Order: Lepidoptera. Section: Diurna. Family: Heliconiidæ.
Genus. Acræa, Fabr. Latr. God. Papilio (Helicon.), Fabr. olim.
Acræa Dice. Alis oblongis integerrimis concoloribus, anticis hyalino-cinerascentibus; posticis fulvis nigro-punctatis, margine exteriori latè hyalino. (Expans. Alar. 2 unc. 1½ lin.)
Syn. Papilio (Helicon.) Dice, Drury, App. vol. 3. (1783.)
Papilio (H.) Quirina, Fabr. Ent. Syst. III. 1. p. 159. No. 492. (1793.) Enc. Méth. ix. p. 231. No. 2. (Acræa Q.)
Habitat: "Sierra Leone, Mr. Smeathman, 1776" (Drury's MSS.). Madras (Fabricius).
Upper Side. Antennæ, eyes, thorax, and abdomen black; the latter having a row of white spots on each side, extending to the anus. Anterior wings thin and diaphanous; with a red streak along their posterior edges, reaching to the body from the lower corners, whereon is a small black line close to the body, with a small black round spot just below it. Posterior wings red, having a diaphanous border running along the external edges from the upper to the abdominal corners. These wings next the body are dark brown, and on the red are dispersed several small black spots, varying in number.
Under Side. Palpi brown. Fore legs yellow; the others yellow and brown. Breast spotted black and white. Abdomen ringed with yellow. Wings coloured as on the upper side, but the red is fainter; the dark brown part on this side is grey, and the black spots larger and more distinct. Margins of the wings entire.
ACRÆA CIRCEIS.
Plate [XVIII]. fig. 5, 6.