Eagris sabadius andracne ( Boisduval 1833 )

Cock, Matthew J. W. & Congdon, T. Colin E., 2011, Observations on the biology of Afro-tropical Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera) principally from Kenya. Part 2. Pyrginae: Tagiadini 2893, Zootaxa 2893 (1), pp. 1-66 : 18

Eagris sabadius andracne ( Boisduval 1833) ( Figures 10–12 )

This subspecies is restricted to Madagascar. Caterpillars were found together with all stages of shelters on what appears to be a Dombeya sp. (a speciose genus in Madagascar) at Perinet Reserve, 17 Aug 1990. Photographs were taken of the shelters ( Figure 10 ), final instar caterpillar ( Figure 11 ) and pupa ( Figure 12 ), but no detailed descriptions or observations were recorded. The leaf shelters ( Figure 10 ) do not differ from those of E. sabadius astoria ( Figure 4 ). The final instar caterpillars ( Figure 11 ) resemble those of astoria that have the head pale brown ( Figure 8.2 ), although there is a hint in the photograph of andracne that the sides of the head are slightly more parallelsided. The brown areas of the thorax of andracne ( Figure 12 ) seem darker than the corresponding area of the pupa of astoria ( Figure 9 ), and the abdomen of andracne has a much reduced white wax covering. Overall, the early stages of the two subspecies are very similar, and this limited sample of andracne seems to be within the range of variation of astoria.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Leaf shelters of Eagris sabadius astoria. 1, stage 1 shelter and associated feeding on Pavonia urens, Ololua Forest, Karen, Nairobi, 6 Mar 1988, 88/18; 2, lid of opened stage 1 shelter with instar 1 caterpillar, Ngong Forest, Nairobi, 1 Oct 1989, 89/ 70E; 3, stage 2 shelter on Cardiospermum grandiflorum (Sapindaceae), Nairobi, 12 Nov 1989; 4, stage 3 shelter on Grewia similis which contained a prepupa, Ngong Forest, Nairobi, 19 Nov 1989, 89/93.

FIGURE 8. Fifth instar caterpillars of Eagris sabadius astoria. 1, collected and photographed 19 Jul 1988 on Pavonia burchellii, Muguga, prepupa 29 Jul, female 15 Aug, 88/58; 2, collected and photographed 8 Oct 1989 on Allophylus ferrugineus, Karura Forest, Nairobi, 24mm, pupa 17 Oct; female 29 Oct, 89/77.

FIGURE 9. Pupae of Eagris sabadius astoria. 1, dorsolateral view, collected and photographed 19 Nov 1989 on Dombeya burgessiae, Ngong Forest, Nairobi, male 26 Nov; 89/92; 2, lateral view, collected as pupa 14 Jan 90 on Ceiba speciosa, Kyuna Estate, Nairobi, photographed 16 Jan, 17mm, male 20 Jan, 90/5B; 3, ventral view, collected 19 Nov 1989 as prepupa on Grewia similis, Ngong Forest, Nairobi, photographed 26 Nov, male 4 Dec, 89/93.

FIGURE 10. Leaf shelters of Eagris sabadius andracne on unidentified Malvaceae (?Dombeya sp.), Perinet, Madagascar, 16 Aug 1990, 90/209.1, stage 2 shelter; 2, stage 2 shelter and empty stage 1 shelter; 3, stage 3 shelter of fifth instar caterpillar.

FIGURE 11. Fifth instar caterpillar of Eagris sabadius andracne collected 17 Aug 1990 on unidentified Malvaceae (?Dombeya sp.), Perinet, Madagascar, photographed 21 Aug, 19mm, pupated 12 Sep, 90/209C. 1, detail of head; 2, dorsolateral view.

FIGURE 12. Pupa of Eagris sabadius andracne collected as fifth instar caterpillar on 17 Aug 1990 on unidentified Malvaceae (?Dombeya sp.), Perinet, Madagascar, pupated 9 Sep, photographed 12 Sep, 17mm, 90/209B. 1, dorsolateral view; 2, lateral view.