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Show 1897.] BUTTERFLIES O F T H E G E N U S TERACOLUS. 13 forms, and to the fact that typical specimens occur throughout the eastern side of Africa, I think it advisable to regard them as merely synonyms of one variable species. T. vesta ranges practically through the whole of Tropical Africa, but south of the Tropics it does not occur westward of the Transvaal and Natal. 21. TERACOLUS ANSORGEI, sp. nov. 3 . Upperside bright ochreous with black markings. Fore wing : Pattern and colouring similar to that of T. aurigineus, Butl., except in the following points : (a) there is no trace of the whitish-grey patch at base, it being replaced by slight blackish clouding; (6) the discal zigzag black band is narrower and ends abruptly on inner nervure, instead of being continued to, and suffused along, inner margin. Neuration more finely black throughout. Hind wing: Ground-colour as in fore wing, base with very slight fuscous clouding, and a curved dentate band across disc of same colour as basal clouding, much lighter than same feature in T. aurigineus, and continuous, not macular ; a broad black hind-marginal band, containing inter-nervular dots of ground-colour. Neuration black beyond middle only. Underside. Pattern exactly like that of T. vesta, Reiche. Fore wing : Ground-colour somewhat lighter than above : discocellular spot distinct, smaller than above ; zigzag discal band of upperside reproduced, but macular, being divided by nervules which are dark pink in colour, near costa the band assumes a brownish tinge; beyond this a row of yellow spots, large below first median nervule and of same colour as base, but above it they are smaller and of a pale yellow tint; beyond this a narrow curved brownish line, which is succeeded by a hind-marginal row of subquadrate pale yellow spots, which diminish towards posterior angle. Hind wing : Pale yellow, with basal half of costa and a ray along inner nervure ochreous yellow. A longitudinal ray from base in cell and a shorter one above it deep pink; an irregular trausverse band of the same colour passing through the extremity of discoidal cell, then a band of ground-colour and a discal angulated brownish-pink band about middle of wing ; then another broader band of yellow, divided into spots by the intersecting pink nervules ; beyond this a narrow curved line of brownish pink, and finally a hind-marginal row of subquadrate spots of ground-colour. A thin black line runs along extreme hind margin of both wings, which is present in T. vesta but absent in T. aurigineus. Female same as tbe male, but the colouring duller on both surfaces. This is a most interesting species, combining as it does the - upperside colouring of T. aurigineus with the underside colouring of T. vesta, being at the same time quite distinct from either species. From the former it may be at once distinguished by the complete absence, in the male, of the basal white patch in fore wing, and the great reduction of the black discal band in the hind wing, but the underside is hardly distinguishable from some specimens of the variable T. vesta (more particularly of the T. mutans form). |