OCR Text |
Show 1900.] FROM BRITISH EAST AFRICA. 931 68. MYLOTHRIS NEUMANNI. Mylothris neumanni, E. M. Sharpe, Ann. N. H. (6) xvii. p. 125 (1896); id. Neumann's Elephant Hunting, p. 444, plate (facing p. 66), figs. 1, 1 a, 2, 2 a (1898). 8 8.2 2, Eoromo, 7800 feet, Jan. 27 & 29; Feb. 6, 7, 10, 15, 17, 18 ; March 24, 1900. Of the first females captured Mr. Crawshay writes :-" I think, on opening the abdomen, I have found and taken out a quantity of what appear to be partially developed ova of a young leaf-green colour." A pair in coitu was taken on Feb. 6th. A female was captured by Bvalamkombi, Mr. Crawshay's "faithful follower," on Feb. 10. Of the last example captured Mr. Crawshay writes :-" After several months' incessant rain this insect is fairly plentiful, though difficult to get within reach of owing to its absolutely arboreal habits, and perfect specimens are now practically impossible to obtain ; the enclosed is the only decent specimen of four netted." (R. C.) Among the examples previously secured w7ere several magnificent specimens. Although this species shows a fair amount of variation as regards the size of the white markings of the primaries, not one of the specimens could, by any possibility, be confounded with any of the other quite distinct species which Prof. Aurivillius has associated together as variations of M. narcissus : it comes nearest to M. dentatus (of which the insect referred to M. narcissus is perhaps the true female, the male M. narcissus being distinct and more nearly related to M. jacksoni and swaynei; but of this I cannot be sure until females have been received from Nyasaland); the costal margin of the primaries, bow7ever, is constantly and very perceptibly shorter in M. neumanni 8 than in M. dentatus 8, and the white on the primaries, when most developed in this sex, consists only of four subconfluent internervular fusiform dashes, the veins encircling the discoidal cell being also white; in some males these dashes are small and slender, leaving the primaries almost entirely black. The secondaries of the female vary on the under surface to ochreous, and in some examples a tint of buff shows on the upper surface ; this tends to indicate that M. knutsoni, Aurivillius, may be only a slight colour-variation of M. jacksoni (from which its describer says that it can scarcely be distinguished excepting in its ochraceous yellow posterior wings). "We have a female of M. trimenia in which the secondaries are ochreous above, but whether this is constant or not I cannot say; the under surface of these wings in the males is certainly variable in this respect. With regard to M. crawshayi, which Prof. Aurivillius thinks may be an aberration, it is the best defined species of this group, having more nearly the outline and general aspect of the species for which I founded the genus Phrissura, though with the neuration of Mylothris; we have five males and one female, and they do not vary in the least. PROC. ZOOL. Soc-1900, No. LXI. 61 |