NOCTUA? SPECIOSA. Fulva, alis anticis medio, posticisque albidis, illarum
basi fulvo, maculis 6 parvis nigris, dimidio apicali obscuriori. (Expans.
Alar. 2 unc. 9 lin.)
SYN. Phalæna (Noctua) Speciosa, _Drury_, _App. vol._ 2.
HABITAT: Sierra Leone.
_Upper Side._ Antennæ black, setaceous. Tongue long and spiral. Head,
neck, thorax, and abdomen yellow. Anterior wings pale clay-coloured; but
next the shoulders yellow, gradually changing to a white towards the
middle of the wings, and occupying almost half of them; each wing having
six small black spots on the yellow part, three being placed on the
anterior edge, and the other three near the shoulder, where likewise is
another small spot. Posterior wings white, immaculate.
_Under Side._ Palpi long and yellow at the base, but the ends are black
and filiform. Legs white, striped with brown. Breast and abdomen white.
Anterior wings with the tips pale clay-coloured, as on the upper side;
all the remaining part being white. A small black bar begins about the
middle of {11}the anterior margin, and crossing the wing ends at the
lower corner. Next the shoulders is a small tuft of hairs of a silver
colour placed on each wing. Posterior wings white and immaculate. The
margin of the wings entire.
This and several nearly allied species of tropical moths constitute a very
distinct subgenus characterized by the prevailing colour, the spots at the
base of the wings, the elongated palpi, and the peculiar neuration of the
anterior wings. I have not, however, ventured to propose the establishment
of a subgenus for them. They appear in some respects to be allied to the
genus Leucania.