dcsimg

Comprehensive Description

provided by Memoirs of the American Entomological Society
Caenides na
This species is described from a single, very ragged specimen. Unfortunate as the condition of the specimen is, the male genitalia are so distinctive that it cannot be confused with any other member of the genus.
Male. — The upper surface is dark brown, apparently devoid of any maculation, unless there are subapical spots: this area it too worn to show such markings, if present. There is no brand on the upper surface of the forewing, showing its affinity to dacena, and the absence of a hair tuft on the upper side of the hindwing separates it from the dace la group. The under surface is brown overscaled marginad with yellow on both wings, and there is a small white spot at the end of the cell on the forewing.
The male genitalia show affinities to those of leonora (Plotz), and to a lesser degree to those of stoehri (Karsch). The uncus is closer to that of the former species but the terminal end is free and the gnathos is more ornate. The valva, distinct from that of either species, is characterized by the terminal lobe being bent dorsally and anteriad and is not to be confused with the broad, square-cut terminal lobe shown in stoehri; it is definitely not the infolded terminal portion of the valva of leonora, which is short and blunt rather than produced anteriad, as in the other two species.
Described from a single male in the collection of Carnegie Museum (C. M. Entomology Type No. 507).
Holotype S . — Yendamalahoun, Liberia, 30 mi. west of Voinjima; 27-IV-1958; R. M. Fox; <$ genitalic slide no. M-115 (Lee D. Miller).
The term "na" in Bassa means "devil" and is used as a greeting by young men.
It is difficult, owing to the condition of the type specimen, to place na in its proper position in the genus, but its superficial similarity to dacena is unquestionably overshadowed by its genitalic similarities to leonora and stoehri. Evidently any light marking which may be present are quite small as in dacena, but they may well be yellow as in the other two species, not translucent as in dacena.
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bibliographic citation
Fox, R.M., Lindsey, A.W., Clench, H.K., Miller, L.D. 1965. The Butterflies of Liberia. Memoirs of the American Entomological Society vol. 19. Philadelphia, USA