Platylesches langa Evans, 1937

Cock, Matthew J. W. & Congdon, Colin E., 2013, Observations on the Biology of Afrotropical Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera). Part 5. Hesperiinae incertae sedis: Dicotyledon Feeders, Zootaxa 3724 (1), pp. 1-85 : 61

Platylesches langa Evans, 1937

This species is found from western Ghana, east to Tanzania and south to Zimbabwe and Malawi (type locality) ( Evans 1937, T.B. Larsen pers. comm. 2012), but is very local and rare in West Africa. It was originally described as a subspecies of Pl. ayresii ( Evans 1937) , but Kielland (1978) and Larsen (1992) recognised the two as separate species, although very close.

Food plants

TCEC has reared this species from Pa. capensis at Mutinondo Wilderness, Zambia, and Pa. curatellifolia at Mufindi, Tanzania (where Pa. capensis does not occur).

Life history

The leaf shelters ( Figure 68.1–2 ) and early stages ( Figure 68.3–6 ) are very similar to those of Pl. ayresii ( Figure 64 ), but the final instar head is more sharply marked. Young caterpillars feed in a characteristic way, cutting small notches from the edge of leaves ( Figure 68.1 ), which can be used in the field to locate caterpillars. In Figure 68.1 , it can be seen that the first instar shelter on the upper leaf is smaller, and the second instar on the lower leaf is already eating larger portions from the leaf edge. Caterpillars are usually found near the ground—inevitably on the lowgrowing Pa. capensis , but also on Pa. curatellifolia , and differ in this respect from caterpillars of Pl. shona and Pl. robustus .

Figures

FIGURE 64. Early stages of Platylesches ayresii on Parinari capensis, South Africa, TCEC. 1, leaf shelter of second instar caterpillar, Krugersdorf, 9 Oct 2010; 2, leaf shelter of pupa, view of the entrance and valve, 12 Dec 2010, Krugersdorp; 3, penultimate instar caterpillar, frontal view of head, 23 Sep 2008, Krugersdorp; 4, caterpillar, frontal view, undated, Krugersdorp; 5, pupa, dorsal view, 1 Oct 2008, Krugersdorp; 6, pupa lateral view, as #4.

FIGURE 68. Life history of Platylesches langa, collected mostly on Parinari capensis but also on Pa. curatellifolia, Mutinondo Wilderness, Mpika, Zambia, and subsequently reared on Pa. curatellifolia, TCEC. 1, early leaf shelters, 17 Sep 2008; 2, leaf shelter of pupa showing entrance valve, 13 Sep 2010; 3–6, mature caterpillar, 28 Jan 2009: 3, dorsal view; 4, lateral view; 5–6, detail of head, frontal view.