Argina astrea (Drury, 1773) Drury, D. (1773). Illustrations of Natural History, wherein are exhibited upwards of two hundred and twenty figures of exotic insects, vol. 2: p. 11, pl. VI, fig. 3; the name Phalaena astrea is given in the index. Described in the genus Phalaena. Fig. III. Expands an inch and about five eighths. Upper-side. The Head is a deep yellow. The Eyes dark. The Antennae are thread- like and dark brown. The Neck and Thorax are yellow, with two small black spots on the former, and four on the latter. The Abdomen is yellow. Both the Superior and Inferior Wings are of a deep yellow; the former being nearly orange-colour, and having several rows of small black spots crossing them from the anterior to the posterior edges, most of which are very irregular and uneven; the two last next the external edges being the least so. The number of spots on each of these wings is forty. The Inferior Wings are spotted with black, but much larger than those on the superior, except three, that run along the external edges; the whole number being eleven. Under-side. The Palpi are yellow, tipped with black. The Tongue is curled up spirally. The Legs, Breast, and Abdomen, are yellow, the last being spotted with black. All the wings on this side are of a deep yellow. The Superior ones are spotted with forty black spots, that are larger and stronger than on the upper- side. The Inferior Wings are also spotted as on the upper-side. The edges of all the wings are plain. I received it from the Gold Coast (as it is called) in Africa. I have not seen it any where described. There is another species like this found near the Cape of Good Hope, whose superior wings are of a paler yellow. Hampson, G. F. (1894). The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Moths, vol. 2: pp. 51-52, text-fig. 24, as Argina cribraria. 1275. Argina cribraria, Clerck, Icon. Ins. ii, pl. 54, fig. 4; C. & S. no. 743. Phalaena astraea, Drury, Ill. Exot. Ins. ii, p. 11, pl. 6, fig. 3; C. & S. no. 742. Bombyx pylotis, Fabr. Syst. Ent. p. 585; C. & S. no. 748. Deiopeia dulcis, Wlk. Cat. ii, p. 569; C. & S. no. 744. Argina guttata, Rambur, Lep. And. ii, p. 229; C. & S. no. 745. Argina notata, Butl. Trans. Ent. Soc. 1877, p. 365; C. & S. no. 746. Differs from argus and cribraria in the head, thorax, and fore wing being orange-yellow or whitish; abdomen and hind wing bright orange, the markings similar. The form dulcis has the ground-colour of the head, thorax, and fore wing almost pure white; in pardalina it is pale yellow, the spots of the fore wing being placed on white bands; in guttata = notata = astraea the spots are larger and the ground-colour bright yellow; in pylotis the ground-colour is more orange, the spots clouded with yellow. Hab. Mauritius; China; throughout India, Ceylon, and Burma; New Guinea. Exp., male 35-40, female 35-50 millim. The entries referred to by "differs from" are the preceding ones in the same work (p. 51) and read as follows. 1273. Argina argus, Koll. Hugel's Kaschmir, iv, p. 467, pl. 21, fig. 3; Moore, Lep. Ceyl. ii, pl. 105, figs. 1 a, b, c (larva); C. & S. no. 741. Head, thorax, and fore wing scarlet or brownish red; two black yellow-ringed spots on collar, two on tegulae, and three on thorax; the collar outlined with brilliant scarlet; abdomen scarlet, with dorsal, ventral, and two paired lateral series of black spots. Fore wing with six transverse series of yellow-ringed black spots, each series curved, irregularly disposed and variable as to size and number, the postmedial series bifurcating towards the costa. Hind wing scarlet, with one black spot at end of cell, another at origin of vein 2, another at its middle, and a submarginal series; a few small spots on margin, all these being somewhat variable. Larva purple-black, with a few dorsal hairs; head and a lateral line from 4th to 10th somites reddish; a dorsal series of transverse white streaks. Hab. Throughout India, Ceylon, and Burma. Exp., male 55, female 64 millim. 1274. Argina syringa, Cram. Pap. Exot. i, pl. v, fig. C; Moore, Lep. Ceyl. ii, pl. 105, figs. 2, 2 a, b, c (larva); C. & S. no. 749. Bombyx crotalariae, Fabr. Ent. Syst. iii, p. 473. Differs from argus in the head, thorax, and fore wing being pale pinkish brown; the spots larger and more prominent, those on the fore wing being placed on clouded fuscous bands. Abdomen and hind wing crimson. Larva purplish grey with sparse hairs; series of black dorsal transverse bands and lateral spots; head red. Pupa in a thin network cocoon. Hab. Throughout India and Ceylon; Australia. Exp., male 60, female 64 millim. Seitz, A. (1910). Argina. In: Seitz, A. (ed.), The Macrolepidoptera of the World, vol. 2, The Palaearctic Bombyces and Sphinges: p. 74, pl. 13 i, k (German edition: Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde 2: 74). As Argina cribraria. A. cribraria Clerck (13 i, k). Male dark orange yellow, female lighter; forewing bearing numerous rows of black dots with light edges, hindwing with more isolated black spots, confluent before the apex. In Kashmir, more at lower altitudes of the southern districts; also throughout India and Australia, Indo- China, Madagascar and the Mauritius, in various forms (pardalina, astrea, dulcis, pylotis). -- Larva with warts bearing short hairs, at the anal end long bristles, dark iron-grey with glossy head, dark dorsal line and brown-red legs; subdorsally the rings are whitish. Pupa light reddish brown, lighter dorsally, thorax and abdomen marked with black dots. The moth in the summer, common on wood-paths, in warm climates throughout the year. Seitz, A. (1915). Argina. In: Seitz, A. (ed.), The Macrolepidoptera of the World, vol. 10, The Indo-Australian Bombyces and Sphinges: p. 264, pl. 26 d, e (German edition: Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde 10: 264). As Argina cribraria. A. cribraria Cl. (26 d) is paler or darker yellow, on the forewing numerous dark punctiform spots with light marginings, sometimes in different places arranged into chains, also the hindwing with black spots. -- In the form dulcis Wkr. (26 d) the thorax and forewing are quite pale, almost white; -- in pylotis F., on the contrary, the ground-colour is a very deep yolk-colour or orange-yellow, and also the black spots of the forewing are encircled by yellow. -- In guttata Rmb. (= notata Btlr., astraea Drury) the black spots are very much thickened. -- pardalina Wkr. described from Cambodja, but distributed also elsewhere in India, is light yellow, the dark spots are situate in bone-coloured rings united to bands. -- Whereas the common cribraria is distributed in Ceylon, I took at a place near Kandy a form exhibiting instead of the encircled black spots of the forewing grey guttiform spots, whilst the ground of the forewing is hued reddish, thus contrasting with the orange hindwing; I denominate this form perforata ab. nov. (26 e). -- The larva is similar to that of A. argus, but in its grown-up state it has not the yellow dorsal stripe as argus, but a distinct double lateral stripe instead. Pectoral feet are black, ventral feet purple, marked white; the head coloured the same. It lives on low plants throughout the year and changes in a light web into a dull yellowish-brown pupa covered with longitudinal rows of black punctiform spots. The imago is very common; on being chased up it also flies in day-time on lawns and roads studded with verdure, in plantations, gardens etc. It has a whizzing flight and mostly only flies for some feet. The African A. amanda Bsd., although both are reported to occur beside each other in Madagascar, is surely only the African representative of this species.