Ptychopseustis lophopedalis ( Joannis, 1927 )

Agassiz, David, 2022, The tribe Cybalomiini (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea, Crambidae, Glaphyrinae) of sub-Saharan Africa, Zootaxa 5174 (2), pp. 101-156 : 123-124

Ptychopseustis lophopedalis ( Joannis, 1927)

Hemiscopis lophopedalis Bull. Soc. lep. Genève: 5: 264

Redescription of adult.

Imago (fig. 32): Wingspan 14–16 mm. Head and appendages pale ochreous brown often speckled with darker scales, palpi porrect, maxillary palpus length approximately equal to diameter of eye, labial palpus less than twice diameter of eye. Thorax and tegulae pale ochreous brown. Forewing ground colour pale ochreous brown sometimes suffused with dark scales, an irregular oblique fascia meeting costa at 2/5, a second irregular fascia meeting costa at ⅔, between them a double discal spot, sometimes obsolete, also some blackish scales on costa, a series of blackish spots before termen, fringe shining fuscous including a fringe line. Hindwing pale fuscous, a series of dots along termen, fringe as forewing. Abdomen with first three segments velvety ochreous, remaining segments as thorax. Hind leg with conspicuous dark fuscous scale tuft.

Male genitalia (fig. 69): Uncus tapered, gnathos digitate of similar length to uncus, valva broad near base then almost parallel sided, a small process on ventral surface before apex. Aedeagus gently curved, a cornutus half its length with terminal half serrate.

Female genitalia (fig. 97): Ostium conical, weak, antrum cylindrical, ductus narrow ⅔ length of abdomen, a little wider and scobinate before corpus, junction with corpus bursae with a broad sclerotised belt, corpus spherical, a bull almost as large on one side.

Diagnosis: Superficially very similar to P. calamochroa and P. lucipara but distinguished by the blackish scale tuft on the hind tibia and in the characters of the male genitalia.

Life history: not known.

Distribution: Mozambique, D.R. Congo, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe.

Type Material examined: 2♀ Paratypes [ MOZAMBIQUE]: Makulana x–xii.1909 Coll. Dr G. Audéoud MHNGENTO 00086570 & 00086571 ;

Other material examined: SOUTH AFRICA: 2♀ North West, Pilanesberg NP, Bakgatha Complex, 20.X.2002 1200 m. leg. HW vd Wolf st. 4, MHNG-ENTO 00086380, 00086382; [D.R. CONGO]: 2♀ Ht. Katanga, Tshinkolobwe 7.iii.31 and 12.iii.31 J. Romleux MHNG-ENTO 00086455 and 00405866 ( MHNG) ; MOZAMBIQUE: 1♀ Inhambane 23.i.2000 leg. S.A. Bakke ( NHMO) ; TANZANIA: 2♀ Morogoro Dist. & Town 550– 600 m . 24.ii.1992 & 29.xi.1992 L. Aarvik, 1♀ Morogoro Dist. & Town: Kihonde 500 m . 16.xi.1992 L. Aarvik ( NHMO) ; 1♂ Kagera, Biharamulo 5000 ft 2° 37’ 53” S 31° 18’ 17” E 6.vi.20901 D.J.L. Agassiz, slide 1592 ; KENYA, Rift Valley : 1♂ Lake Bogoria 1000 m. 0° 21’ N 36° 04’ E 13.viii.2007 D.J.L. Agassiz, slide 1592 ; 1♀ Lake Baringo 0° 36’ 39” N 36° 01’ 10” E 3.v.2015 D.J.L. Agassiz ; 2♀ Rumuruti 1840 m. 0° 21’ 57” N 36° 07’ 41” E 25.xi.2008 D. Agassiz, L. Aarvik, & A.J. Kingston ; 3♀ Mpala. Res. C. 1720 m. 0° 17’ 27” N 36° 53’ 52” E 26.xi.2008 D. Agassiz, L. Aarvik, & A.J. Kingston ; 1♀ same locality 14.xi.2009 D.J.L. Agassiz ; 1♂ 7.xi.2012 Agassiz, Beavan, Heckford & Ngugi; 6♂ 5♀ 9.xi.2012 Agassiz, Beavan, Heckford & Ngugi; ZIMBABWE: 1♂ 1♀ Manicaland, Musangani, Odzi 18° 56.741’ S 32° 28.759’ E 10.iii.2022 D. Agassiz & A. Kingston ( DJLA) .