320 
NUD AURELIA. By M. Gaedi:. 
alcinoe. B. alcinoe 8toll. A most variable species. Ground-colour varying from brown to red-brown. Bases 
of both wings almost red. Inner line obliquely distad, white. At the costal margin as far as behind the quadrangu¬ 
lar, outside indented hyaline spot broadly dusted with grevish-white or yellowish-white. Outer line almost 
or entirely absent or also as much as 3 mm broad, behind it at a variable distance the distal area is inside 
sharply bordered with white, after that broadly faded white. Hindwing with an interior and exterior white 
line, variable as on forewing. Eyespot with or without hyaline spot with yellow, black, white rings. Distal 
margin inside white as on fore wing. According to the scheme of markings the species is divided into 3 principal 
alcinoe. forms. In alcinoe 8toll the inner line may be absent (though rarely) on both wings, the outer line is thin or 
caffmrin. absent, the hyaline spot is far (5—10 mm) away from it. — In caffraria Stoll (= caffra Hbn., nyctalops Wallgr., 
barbertonia Obth ., sanguebarica Obth., durbania Obth.) (49 a) the inner and outer lines are distinct, the hyaline 
aslauga. spot touches or transsects the outer line. - aslauga Ky. (49 a) shows the outer line strong and far remote from 
at tricolor, the interior edge of the distal area. The colour also varies greatly; a golden yellow aslaugci-iorm is: — auricolor 
Mab. aslauga chiefly occurs in Madagascar, where it was denominated besides: plumicornis Btlr., fuscicolor 
de heeri. Mab., diospyri Mab., alcinolna Obth., urania Obth., densilineata Obth. - tie beeri Obth. is an abnormal specimen 
mif/aftana. in which the exterior white ring of the eyespot on the hindwing is replaced by black. angasana Westic. is 
niibica. presumably like a yellow alcinoe. — nubica Jonl. is somewhat more different. The apex of the forewing is in 
the $ but slightly produced. The hyaline spot is inside and outside distinctly edged with orange, less towards 
the inner margin. In the hindwing the yellow eye-ring is darker, the white ring fused with the inner and outer 
lines. From the Blue Nile. 110 — 150 mm. The forms of alcinoe preferably though by no means exclusively 
in West Africa, the forms of caffraria in South and East Africa, the former being mostly also the largest. The 
numerous names partly denote single variations of colours and markings, thus they are not all purely synonyms, 
but as all the forms are connected by transitions, they can hardly be used and are of interest for special 
collectors at most. 
tricolor. B. tricolor Rothsch. Ground-colour blackish-grey. Costal margin of forewing somewhat lighter, 
the inner white line is only slightly traceable, the outer line single, broad, the space behind it not light. The 
hyaline spot is but narrow. On the hindwing the inner line is quite absent, the outer double, broad, filled with 
dark. Eyespot as in alcinoe. <$ 130 mm. Abyssinia. 
4. Genus: Nil (laurel in Rothsch. 
Antennae of £ always strongly pectinate, in the 2 much shorter, or only dentate. In the same species 
there often occur differences. In the fore wing vein 10 is stalked with 7 + 8 and may branch off before or behind 
vein 7, these species are partly separated as genus Gonimbrasia, or vein 10 rises separately from the cell. The 
anterior tibiae partly exhibit two spines. Thus the characterisation of the genus is rather colourless, but it 
cannot be more distinct, since surely closely allied forms e. g. arata and triramis show differences in the neuration, 
although they may be only a single species. The same disagreeable conditions are also to be found in the larvae. 
The imago of bamendana is most similar to gueinzii (vein 10 separate), but the larva of bamendana resembles 
that of belinct-osiris (vein 10 stalked). Besides the larvae are most variable, so that specific differences are not 
always safely founded upon differences of the larvae. Pupae without cocoon in the ground. 
Group! Vein 10 of fore w ing stalked with vein 7 , veins 9 and 11 a b s e n t. 
Subgenus Aurivillius Pack. Antennae also in the $ well pectinated. Apex of forewing in the A strongly, 
in the 2 less produced. 
arata. N. arata Westw. (49 b). Orange-yellow. Interior line thick, violettish-brown, in front of it similar 
spots, behind it a stripe in the cell. Eyespot pinkish-brown, with white pink rings. Behind it a thin distinct 
notched line. Outer line thick, straight. Behind it broad violettish-brown, mostly parted by a yellow notched 
line. Hindwing at the base pinkish-brown with 3 notched variably complete lines. Margin as in forewing. 
fusca. Eyespot with black, brown, red, white, red rings. 100- 130 mm. Togo, Cameroon to Natal. — In fusca Rothsch. 
diraricaius. the ground-colour is reddish nut-brown. Natal. divaricalus Bout, is a yellow fusca, figured by M a ass ex 
and Weymet? (Beitrage fig. 59). 
triramis. N. triramis Rothsch. The inner line of the fore wing more sharply notched, finer. Marginal area more 
sharply notched, finer. Marginal area more yellow. Antennae of $ and 9 shorter, denser and pectinate. 
Otherwise like arata. Vein 10 is not forked with 7 + 8 + 9 as in arata, 11 is absent in both. 90- 110 mm. 
Sierra Leone, Angola. 
ohcrthiin . N. oberthuri Bout, differs reversely from arata. in the veins, compared with triramis. for vein 10 always 
branches off after 7. On the hindwing the dents of the median line meet those of the inner line behind the 
eyespot. The outer line is only posteriorly somewhat undulate. The hyaline area in the eye-spot is hardly 
recognisable. Tanganyica District. 
