Homaloxestis cholopis (Meyrick, 1906)

(Figs. 1, 5, 5a–b).

Lecithocera cholopis Meyrick, 1906: 149 . TL: Myanmar. Homaloxestis cholopis; Meyrick, 1925: 225.

= Homaloxestis lophophora Janse, 1954: 341 . TL: Pretoria.

= Homaloxestis surrepta Diakonoff, 1968: 130 . TL: Philippines.

Diagnosis. Male (Fig. 2). Wingspan 16 mm. This species is similar to H. baibaraensis Park, but it can be distinguished by the male genitalia: outer margin of valva broadly convex medially with dense short, peg-like scales, whereas the margin has two distinct protrusions in the latter. Illustration of the male genitalia are given in the Figures 5 and 5a.

Material examined. 1♂, Cameroon, Efulen, H.L. Weber, Acc. C.M. 6122; Apr. 25 1916, gen . slide no. CIS- 6853; 1♂, same locality, H.L. Weber, Ac. 4938, May 10 1913; 1♂, same locality, H.L. Weber, Ac. 5251, Feb. 26 1914; 1♂, Gabon, W Africa, CM Acc. 4189, Nov. 9 1909, gen. slide no. CIS-6858.

Distribution. India, Nepal, Myanmar, Vietnam, China, Taiwan, The Philippines, South Africa, and Cameroon.

Remarks. The male genitalia of H. cholopis Meyrick from South Africa illustrated by Janse (1954, Pl. CXLI, Fig 7 & CXLVIII, Fig. 6) are not those of this species (see illustrations by Clarke, 1965, 88, Pl. 44, Figs 1, 1a–b), and represent an undescribed species. The male genitalia of H. cholopis from Cameroon show slight differences from those of the Oriental specimens from Vietnam and Taiwan, but the differences are considered to be within the range of intraspecific variation.