Ceratrichia Butler, 1870a

Cock, Matthew J. W. & Congdon, T. Colin E., 2014, Observations on the biology of Afrotropical Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera). Part 7. Hesperiinae incertae sedis: grass and bamboo feeders, Zootaxa 3872 (4), pp. 301-354 : 313

Ceratrichia Butler, 1870a

This is a relatively large genus of about 20 species, restricted to the Afrotropical region. Due to the variability of species and the marked sexual dimorphism in some species, there has been considerable confusion regarding this genus in the past ( Riley 1925). The treatments by Riley (1925) and Evans (1937), however, have remained fairly stable for many years. Collins et al. (2004) made some adjustments, and recently Larsen (2013) removed four species to his new genera Ceratricula and Flandria, for which there is no information on their early stages or food plants. Larsen (2013) recognised four principal colour patterns of Ceratrichia spp. ( C. flava -, C. phocion -, C. nothus -, and C. argyrosticta -groups), but found their genitalia very uniform. Ceratrichia semlikensis Joicey & Talbot ( flava -group) is treated below ( Figure 9 ), while living adult representatives of the three other groups are shown in Figure 8 : C. phocion , C. brunnea Bethune-Baker ( C. nothus -group), C. mabirensis Riley ( C. argyrosticta - group).

No food plant records had been published, until Larsen (2005) reported MJWC’s observation that Ceratrichia semlikensis feeds on Isachne mauritiana in Kenya. No information is yet available for other species of the genus, but given that they usually fly low down along the edges of paths and streams with low grass or along forest edges (T.B. Larsen pers. comm. 2014, authors’ observations), it seems likely that they will also be found to be grass feeders.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Adult Ceratrichia spp. 1 – 2, C. phocion, Forêt de Yapo, Côte d’Ivoire, 4 Dec 1988; 3, C. brunnea, Kakamega Forest, Kenya, 19 Jul 1990; 4, C. mabirensis, Kakamega Forest, Kenya, 31 Aug 1995.

FIGURE 9. Adults of Ceratrichia semlikensis, Kakamega Forest, Kenya. 1, at rest, 22 Sep 1991; 2, male sunbathing, 17 Jun 1991; 3, female sunbathing, 1 Jul 1990.