Balacra preussi (Aurivillius, 1904)

Aurivillius, C. (1904). Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Insektenfauna von Kamerun.
14. Lepidoptera Heterocera. 2. Arkiv för Zoologi 2 (4): 1-68; p. 31, with
text-figure (as Metarctia preussi).

Translated from the Latin and German original.

59. Metarctia Preussi n. sp. -- Male. Greyish fawn-coloured; vertex, collar,
tegulae, meso- and metanotum variegated with red hairs; the sides of the
frons, 7 dorsal bands of the abdomen, the pectus, the femora, and ventral
spots of abdominal segments 1-3 densely clothed with red hairs; antennae
black, very shortly pectinate; wings above fawn-coloured; the fore wings
ornamented with 6 hyaline spots ringed with red (in areas 1 b, 3-6 and in the
cell) and an obsolete red dot in area 2, slightly suffused with red near the
hind angle, beneath red in area 1 b and in the cell; hind wings unspotted,
suffused with red on both sides towards the anal angle. -- Expanse of wings 39
mm.

Kamerunberg: Buea -- Preuss -- Museum of Stockholm and of Berlin.

This species agrees closely in markings with caeruleifascia.

Original text:
59. Metarctia Preussi n. sp. -- Male. Cinereo-cervina; vertice, collari,
tegulis, meso- et metanoto pilis rubris variegatis; lateribus frontis, fasciis
7 dorsalibus abdominis, pectore, femoribus, maculisque ventralibus segmentorum
1-3 abdominis dense rubro-pilosis; antennis nigris brevissime pectinatis; alis
supra cervinis; anticis maculis 6 hyalinis rubrocinctis (in areis 1 b, 3-6 et
in cellula) et puncto rubro obsoleto in area 2 ornatis, prope angulum posticum
leviter rubro-suffusis, infra in area 1 b et in cellula rubris; alis posticis
immaculatis angulum analem versus utrinque rubro-suffusis. -- Expans. alar. 39
mm. Kamerunberg: Buea -- Preuss -- Museum Holmiae et Berolinense. Diese Art
stimmt in der Zeichnung mit caeruleifascia nahe überein.

Hampson, G. F. (1914). Catalogue of the Lepidoptera Phalaenae in the British
Museum, Supplement, vol. 1, Catalogue of the Amatidae and Arctiadae (Nolinae
and Lithosianae). British Museum, London; pp. 76-77 (as Balacra preussi).

294 e. Balacra preussi.

Metarctia preussi, Auriv. Ark. f. Zool. ii. 4, p. 31 (1904), male; Roths. Nov.
Zool. xix. pl. xiv. ff. 38, 39.
Pseudapiconoma preussi, brunnea, Grünb. Deutsch. Ent. Zeit. 1907, p. 434, pl.
iv. f. 4, male; Roths. Nov. Zool. xix. pl. xiv. f. 40.
Pseudapiconoma speculigera, Grünb. Deutsch. Ent. Zeit. 1907, p. 434, pl. iv.
f. 5, female.
Pseudapiconoma laureola, Druce, A. M. N. H. (8) v. p. 393 (1910).
Pseudapiconoma guilliemi, Oberth. Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. lxxix. p. 469, pl. 17. f.
11 (1911).

Male. Head and thorax pale brown, the sides of frons, base of antennae, and
tips of tegulae scarlet, tips of patagia and spots on thorax orange; abdomen
pale brown with orange-red segmental bands, the anal tuft orange; pectus
scarlet in front, the legs streaked with crimson. Fore wing yellow-brown;
three crimson points near base; a hyaline spot edged with scarlet in end of
cell and another below base of vein 2; five hyaline spots slightly edged with
scarlet beyond the cell. Hind wing pale yellowish, the cell hyaline, the inner
area tinged with scarlet.

Ab. 1. laureola. Fore wing with the postmedial hyaline spots larger and
without red edges.

Ab. 2. brunnea. Head, thorax, and fore wing browner, the last without red
edges to the spots.

Female. Head and thorax brown tinged with grey; palpi at base, sides of frons,
and gulae crimson; tips of tegulae, upper edge of patagia, and metathorax dull
crimson; coxae, femora, and tibiae on inner side crimson; abdomen dull crimson
banded with brown tinged with grey, the ventral surface with the crimson bands
narrow. Fore wing dark reddish brown, the base of inner margin tinged with
crimson; a small triangular hyaline spot in cell above origin of vein 2; a
small elliptical hyaline spot edged with crimson below origin of vein 2; four
rounded hyaline postmedial spots between veins 7 and 3 defined by dark brown,
the uppermost spot smaller, and a slight dark spot below vein 3. Hind wing
crimson red, the veins and cilia brownish; the underside with the costal half
suffused with brown.

Hab. S. Nigeria, Yorubaland, Ogbomoso (Carter), 1 male; Cameroons, Ja R.,
Bitje; Germ. E. Africa, Tanganyika, M'pala. Exp. male 46, female 56 millim.

Seitz, A. (1926). Balacra. In: Seitz, A. (ed.), The Macrolepidoptera of the
World, vol. 14, The African Bombyces and Sphinges. Alfred Kernen, Stuttgart;
p. 55, pl. 7 d.

B. preussi Aur. (= guillemei Oberth.) (7 d) differs from the preceding in the
distinctly defined white, not yellow hyaline spots, 4 or 5 of which are
combined to a subapical chain in the forewing, whilst 2 smaller ones are in
and below the cell. In the male the colouring is a brownish purple pink, in
the female the thorax and the ground-colour of the forewing are dark brown. --
brunnea Grünb. (7 c) has a yellow body and hindwing, with smaller spots in the
forewing, which, on the contrary, are larger and particularly longer in
longimacula Strd. -- In laureola Drc. the red bordering of the cellular spots
in the forewing is absent, but they are larger. West Africa. -- erubescens
Joic. & Talb., probably a separate species from the Belgian Congo, has the
forewing suffused with reddish, and only 4 postcellular spots.

The preceding species, to which Seitz compares preussi (p. 55):

B. flavimacula Wkr. (= decora Oberth.) (7 c) differs from the quite similar
testacea in the female showing the white spots of the fore wing with much
larger white centres, and the male showing no black belts in the centre of the
abdomen. Beside this typical form there also occur specimens (in Cameroon)
with more intensely purple pink hindwings, and such without any yellow spots
on the forewing (= ab. monotonia Strd.). West Africa.

The species testacea, to which flavimacula is compared in turn (p. 55):

B. testacea Aur. (7 a) is of a bright ruddle-red colour; forewing with 3
(male) or 4 (female) red discal spots which are light-centred in the female.
Abdomen of male with dark bands. In an aberration the female may also lack the
light centres of the discal spots. West Africa, Uganda. -- In ab. micromacula
Strd. the spots are smaller and without yellow centres.