Yponomeuta disemanta Meyrick, 1933

Agassiz, David J. L., 2019, The Yponomeutidae of the Afrotropical region (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutoidea), Zootaxa 4600 (1), pp. 1-69 : 28

31. Yponomeuta disemanta Meyrick, 1933 comb. rev.

Hyponomeuta disemanta Meyrick, 1933: 373

Paraswammmerdamia disemanta ( Meyrick, 1933) ; Gershenson & Ulenberg (1998: 86)

Type locality: Sierra Leone: Njala .

This species was transferred to Paraswammerdamia by Gershenson & Ulenberg (1998) but since it possesses the hyaline patch near the base of the hindwing that is likely not a correct placement. Whilst it may require a new genus, for the present it is restored to Yponomeuta .

Redescription of adult ( Plate 5 ). Wingspan 14–19 mm. Head and appendages pale grey, labial palpus with segment 3 pointed at apex, segment 2 about the same length. Thorax pale grey with two large black spots, tegula plain pale grey. Forewing pale grey, a large black spot in middle of fold, a smaller one towards apex, fringe concolorous with wing. Hindwing grey, paler basally, a small hyaline patch near base. Abdomen and legs pale grey.

Male genitalia ( Plate 15). Uncus almost square, socius moderate a fine pair of spines at apex; valva almost parallel sided, heavily clothed with dense hairs near base of dorsum, saccus simple about half length of valva. Aedeagus slender, almost equal in length to valva, a pair of weak cornuti.

Female genitalia ( Plate 24). Lamella postvaginalis lobes pronounced, antrum sclerotised, short and skewed to the left, ductus bursae scobinate for almost all of its length, corpus bursae ovate, signum a weakly sclerotised stellate plate.

Diagnosis. A very distinct species with one spot on the fore wing.

Biology. Not known. Adults recorded in January, February, March, April, May, June.

Distribution. West Africa: Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Gabon, DRC.

Type material. Holotype ♀ Sierra Leone, Njala, 11.vi.32 E. Hargreaves. Slide JFGC 7531 ( NHMUK).

Other material examined: 1 ♂ Sierra Leone, vii.1895 Clements, Genitalia slide BMNH Microlep 34351 ; 11 specimen, forewings only, vi.1895 Clements; 1 ♂ IVORY COAST, Bingerville 1915 G. Melou ; 1 ♂ Bingerville 25.v–3.vi.1915 G. Melou ; 1 ♀ Bingerville 9–12.vi.1915 G. Melou ; 1 ♀ NIGERIA, Rivers, Port Harcourt 19.i.58 B.J. MacNulty ; 1 ♀ Rivers, Port Harcourt 21.iv.58 B.J. MacNulty ; 2 ♀ Rivers, Port Harcourt 27.ii.55 B.J. Mac- Nulty ; 1 ♂ Old Calabar, 1901–09 F.W. Sampson, Genitalia slide BMNH Microlep 28372 ( NHMUK); GABON: Ogooue-Ivindo, Ipassa, Makokou 550 m 0°30’43’’N 12°48’13’’E 14–24.iii.2015 K. Larsen ( DJLA); D.R. CONGO : 1 ♂ Eala viii.1936 J. Ghesquière ( MRAC) .

Note. Specimens from other localities such as Ivory Coast have genitalia distinctly smaller than those from the type locality and may constitute a separate taxon .

Species incertae sedis

Figures

PLATE 5. The codes Y1 to Y4 refer to presently undescribed species, and are used to identify the specimens, and are also used in the museums where they are deposited.