Nymphicula hexaxantha, Published, 2012

Agassiz, David J. L., 2012, The Acentropinae (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea: Crambidae) of Africa, Zootaxa 3494, pp. 1-73 : 24-25

Nymphicula hexaxantha sp. n.

Imago (Fig. 34): Wingspan 10–12mm. Head and palpi ochreous; labial palpus upturned, segment 3 longer than 1+2; maxillary palpus very small; antenna pale fuscous. Thorax and tegulae ochreous. Forewing ground colour white, costa fuscous, subbasal area ochreous; a broad ochreous antemedian fascia, narrowly edged fuscous; median area with scattering of dark brown scales; a pair of subterminal fasciae joined near tornus, separated towards costa by a whitish wedge-shaped strigula; a further whitish strigula from costa before ochreous apex; tornal spot dark silver-grey; terminal cilia dark fuscous. Hindwing with ochreous subbasal fascia; medial area with a scattering of dark brown scales, sometimes forming a subterminal line; five black conjoined terminal eyespots, each bearing a silver-grey metallic spot; terminal cilia dark fuscous, paler in outer half. Legs pale straw. Abdomen ochreous;

Male genitalia (Fig. 100): Uncus long and slender; gnathos similar, apex drawn out, gnathos 2/3 length of uncus. Valva simple, length 3.5 x width. Aedeagus narrower in middle, vesica with single cornutus, tending to be bifurcate at apex.

Female genitalia (Fig. 153): Ostium broad, antrum a long truncated cone; corpus bursae ovoid, sclerotised near colliculum.

Tympanal organs: Venulae weakly defined and short, sometimes obsolescent; tympani foreshortened, not protruding forwards to any significant extent.

Diagnosis: Differs from N. perirrorata in having the tornal spot within or beyond ochreous fasciae, rather than before ochreous marking; also in the conspicuous ochreous fascia of the hindwing. Hampson, in his description of perirrorata noticed differences which he described as Ab.1 and Ab.2 which are this species.

Derivation: from the Greek meaning “six yellow” from the bold ochreous markings of the forewing.

Biology: unknown

Distribution: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Congo.

Material examined: Holotype ♂, Malawi: Mt Mlanje , a paratype of Cataclysta perirrorata Hampson. 5 Paratypes: Malawi: 2♂ 3♀ Mt Mlanje —paratypes of Cataclysta perirrorata .

ZIMBABWE: 20 ♂ 6♀ ( BMNH) ; Mashonaland 2♂ ( BMNH) ; SOUTH AFRICA: 1♂ Barberton , 1♂ Natal ( BMNH) ; TANZANIA: 1♂ Uluguru Mts. ( TMMA) , 1♂ 1♀ Morogoro Dist ( LA) 2♀, 1 without abdomen Dar es Salaam , 1♂ 1 without abdomen Morogoro ( BMNH) ; CONGO: 4♂ Brazzaville ( TMMA) ; 1♂ Ang-Ango ( BMNH) ; UGANDA: 1♂ Ruwenzori , Bundibugyo ( BMNH) ; KENYA: 1♂ 1♀ Gazi ( BMNH) ; MALAWI: 1♀ Zomba .