Eoophyla nyasalis ( Hampson, 1917 ) Published, 2012

Agassiz, David J. L., 2012, The Acentropinae (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea: Crambidae) of Africa, Zootaxa 3494, pp. 1-73 : 39-40

Eoophyla nyasalis ( Hampson, 1917) comb. n.

Argyractis nyasalis Hampson, 1917: 367 .

Type locality: Malawi, Blantyre.

Imago (Figs. 42, 43): Wingspan 20–24mm. Head and appendages pale fulvous; labial palpus short, upturned, segments 2 and 3 of similar length, segment 1 with tuft of scales beneath; maxillary palpus brownish; antenna ¾ length of wing. Forewing base pale orange; subbasal fascia represented by a scattering of fuscous scales; median area suffused fuscous; a streak of orange between middle of costa and tornus, not reaching either; costal strigula before apex preceded by white, inwardly edged fuscous; a further white strigula against subterminal line, filled silver-grey in lower half; subterminal line fine, black; terminal area orange; tornal spot silver-grey; a dark fuscous line in terminal cilia. Hindwing base whitish; a broad orange antemedian fascia, suffused with some fuscous scales; postmedian area regularly suffused with blackish-brown scales, bounded by a wavy double submarginal line; four terminal eyespots each with a metallic blue spot on inside, and above each is a lunule, especially the middle two, such lunules almost forming a third submarginal line.

Remarks. This species shows remarkable variation, in some localities it is very dark, whilst in others the markings are chiefly orange rather than dark fuscous. These differences may imply a species complex, but at present it is left as an aggregate species. Long series are needed to establish differences with confidence and in many collections only females are represented.

Male genitalia (Fig. 103): Uncus tapered, apex blunt; gnathos 4/5 uncus, slender with spines around apex; valva with costa fairly narrow basally then widening to a rounded apex; aedeagus slender, especially at anterior end, small spines around tip, two cornuti comprising slender bundles of spines.

Female genitalia (Fig. 173): Ostium about one third width of abdomen, antrum evenly tapered to colliculum; corpus bursae ovate, weak, about the same length as ductus, signum absent.

Tympanal organs: Venulae strong and long, waisted, slightly wider anteriorly.

Diagnosis: Distinguished by the broad subbasal fascia of the hindwing.

Biology: Unknown, adults recorded in i, ii, iii, v, vi, viii, ix, x, xi, xii.

Distribution: throughout tropical Africa: Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Cameroon, Congo, Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi.

Material examined: Holotype ♂ Blantyre | Nysasaland | 22.v.1914 | Dr J. Davey | BMNH Pyralidae slide No. 21444 ( BMNH).

ETHIOPIA: 1♀ Kébré-Mengist , 2♀ Bahir-Dar ( BMNH) ; 1♀ “ Sierra Leone (Mitford '96) BMNH Pyralidae slide No. 21344. NIGERIA: 1 ♀ ex Meyrick Coll.(from a series labelled Argyractis lithocharis ) “ Stanleyville, Belgian Congo, 10.4.12 ” . ♀ D.R. CONGO, “Stanleyville, 10.vi.1912, Dr Christy. ” , 2♀ Elisabethville , 1♂ Malema ( MRAC); Pinga 1♂ 3♀ ( TK) ; KENYA: Kericho 4♂, 8♀, Kakamega 1♂ ( DJLA), Kakamega 2♀ ( BMNH) ; ZAMBIA: 2♀ Ikelenge ( NMB) ; TANZANIA: Amani 1♀ ( BMNH) , Iringa 1♀ ( DJLA) ; CAMEROON North 2♀ ( KVNM) ; MALAWI: Mulanje 1♂ ( AJK) , Lake Chilwa 1♀ slide No. 21335 ( BMNH) .