Hypomyrina nomenia (Hewitson 1874)

Deudorix (Hypomyrina) acares Karsch Deudorix acares Karsch, 1893: 219. H. H. Druce, 1910a: 13, 28; pi. 5, figs. 3, 3a (photo of type). Aurivillius, 1922 [1908-1925]: 365.
= ? Deudorix nomenia (Hewitson): Staudinger, 1891: 156. Gabriel, 1939: 74. Stempffer and Bennett, 1956: 507.
The subgenus Hypomyrina is a complex of closely related forms that most authors have been content to leave under one or a very few names, generally expressing the opinion that all probably belong to but one species. Comparison of the male genitalia, identical throughout, sheds no light whatever on the problem.
It is my suspicion — and in the circumstances it is no more than that — that Hypomyrina comprises a number of species, perhaps half a dozen or so. Variation among males at hand, mostly from Cameroon and Gabon, involves such characters as wing shape (particularly the convexity of the forewing costa and termen) ; costad extent of the discal orange; configuration of the forewing fuscous terminal border; distinctness of the postmedian line below; structural details of the tornal pattern elements below. Many of these or similar traits are of demonstrable specific worth in other Deudorix.
Staudinger (1891) distinguished two sympatric species in Sierra Leone, one of which he called nomenia, naming the other as new (nomion, see below). The present male is not nomion and not nomenia, but it does look much like nomenia and may be the same species that Staudinger so identified, and Stempffer and Bennett (1956) as well. Karsch suspected his single type of acares to be a female,
but on grounds we now know to be invalid. Druce's (1910) photograph of this type is inconclusive as to its sex, but shows a nomenialike form with extensive forewing discal fulvous. If a male, it is of a different species, presumably, than the Liberian male at hand; if, however, it is a female, then it could well be that sex of the Liberian male. I adopt the latter possibility with much hesitation but as the simplest course since a decision of some kind must be made.
The single Liberian male (fig. 214) shows the following characters: size small (forewing length 12.5 mm.); forewing with costa and termen much less convex than in nomenia (fig. 215) ; orange area extensive, reaching just above M3 and invading the postero-distal area of the discal cell; terminal fuscous slender and tapering regularly to a point at tornus. The specimen is too rubbed to be sure of any features of the under surface pattern.
Gabriel (1939) should be consulted for further discussion of the group. A male corresponding very closely with his "subspecies" fournierae is at hand from Gabon. In line with the remarks made above, I should be inclined to accord fournierae specific rank and to consider the Gabon specimen as a western representative.
Liberia: Kpain, $., IV (Stempffer and Bennett, 1956); St. Paul River at Zorzor Road, 1 $ , III (Fox).

Hypomyrina nomenia, the orange playboy, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Nigeria, Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, Angola, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia. The habitat consists of forests.