Ptychopseustis calamochroa ( Hampson, 1919 )

Agassiz, David, 2022, The tribe Cybalomiini (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea, Crambidae, Glaphyrinae) of sub-Saharan Africa, Zootaxa 5174 (2), pp. 101-156 : 126

Ptychopseustis calamochroa ( Hampson, 1919)

Argyria calamochroa Hampson, 1919 Ann. nat. Hist. 3: 453.

Prochoristis campylopa Meyrick, 1935 Exot. Microlep. 4: 547. syn. n.

Prochoristis calamochroa ( Hampson, 1919) Maes K.V.N. in Vári et al. 2002.

Imago (fig. 37): Wingspan 14–19 mm. Head and appendages pale fuscous; palpi porrect, clothed with scales laterally, maxillary palpus more than half length of labial palpus. Thorax and tegulae pale fuscous. Forewing base pale fuscous more or less scattered with fuscous scales, antemedian fascia sharply angled near costa otherwise nearly straight, wing distinctly paler distad of fascia, second fascia meeting costa at 3/5 then bent towards tornus, some blackish scales on costa between second fascia and apex, terminal line dark fuscous, sometimes reduced to a series of dots, fringe dark fuscous. Hindwing paler than forewing, a weak or obsolete median fascia, a row of dark fuscous dots along termen, fuscous line in fringe. Hind tibia with tuft of dark fuscous scales followed by white scales.

Male genitalia (fig. 72): Uncus triangular with rounded apex, gnathos narrow, of equal length to uncus, valva very slightly tapered, a digitate projection on inner (ventral) surface shortly before apex, saccus slightly produced; a symmetrical set of specialised scales arising near saccus, gently curved before apex. Aedeagus with gentle double bend, spiculate at apex, one slender cornutus.

Female genitalia (fig. 100): Ostium broad but weak, antrum a small sclerotised cylinder, ductus narrow, about half length of abdomen, a sclerotized plate in entrance to corpus bursae, corpus spherical covered with small sclerotized ridges, a large bulla adjacent to corpus.

Diagnosis: Distinguished by the contrast in wing colour each side of first fascia and the colour of scales on the hind tibia; in the male genitalia by the shape of the valva and presence of specialised scales; in the female genitalia by the sclerite at entry to corpus bursae.

Life history: Not known.

Distribution: Ghana, Cameroon, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa,

Type material: Holotype ♂ [ KENYA] B.E. Africa ( Gwelil ) 16.x.1900 C.S. Betton, BM Pyralidae slide 1391 NHMUK 013698246 ( NHMUK).

Other material examined: KENYA: 1♂ Rift Valley, Lake Elementeita 6000 ft 28.xi.1998 D.J.L. Agassiz; 1♀ Rift Valley, Turi 8000 ft 2.ii.1999 D.J.L. Agassiz; 2♀ L. Nakuru Park 6000 ft 10.v.1999 including genitalia slide DA1161; 1♂ Nairobi: Oluloa Forest NMK-IPR Compound 1822 m 0° 21’ 49” S 36° 42’ 47” E MV light 15.vii.1999 D.J.L. Agassiz; 1♂ Rift Valley, Naivasha 2000 m 0° 45’ S 36° 24’ E 23.iv.2003 D.J.L. Agassiz; 1♂ Rift Valley, Naivasha 1900 m 0° 45’ 34” S 36° 25’ 48” E 7.xii.2008; 1♀ Rift Valley, Lake Bogoria 1000 m 0° 21’ N 36° 03’ E 15.xi.2005, D.J.L. Agassiz slide DA1246; 5♂ 3♀ Rift Valley, Gilgil 2100 m 0° 37’ S 36° 22’ E i. v.2005, 27.xi.2005 (2), 22.xi.2008 (2), 18.x.2019, 20.x.2019 including slides DJLA 908, 1247, 1595; 8♂ 4♀ Central, Naro Moru 1945 m 0° 09’ 05” S 36° 00’ 42” E 28.xii.1999, 2.xii.2008 (2) 4.xii.2008, 6.xi.2013 (4), 3–5.xii.2015 D.J.L. Agassiz et al. (DJLA); 1♂ Nakuru A. Townsend BM Pyralidae slide 2614, 1♂ Nakuru 13.i.1945 (A. Townsend) BM Pyralidae slide 1390, Nakuru 3.x.1950 BM Pyralidae slide 1726, 1 specimen without abdomen 14.iv.1944; TANZANIA: Turiani, N. Morogoro iv.1954 E. Pinhey; MALAWI (Nyasaland): Shire Valley, Mwanza R. 600 ft 31.vii.1913 S.A Neave; CAMEROON: N. Prov. Faro River Camp 275 m 08° 23’ N 12° 49’ E 9.v.2005 leg J. & W. De Prins; GHANA: Greater Accra, Kokrobite 5° 29’ N 0° 21’ W 5 m 10.vi.2011 leg J. & W. De Prins (NHMUK)