Africa, Southern -- Description and travel; Natural history -- Africa, Southern
Another specimen, which I cannot distinguish specifically from the
preceding, was also taken at the Victoria Falls in January 1875, and
has the upper surface of the wings rather brighter orange-red, with
two minute additional black dots within the discoidal cell, at about
half its length from the base, and with the abdomen orange-fulvous, the
three basal segments on the upper side being alone black, varied with
orange. The apical margin of the fore wings in this specimen is not so
rounded as in the other with the spotted abdomen, which is evidently a
female, the probability being that the male has the wings rather less
rounded and the abdomen not spotted.
32. (2) ACRÆA ATOLMIS, Westw. (Plate F, figs. 3, 4.)
Alis supra aurantiacis basi nigricantibus, maculis nigris minutis
notatis, anticarum apice venis nigris margineque tenuissimo nigro
maculaque postica prope angulum posticum posita. Expans. alar. antic.
unc. 1¹¹⁄₁₂.
Habitat prope “Victoria Falls;” mense Januario capta.
This species is smaller than the preceding, with the various black
markings very small, the interspaces of the apical portion of the
fore wings not striolated with black, and the posterior spot of the
fore wings placed just between the preceding spot and the hind angle
of the wing. The upper surface of the wings is uniformly orange, with
the basal half rather redder, the base itself being suffused with
black scales; within the discoidal cell is a small kidney-shaped black
spot, followed by a narrow oblique one at the extremity of the cell;
behind this (between the 1st and 2d branches of the median vein) is
another spot, and between the latter and the posterior angle of the
wing is a third, the three forming nearly a straight row; beyond the
discoidal cell is a short oblique row of small black dots, between
which and the apical margin of the wing the veins are black: the hind
wings have a small black dot within the discoidal cell, and a curved
row of six small black dots across the wing close to the extremity of
the cell; the hind margin is very slenderly black, and the veins also
have their apical portions black. The wings beneath are of an uniform
rosy buff-colour, with the black spots more numerous and distinct than
above, the hind wings having about 18 small but distinct ones, those at
the base and near the anal margin not visible above; the apical margin
of all the wings is very slenderly black, the hind wings having no
trace of the lunular markings of the preceding and following species.
Body black, sides of thorax with yellowish buff spots; abdomen buff,
with the basal segments dusky above.
_Note_.--In the engraving the apical margin of the fore wings is
represented rather too much rounded.
33. (3) ACRÆA AXINA, Westw. (Plate F, figs. 5, 6.)
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