Elophila minima, Published, 2012

Agassiz, David J. L., 2012, The Acentropinae (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea: Crambidae) of Africa, Zootaxa 3494, pp. 1-73 : 20-21

Elophila minima sp. n.

Type locality: Nigeria, Gamburi Forest .

Imago (Figs. 22, 23): Sexually dimorphic: ♂ wingspan 9–12mm. Head whitish; labial palpus upturned, segment 3 pointed, white, about same length as segment 2, segment 2 clothed with dark fuscous scales; antenna ochreous white. Thorax whitish, sometimes suffused fuscous. Forewing ground colour white; dark fuscous subbasal fascia; narrow curved dark fuscous median fascia, some fuscous suffusion between these two fasciae; irregular markings comprising a broad postmedian fascia until shortly before termen; terminal area dull ochreous, a series of dark fuscous dots in terminal cilia. Hindwing with dark fuscous subbasal fascia; pale ochreous discal spot; narrow postmedian fascia followed by irregular fascia and termen similar to forewing. Legs pale ochreous, foreleg, especially tibia, dark fuscous above. Abdomen whitish with band of fuscous scales on each segment.

♀ wingspan 12–14mm. Much darker and less strongly marked than male; head and thorax dull fuscous; forewing more pointed, markings obscure; hindwing markings obscure, sometimes showing a broad whitish median fascia, much wider at costa. Abdomen fuscous.

Male genitalia (Fig. 95): gnathos 2/3 length of uncus, strong with a point directed dorsally at tip, a further backward inclined spine and small serrations along dorsal surface. Valva with costa at first concave, then evenly rounded, overall length 2.3 x breadth, some long setae in the outer part. Aedeagus slender, without cornutus. The whole armature is much smaller than other Elophila spp.

Female genitalia (Fig. 147): Ovipositor short; ostium broad, almost 1/3 width of abdomen; antrum conical, ductus bursae narrow then gradually widening into simple corpus bursae without signum; overall length from ostium to posterior of corpus bursae almost half length of abdomen.

Tympanal organs: Venulae extending to posterior edge of second segment, strongly defined, almost parallel but curved outwards around ramus tympani.

Diagnosis: Distinguished from other Elophila spp. by its small size, in the male genitalia by the short rounded valvae, in the female by the short and simple bursa. Tentatively placed in Elophila , further examination may require a new genus.

Derivation: From the small size of the moth.

Biology: Unknown. Adults recorded i, ii, iii, v, vii, viii, xi, xii. Mostly taken at light but some tapped from riverside foliage by day.

Distribution: Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone. Probably more widespread, being overlooked on account of its small size.

Material examined: Holotype ♂ Nigeria 9167| Oyo State | Gamburi Forest | 20.xi.1977 | M.A. Cornes. 5 paratypes, same locality ♂ 21.i.1979, BMNH Pyralidae slide No.21235, ♂ 20.xi.1977 (2), 6.viii.1977, ♀ 20.xi.1977.

NIGERIA: 3♂ 10♀ Ile-Ife , 1♀ Gamburi Forest , Lagos , 2♂ 1♀ Zaria ( BMNH) ; SIERRA LEONE: 1♀ Bo ( BMNH) ; UGANDA: 2♂ Malamigambo Forest ( DJLA) , 2♂ Murchison Falls ( DJLA) ; KENYA: 2♀ Kakamega ( DJLA) , 11♂ 9♀ ( MRAC) , 2♂ Rongai ( DJLA) ; SOUTH AFRICA: 1♀ Shingwedzi , 1♀ Crocodile Bridge ( TMP) .