Platylesches panga Evans, 1937

Collins, Steve C., 2017, Observations on the biology of Afrotropical Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera). Part 12. New information and corrections, Zootaxa 4312 (3), pp. 471-496 : 489

Platylesches panga Evans, 1937

In 2013, Torben Larsen identified a specimen of this species from amongst TCEC’s reared material of P. shona Evans in ABRI. It was collected as a caterpillar on Parinari curatellifolia (Chrysobalanaceae) in the Mutinondo Wilderness, eastern Zambia. Fortunately, TCEC took a photo of the head of the final instar caterpillar (Figure 20.1–2), but no other details were recorded. This image was included as Platylesches shona in Cock & Congdon (2013, Figure 83.5) , and the two species are clearly very similar. The head of P. panga seems to be shinier (which may not be significant) and the variegated markings are slightly more contrasting. Further rearing will be necessary to clarify the differences between these two species. However, although almost all reared specimens are P. shona , because the early stages of the two species are so similar and were not previously distinguished, we cannot rule out the possibility that other images in Figure 83 of Cock & Congdon (2013) represent P. panga , e.g. Figures 82.3 and 82.3 were taken on the same day as the caterpillar of P. panga , and may well be the same individual. Further rearing and documentation will be needed now to clarify differences between these two species.