Metarctia rubripuncta Hampson, 1898

Hampson, G. F. (1898). Catalogue of the Lepidoptera Phalaenae in the British
Museum, vol. 1 (Syntomidae): p. 147, no. 286, pl. V, fig. 4. Original
description.

286. Metarctia rubripuncta, n. sp. (Plate V. fig. 4.)

Female. Head and thorax dark fuscous brown, the basal joint of antennae and
some of the hair on thorax bright pink; abdomen with pink and fuscous-brown
bands. Fore wing dark fuscous brown irrorated with pale scales; two pink
points at base and a pink discocellular spot. Hind wing fuscous brown, with
the inner margin pinkish; veins 4, 5 from a point. Antennae minutely serrate.
Ab. 1. Hind wing pink.--Congo, Mus. Stockholm.
Hab. W. Africa, Gaboon, 1 female type. Exp. 52 millim.

Holland, W. J. (1920). Lepidoptera of the Congo, being a systematic list of
the butterflies and moths collected by the American Museum of Natural History
Congo Expedition, together with descriptions of some hitherto undescribed
species. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 43: 109-369; pp.
264-265, pl. XIII, fig. 4. Original description of Metarctia chapini Holland,
1920, a synonym of M. rubripuncta.

(492) 5. Metarctia chapini, new species
Plate XIII, Figure 4, female, type

Female. Antennae and eyes black; frons, head, and thorax on the upper side
black; abdomen on the upper side with the first six segments very pale
pinkish, margined terminally with deep black, the remaining segments deep
black; thorax and abdomen on the under side pale fuscous, the banding which is
very conspicuous on the upper side being only faintly indicated on this side
in the case of the anterior segments of the abdomen; legs dorsad pale pinkish,
ventrad black. Fore wings on the upper side sooty black, without any trace of
paler markings, on the under side pale fuscous, slightly darker near the apex,
and at the base near the inner margin passing into pale pinkish. Hind wings on
the upper side pale pink, the nervules and outer margin being slightly clothed
with pale fuscous squamation, on the under side dark fuscous, except along the
inner margin, where they are pale pink. Expanse, 45 mm.

The type, which is unique, was taken at Medje, June 26, 1910, and is in The
American Museum of Natural History. I take pleasure in naming the species in
honor of Mr. J. P. Chapin, one of the leaders of the expedition.

The species comes near M. rubripuncta Hampson, but may be easily distinguished
from that species by the entire absence of the pale spots and markings of the
upper side of the primaries, the very strongly contrasting banding of the
upper side of the abdomen, and the pale color of the hind wings on the upper
side.

Seitz, A. (1926). Metarctia. In: Seitz, A. (ed.), The Macrolepidoptera of the
World, vol. 14, The African Bombyces and Sphinges: p. 54, pl. 6 i. (German
edition: Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde 14.)

M. rubripuncta Hmps. (6 i). Body orange, marked and shaded with dark brown.
Wings chestnut-brown, forewing with a fiery red dot at the base and
cross-vein. Gabun. -- On the Congo there also occurs a form with pink
hindwings.