Lantanophaga pusillidactylus ( Walker, 1864b )

Mbata, Keith J. & Prins, Jurate De, 2023, Annotated checklist of moths of Zambia (Insecta: Lepidoptera), Zootaxa 5354 (1), pp. 1-503 : 38

Lantanophaga pusillidactylus ( Walker, 1864b)

COMMON NAME (S): Lantana Plume Moth. SYNONYM (S): Platyptilia tecnidion Zeller, 1877 ; Platyptilia hemimetra Meyrick, 1886a ; Platyptilia amphiloga Meyrick, 1909a ; Platyptilia lantana Busck, 1914 ; Platyptilia lantanadactyla Amsel, 1951 ; Platyptilia teleacma Meyrick, 1932 .

IUCN STATUS: Not Evaluated (NE).

DISTRIBUTION: Australia, Bermuda Islands, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominica, Ecuador, Egypt, Eswatini, France, Galápagos Islands, Guiana, Hawaii, India, Israel, Côte d’Ivoire, Jamaica, Java, Madagascar,

Malawi, Mauritius, Micronesia (Yap), Mexico, Morocco, Namibia , New Guinea, Nigeria, Palau, Paraguay, Peru,

Portugal, Puerto Rico, Republic of Congo, Réunion, Saint Helena , Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, Seychelles,

South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, USA, Virgin Islands, Zambia.

LOCALITY IN ZAMBIA: Lusaka, in Lusaka Province; Kabwe, in Central Province; Livingstone, in Southern Province. LARVAL HOSTPLANT(S): Host plants of the taxon include: two Verbenaceae species ( Lantana camara L. and Lippia sp. ) in Mauritius and the Réunion; one Verbenaceae species, Lantana camara L. in the Seychelles; and four Verbenaceae species ( Lantana indica Roxb. , L. involucrata L., L. peduncularis Andersson , and Lippia alba (Mill.)

N.E.Br. ex Britton & P.Wilson), two Acanthaceae species ( Phyla lanceolata (Michx.) Greene and Ph.

nodiflora (L.) Greene), one Euphorbiaceae species ( Caperonia palustris (L.) A.St.-Hil.), one Lamiaceae species ( Mentha sp. ) and one Lentibulariaceae species (Ultricularia sp.) in other unnamed parts of Africa.

No specific host plants have been linked to Zambia but since most of the plant species named also occur in Zambia, it can only be assumed that they also serve as host plants of the taxon in the country.

Without specifying in which African countries they are found, the African Moths (2019) website lists the following as larval foodplants of the taxon: Seven Verbenaceae species, Lantana camara L., Lantana indica Roxb. , L. involucrata L., L. peduncularis Andersson , Lippia alba (Mill.) N.E.Br. ex Britton &

P.Wilson, Phyla lanceolata (Michx.) Greene and Ph. nodiflora (L.) Greene, and one Euphorbiaceae species, Caperonia palustris (L.) A.St.-Hil.; one yet to be identified Lamiaceae species, Mentha sp. , and one yet to be identified Lentibulariaceae species, Ultricularia sp.

SOURCES: African Moths 2019; De Prins & De Prins 2022; Fletcher 1910; Gibeaux 1994; Gielis 2003; Martiré & Rochat 2008; Viette 1957.

Genus Marasmarcha Meyrick, 1886a