Celaenorrhinus proxima maesseni Berger 1976

COCK, MATTHEW J. W. & CONGDON, T. COLIN E., 2011, Observations on the biology of Afrotropical Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera) principally from Kenya. Part 3. Pyrginae: Celaenorrhinini, Zootaxa 3033 (1), pp. 1-67 : 15

Celaenorrhinus proxima maesseni Berger 1976

I reared this subspecies once from caterpillars collected in the Forêt de Yapo, Côte d’Ivoire, 4 Dec 1988 (88/202A). The food plant was an unidentified species of Acanthaceae , which I considered close to Justicia (e.g. Figures 21.2 and 51.1 ) and Hypoestes (e.g. Figures 21.1 , 28 and 58 ). Larsen (2005) gives Mimulopsis as a food plant, but this was based on my observations of ssp. proxima from Kenya ( Larsen 1991).

Leaf shelters

Shelters were typical of Celaenorrhinus spp. Stage 1 was a one-cut shelter in the leaf lamina, 6 x 7 mm. Stage 2 was a two-cut shelter from the edge of the leaf, 14 x 15 mm. Another two-cut shelter of 30 x 15 mm was probably a stage 3 shelter. Two penultimate instar caterpillars were collected, one in the stage 2 shelter, and the other ready to moult in the stage 3 shelter.

Caterpillar

Two days after collection, and ten days before moulting, the penultimate instar caterpillar measured 12 mm. Head dark brown, almost black ventrally; shield-shaped, rugose. T1 with transparent dorsal plate. Body dull green through transparent cuticle; dorsal line slightly darker; sharply defined narrow white dorsolateral line T2–A8; similar lateral line running through spiracles; legs concolorous. The final instar was similar and lasted 17 days.

Pupa The pupa was not distinguished from that of C. p. proxima and was not photographed in life.

Figures

FIGURE 21. Food plants of Celaenorrhinus galenus opalinus. 1, Hypoestes aristata, Nairobi (transplanted), 5 Feb 1989. 2, Justicia flava, Nairobi (transplanted), 12 Mar 1989.

FIGURE 28. Celaenorrhinus galenus biseriata food plants. 1, Hypoestes forskaolii (identified as H. verticillaris white flower form), Shimba Hills (transplanted to Nairobi) 91.10.9. 2, H. forskaolii (identified as H. sp.?verticillaris pink flower form), Marere waterworks, Shimba Hills, 13 Dec 1990.

FIGURE 51. Food plant, ovum and young caterpillar of Sarangesa motozi. 1, Justicia scandens, transplanted from Kibwezi Forest to Nairobi, Jun 1990. 2, eclosed ovum, collected on J. scandens, Kibwezi Forest, 21 Jan 1990, 90/9A. 3, n–4 caterpillar on shelter lid; collected in stage 1 shelter on J. scandens, as (2); photographed 22 Jan 1990, 2 mm; moulted 29 Jan; final instar parasitized by Apanteles (s.l.) sp. 19 Feb; 90/9D.

FIGURE 58. Hypoestes triflora, a food plant of Sarangesa haplopa, Kakamega Forest, transplanted to Nairobi, photographed 8 Dec 1990.