Gorgyra Holland , 1896

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 : 5-6

Gorgyra Holland, 1896

This is a genus of 20 or more species ( Larsen 2010) restricted to Africa. These are secretive butterflies, seldom seen. They tend to be found in localised colonies, which may be more easily located as caterpillars. The known food plants of Gorgya spp. are all dicotyledons; most records are from species of Connaraceae , but there are also records from Dichapetalaceae and unconfirmed records from Putranjivaceae and Meliaceae .

We present information on four species that we have reared. In addition to these, at least four other species have been reared. Sevastopulo (unpublished) reared G. bina Evans from Zika Forest, Entebbe, Uganda from an unidentified food plant which in his photographs can be seen to have quite large (c. 60mm long) shiny leaves. The folded leaf shelter resembles that of the mature caterpillar of G. bibulus Riley ( Figure 6 ). The form of the caterpillar is similar to other Gorgyra spp. treated here: head black; body grey-green, inter-segmental folds more yellow; legs brown; anal flap large, rounded, tinged with olive. The pupa is formed in a slight cocoon in a folded leaf, lined with white waxy powder: reddish brown, abdomen tinged olive; covered with white waxy powder, which adheres to the setae of head and thorax; short, deeply bifurcate frontal projection.

Sevastopulo (1974, 1975, unpublished) reared G. diva Evans from Rourea orientalis (= Byrsocarpus orientalis ) ( Connaraceae ), in the Shimba Hills. Armed with this information, MJWC examined herbarium specimens in the National Herbarium, Kenya, and so tracked down the food plant ( Figure 1 ), but the caterpillars that he reared proved to be G. johnstoni (Butler) (below). Sevastopulo’s caterpillar had the head reddish mahogany; body yellowish green, minutely speckled white, intersegmental areas yellowish; anal flap rounded, brownish; all legs green. Pupa in a silk lined cell in a folded leaf lined with white waxy powder; pale greenish amber, the head and thorax tinged chestnut; head with two projecting tubercles between the eyes; thickly coated with white waxy powder which adheres to the setae of the thorax and head. Sevastopulo’s food plant record has been repeated by subsequent authors: Kielland (1990), Larsen (1991), Ackery et al. (1995), and Heath et al. (2002). Larsen (1991) states that the caterpillars are frequently parasitized (based on MJWC’s observations); at that time, MJWC thought he had reared G. diva , but it was G. johnstoni , so these observations should be associated with the latter species (below).

Vuattoux (1999) reared G. afikpo Druce from three different food plants in Côte d’Ivoire: Connarus thonningii (Connaraceae) , Dichapetalum madagascariense (= D. guineense ) ( Dichapetalaceae ), and an unidentified plant. Vuattoux (1999) also reared G. sara Evans from Cnestis ferruginea (Connaraceae) and an unidentified plant. MJWC found a Gorgyra sp. caterpillar (94/105) on C. ferruginea ( Figure 2.1 ) at Ibadan, Nigeria, which may have been G. sara , but it died as a crippled pupa when the final instar head capsule did not split and detach properly. The leaf shelters ( Figure 2.2 ) and caterpillar ( Figure 3 ) were similar to those of the G. bibulus treated below.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Rourea orientalis, a food plant of Gorgyra diva and G. johnstoni, Shimba Hills, 13 Apr 1990.

FIGURE 2. Cnestis ferruginea, a food plant of Gorgyra sara, Ibadan, Nigeria, 17 Mar 1994. 1, fruiting plant; 2, stages 1 and 2 leaf shelters of a Gorgyra sp., perhaps G.sara.

FIGURE 3. Final instar caterpillar of a Gorgyra sp., perhaps G.sara, collected on Cnestis ferruginea; Ibadan, Nigeria, 17 Mar 1994; died; ref. 94/105. 1, dorsolateral view; 2, dorsal view.

FIGURE 6. Leaf shelters of Gorgyra bibulus on Rourea thomsonii, collected 4 Jul 1998, Gatamayu Forest, Kenya; the lines in the background are 8mm apart. 1, stage 1 shelter on left, 98/201E; stage 2 shelter on right, 98/201F; 2, stage 3 shelter, 98/201C; 3, pupal shelter, 98/201A.