots. Forewing and hindwing white, 
with black dots similar as in menthastri Esp. (Vol. II, pi. 15 f). 28 to 32 mm. East Africa, Nyassa, Tanganyika Ter. 
S. niicrosticta Hmps. (12 c) may be an extreme form of the preceding species. Forewing with a proxi- microsticta. 
mal and median row of fine black dots. Abdomen without black dots on the centre of the dorsum. 36 mm. 
Niger District. 
S. cincticorpus Hmps. (12 c). Abdomen in the centre orange with black segmental margins, rest of cincticor- 
body and wings white with some black dots. Hindwing somewhat diaphanous. Recognisable by its size : 46 mm. V us - 
Uganda. 
S. euproctina Aur. (13 f). White. Tegulae feebly margined with yellow, thorax without black spots, euproctina. 
Abdomen above orange with black dorsal spots. Wings white. A single black dot on the forewing at the base 
of vein 4. 28 mm. Niger District. 
S. tristicta Hmps. (12 d) is somewhat larger. Forewing below the costal margin with some dots instead tristicia. 
of a proximal and median line. Hindwing with a black dot at the cross-vein. 34 mm. Niger District. 
S. aureolimbata Bothsch. (12 d). Head and margin of tegulae orange; abdomen above orange, dorsal aureolimba- 
dots black. Thorax and wings white. On the forewing the cross-vein is black, on the hindwing there is a brown ia - 
streak at the cross-vein. Hind-margin of hindwing and fringes of both wings orange. 25 to 27 mm. Angola. 
S. oligosticta Hmps. (= jacksoni Rothsch. p. p.) (12 d). White. Pat.agia with black dots. Abdomen oligosticia. 
above pale yellow with black dorsal dots, at the beginning and end white. Forewing with some dots near the 
base below the centre, at the base of vein 4 and before the margin. 40 mm. Uganda. 
S. aspersa Mob. (= virginalis Btlr.) (12 d). Very large. Head and abdomen orange with large dorsal aspersa. 
spots. Otherwise white. Wings with large brown lunae on the cross-vein, mostly rather densely irrorated with 
brown. 52 to 62 mm. Madagascar. 
S. dollniam Hmps. (12 e) is also very large, somewhat recalling Creat. marginalis (15 c). White, dollmani. 
Thorax with black dots. Abdomen orange with black margins. Forewing with irregular black dentate bands 
arranged in a similar way as the white bands in A. caja. Hindwing at the hind-margin orange, at the distal 
margin band-like black. 50 to 60 mm. Rhodesia. 
S. scortillum Wllgr. (= nigricosta Holl.) (12 d). Head and abdomen orange with black margins scortillum. 
and median line. Forewing slightly yellowish, at the costal margin broadly brown, all the rest being white. 
30 to 36 mm. Cameroon, Transvaal. 
The following species form a transition to the yellow species. 
S. chionea Hmps. (12 e). Head pale yellow. Thorax white. Abdomen orange with black dorsal spots, ehionea. 
Forewing milky white, hindwing yellow, without markings. 44 mm. Natal. 
S. curvilirsea Wkr. (12 e). Head, thorax and wings yellowish-white; abdomen orange, without spots, curvilinea. 
Forewing with 3 undulate black transverse lines which are not alwa}4 complete and are variably distant from 
each other. Hindwing mostly with a dot on the cross-vein. 30 to 35 mm. Lagos, Congo, Uganda. 
S. aurantiaca Holl. (= multiscripta Holl.) (12 e). $ pale yellowish-brown with 3 dark brown lines, aurantiacci. 
The central line is sharply angular, the distal line undulate. On the cross-vein a large luna. Hindwing with 
a streak on the cross-vein. $ orange, with the same though less distinct marking. 30 to 36 mm. Cameroon, 
Sierra Leone. 
S. bifurca Wkr. (= radiosa Drc.) (12 f). Head and thorax brownish-white, abdomen orange with bifurca. 
black dorsal spots. Forewing brownish-white with a brown marking. The proximal band is interrupted, the 
median band X-shaped, some spots in the subapical area. Hindwing brownish white with few spots. In the 
$ the bands on the forewing are more broken up into spots, on the hindwing the spots are larger. 40 to 55 mm 
Lagos, Togo, Cameroon, Congo. 
