Publ. 28. VI. 1926. 
SPILOSOMA. By M. Gaede. 
97 
identical with Est. metaxantha Hmps. The median row of dots is in the middle sharply angled. The distal row 
is feebly S-shaped, the veins 3 and 4 and partly also the others are edged with black. On the cross-vein no spot. 
— unimaculata Brtl. also seems to belong hereto as another extreme form. Forewing somewhat lighter with 
but 1 spot at the costal margin instead of the distal row of dots. Abdomen and hindwing in all the forms 
orange-yellow with a black central dot. 30 to 40 mm. East Africa. 
The following species without rows of dots. 
o 
S. quadrilunata Hmps. (12 h). Thorax and forewing as light as in unimaculata. Abdomen without 
black spots, but both wings with a large luna on the cross-vein. 36 mm. Sierra Leone. 
S. madagascariensis Btlr. (12 h). The whole body is orange-yellow. Abdomen with black spots. 
Wings of a purer yellow, unmarked. 45 mm. Madagascar. 
S. holoxantha Hmps. (13 a). Thorax and forewing brownish orange. Hindwing and abdomen orange 
with black dorsal spots. Shape of wings rather broad. 40 mm. Niger District. 
S. lucida Drc. (= steudeli Brtl.) (13 a). Body above orange-yellow with black spots. Forewing 
orange-yellow with a spot at the cross-vein. Hindwing yellowish-white (G) or orange ($). In typical lucida 
the antennal shaft is said to be black, in steudeli it is light. 26 to 32 mm. East Africa. 
S. flavidior Gaede (13 a). The whole body and forewing dark orange-yellow. Hindwing somewhat 
lighter. Antennal shaft quite or almost quite yellow. Forewing somewhat squat, similar to madagascariensis 
(12 h), with a black spot at the cross-vein. Abdomen beneath pale yellow. 32 to 40 mm. East Africa. 
S. flava Wallgr. (= oriens Rothsch.) (13 a). Thorax and abdomen orange, tegulae somewhat darker. 
Abdomen with broad black margins. Forewing of a glaring yellow. Hindwing somewhat paler. In the $ 
sometimes also the forewing is pale. Abdomen beneath dark brown. 40 to 48 mm. South West and South 
Africa. 
S. sulphurea Btlr. (13 a). Above as flava, but the dorsal spots are much smaller. Abdomen beneath 
pale yellow, not dark. The $ belonging to it may be immaculata Brtl. 36 to 48 mm. Cameroon, Uganda. 
S. metaleuca Hmps. (13 a). Thorax and abdomen orange-yellow. The latter with an indistinct dark 
dorsal band. Forewing uni-coloured orange-yellow,. hindwing white. 28 mm. Niger District, Sudan. 
S. pellucida Rothsch. (13 b). Head and thorax ochreous-brown, abdomen somewhat more yellow. 
Wings ochreous-brown, intensely hyaline. In the forewing a black spot at the cross-vein. 36 mm. Gold Coast. 
The following species form again a group. 
S. pales Drc. (13 b). Thorax dark yellow; abdomen somewhat lighter with a large black central spot 
above, beneath with a grey one. Forewing orange-yellow, hindwing somewhat lighter. 42 mm. East Africa. 
S. atridorsia Hmps. (= rattrayi Rothsch. p. p.) (13 b) is very similar to pales. The black spot on 
the abdomen above is larger. Under surface yellow, 14 mm. Uganda. 
S. baxteri Rothsch. (13 b) is somewhat squatter than the two preceding species. Abdomen quite 
black, only the base and end orange. Forewing orange-yellow, hindwing somewhat lighter. 44 mm. East 
Africa. 
S. nigrociricta Kenrick (13 c). Above as baxteri. Abdomen beneath only with black ring-margins 
and lateral spots. Hindwing scarcely lighter than the forewing. 45 mm. Madagascar. 
In the following species only the abdominal segments are margined with black. 
The wings are likewise without markings. 
S. crossi Rothsch. (13 b). Thorax ochreous-brown, abdomen above orange-yellow with a brown dorsal 
line, beneath red-brown. Forewing brown, hindwing more yellow. 32 mm. West Africa. 
S. flavidus Brtl. (= sinefascia Hmps.) (13 b). Thorax greyish-yellow. Abdomen orange with black 
ring-margins, beneath yellowish-white. Wings pale yellow. Hind-margin of hindwing somewhat orange-yellow. 
42 to 52 mm. Niger District, Mashona Land, South West Africa. 
S. mundata Wkr. (13 c). Thorax and forewing white. Forewing at the costal and distal margins 
somewhat orange. Abdomen orange with black margins, beneath paler. Hindwing white, somewhat diaphanous 
hind-margin yellowish. 35 mm. West Africa. 
S. euryphlebia Hmps. (13 c) differs from the preceding species in the veins of the forewing being 
broadly marked with brown and in the brown stripes on the thorax. Forewing yellow, hindwing orange. 36 mm. 
Transvaal. 
The following species have a grey thorax and on the forewing grey stripes 
between the veins. 
S. lutescens Wkr. (13 c). Head and margin of tegulae orange, the rest and thorax grey. Abdomen 
orange with or without black dots beneath paler. Forewing only at the veins orange, otherwise grey, hindwing 
whitish or (in the $) somewhat orange. — semihyalina Brtl. is smaller, veins of forewing lighter yellow, both 
unimacula- 
ia. 
quadriluna- 
la. 
madagasca¬ 
riensis. 
holoxantha. 
lucida. 
flavidior. 
flava. 
sulphurea. 
metaleuca. 
pellucida. 
pales. 
atridorsia. 
baxteri. 
nigrocincta. 
crossi. 
flavidus. 
mundata. 
euryphle¬ 
bia. 
lutescens. 
semihyali¬ 
na. 
XIV 
13 
