Publ. 12. XI. 1929. 
MELITTIA. By M. Gaede. 
28. Genus: Melittla Hbn. 
529 
Proboscis normal, palpi short-haired. Antennae at the ends very thick, in the $ finely dentate. Posterior 
tibiae and especially the tarsi humblebee-like long-haired. In the forewing veins 7 + 8 stalked, the others at 
about equal distances. In the hindwing veins 2, 3, 4 distantly separated, 5 in the middle of the cross-vein, 
6 + 7 long-stalked. Most of the species exhibit the hyaline forewing broadly margined with dark, particularly 
at the apex, with a broad cross-vein. On the hindwing the margin is narrow, the cross-vein little marked. In 
the last species the forewing and also part of the hindwing is not hyaline, for which reason they look somewhat 
different. Type: bombyliformis Cr. from India. 
M. haematopis Fawc. (77 f) differs much from the other species. Head red-brown, thorax and abdomen haematopis. 
white, the latter with brown segmental margins and hemochrome spots on each segment . Legs brown. Posterior 
tibiae thinly white-haired, with black and red tufts. Forewing not hyaline, yellowish-brown or reddish-brown, 
in the cell hemochrome scales. Hindwing hyaline, with a blue gloss. 26—34 mm. East Africa. 
M. pyropis limps. Head mixed witli white, abdomen above brown with white segmental margins, the pyropis. 
5th segment all white, beneath white. Hind tibiae and tarsi reddish-brown, mixed with black, outside with 
2 white spots on the tibia and 1 on the tarsus. Hair inside blackish-brown. Forewing hyaline, the dark areas 
with reddish-yellow scales, the cross-vein with fiery red scales. Hindwing at the inner margin orange. $ 42 mm. 
Central and South Africa. 
M. oedipus Oberth. Thorax olive green, abdomen blackish with white segmental margins, the 4th oedipus. 
segment white, abdomen beneath all white. Hind tibiae and tarsi black with white patches. On the forewing 
the inner margin and the edges of the cross-vein with red scales. On the hindwing the black inner margin 
with white scales. East Africa. The type was a very rare form. Normal specimens: = ignidiscata limps. (77 f) ignidiscata. 
are much more scaled red on the forewings (Oberthur’s figure shows no red colouring at all). Abdomen above 
only with fine white segmental margins, the hyaline areas yellowish, ab. thoracalis Strd. lias a brownish thor- thoracalis. 
ax, the hyaline areas being clear. East Africa. Rhodesia, Transvaal. 
M, chakonota Hmps. (= oedipoides Strd., congoana Le Cerf) (77 f). Similar to oedipus. The front hairs chalconota. 
on the posterior tibiae are slightly brownish. Fore wing at the base with yellowish-brown spots, the veins in 
the marginal area are light. 32—36 mm. Gold Coast, Cameroon, Congo District, East Africa. Presumably 
only a form of oedipus. 
In the following species the inner margin of the hindwing is very narrowly black. 
M. brevicornis Aur. (77 f). Palpi with long grey hairs. The distal hyaline area on the forewing extremely brevicornis. 
narrow, the wedge-shaped area and the longitudinal area also shortened. At the cross-vein and before the 
distal margin dusted with bluish-white. Posterior tibiae in front above with small brown spots, the rest covered 
with blackish hair. Abdomen on the 4th segment margined with white, beneath all white. 22 mm. Cameroon. 
M. auriplumia Hmps. (= laboissierei Le Cerf) (77 f). Similar to brevicornis. The exterior hyaline area auriplumia. 
almost circular, the two other hyaline areas well developed. Abdomen with fine white segmental margins, 
beneath yellowish-white. Posterior tibiae below black, outside brown and reddish, above as far as the middle 
dingy yellow, outside with 3 white spots. 26 mm. Congo District, Uganda. 
M. usambara Le Cerf (77 f) is somewhat larger than brevicornis, with broader wings. The distal hyaline usambara. 
area on the forewing only composed of 4 very short small areas. Hindwing at the inner margin with pale blue 
hairs. Posterior tarsi not hairy to the ends, posterior tibiae black, outside with white hairs. $ 30 mm. Usambara. 
M. boullefi Le Cerf (77 g). Olive green, only the 3 last abdominal segments above blackish. Palpi olive boulleti. 
green. Forewing only very narrowly margined with blackish, the cross-vein also narrow. At the distal margin 
near the apex a few white scales. Hindwing at the inner margin greyish-brown. Hind tibiae at the base black, 
in the middle outside dingy yellow, at the ends with reddish tips. Tarsi black, above inside with reddish hair- 
tips on the two first joints. According to the figure with Oberthur, however, quite unicoloured olive green. 
$ 35 mm. Delagoa Bay. 
M. laniremis Wllgr. Body violettish-black, the segmental margins on the abdomen yellow. Forewing laniremis. 
hyaline with blackish-brown margins and cross-vein. Hindwing very finely margined witli dark. Hind legs 
yellow, white and black. 37 mm. Cape Colony. 
M. aethiopica Le Cerf (77 g). Olive black. Abdomen above with fine white segmental margins, below aethiopica. 
white with 4 black dots near the base, anal tuft laterally white. On the forewing the cross-vein and the distal 
margin broadly olive black. At the centre of the distal margin bluish-white scales. Hyaline areas separated. 
Hindwing narrowly margined, inner margin not scaled. Hind tibiae basallv black, with long white hairs above, 
in the middle blackish brown and white, at the ends and the tarsi bluish-black with white patches, d 22 mm. 
Abyssinia. 
XIV 67 
