Elophila obliteralis Walker

Agassiz, David J. L., 2012, The Acentropinae (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea: Crambidae) of Africa, Zootaxa 3494, pp. 1-73 : 22

Elophila obliteralis Walker

Isopteryx? obliteralis Walker, 1859: 399 .

Hydrocampa proprialis Fernald, 1888: 37 .

Type locality: U.S.A.

Described by Munroe (1972) and Shaffer (1968).

Imago (Figs. 24, 25): Male wingspan 10–13mm. Head dark fuscous; labial palpus tufted, porrect, pale fuscous; antenna dull fuscous. Thorax dark fuscous. Forewing predominantly dark fuscous; pale subbasal fascia and a postmedian fascia mixed whitish, orange and fuscous; discal spot white, ringed dark fuscous; termen chequered white and dark fuscous. Hindwing dark fuscous; an orange tornal spot preceded by whitish scales. Legs fuscous, darker on joints. Abdomen dark fuscous, paler on edge of each segment.

Male genitalia (Fig. 96): Uncus long, spatulate, slightly broader beneath apex, gnathos narrow 2/3 length of uncus, bearing a series of spines on the dorsal edge, valva simple; aedeagus fairly broad, bent near apex and bearing a thick cornutus, the apex being surrounded with spines.

Female genitalia (Fig. 146): Ostium wide, ostial chamber narrowing and then broadening into corpus bursae which bears sclerotised patches.

Tympanal organs: Venulae widely separated, slightly divergent.

Diagnosis: Distinguished by its lack of crosslines on the wings.

Biology: Larva on a variety of aquatic plants, in the USA recorded from Nymphaea , Potamogeton , Lemna etc.

Distribution: South Africa, presumed to have been introduced, either accidentally or deliberately, from North America.

Material examined: SOUTH AFRICA: 7♂ 1♀ Gauteng: Rietondale 25˚ 45´S 28˚ 12´E associated with Azolla filiculoides and Eichhornia crassipes M.P. Hill, 1995, Transvaal; KNP Skukuza 25˚ 00´S 31˚ 35´E xii. 1993 Krüger & Dunning; BOTSWANA, 1♀ Mashati Tuli G.R. Limpopo River, 534m ( AJK) .