Elophila nymphaeata ( Linnaeus, 1758 ) ssp. silarigla Speidel, 1984

Agassiz, David J. L., 2012, The Acentropinae (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea: Crambidae) of Africa, Zootaxa 3494, pp. 1-73 : 21

Elophila nymphaeata ( Linnaeus, 1758) ssp. silarigla Speidel, 1984 .

Elophila nymphaeata silarigla Speidel, 1984: 53 .

? Nymphula algiralis Guenée in Lucas, 1849: 404.

Type locality: Sebdou , Algeria.

Described by Speidel (1984)

Imago (Fig. 14): Wingspan 17–26mm. Head white; labial palpus pale ochreous, darker basally; antenna dull ochreous. Thorax white and fulvous. Forewing fulvous, some white and fuscous irroration in basal area; a white mark below costa at ½; a large white nearly circular spot above middle of dorsum, sometimes ringed fuscous; a further white reniform marking near costa; irregular white subterminal area, subterminal line fuscous; terminal cilia fulvous. Hindwing white; a fuscous basal fascia; fulvous lunule in disc; two wavy postmedian lines the inner one narrow, dark fuscous, the outer one broad, fulvous; subterminal line fuscous; termen and cilia fulvous. Abdomen white and fulvous.

All white areas can become suffused fulvous.

The North African subspecies differs from the nominate subspecies in its slightly smaller size and less contrasted markings.

Male genitalia (Fig. 91): Uncus tapered; gnathos much shorter than uncus; valva with parallel sides, conspicuous curved setae arising from middle of costa; aedeagus with three small cornuti.

Female genitalia (Fig. 141): Ostium wide, ostial chamber almost as long as corpus bursae, with slight scobination towards colliculum; colliculum a sclerotised ring; corpus bursae simple, a few sclerotised spots at anterior end.

Tympanal organs: Venulae weakly defined, wider anteriorly.

Diagnosis: Distinguished by its large size and the ring-like markings on the forewing.

Biology: It is presumed to be the same as the nominate subspecies, the larva feeding in a case made of leaves of various aquatic plants, adults have been taken vi–x.

Distribution: Algeria and Morocco.

Material examined: MOROCCO: 2♂ 6♀ Fez, 6 ♂ 16♀ Sebdou , 5♂ 7♀ Tangier, 2♀ Rabat , 2♀ Sidi-bel-Abbès, 1♀ Reg. des Zemmours , 1♀ Perrégaux , 2♀ Huelamo ; ALGERIA: 1♀ Sidi-Ferruch , 1♀ Mehidi ( BMNH) .

A single specimen from Gabon similar to E. nymphaeata is in MNHNP, genitalia not examined. This is likely to be a different species.