Tipulamima flavifrons Holland , 1893

Bartsch, Daniel & Sáfián, Szabolcs, 2022, Taxonomic changes and review of the genera Tipulamima Holland, 1893 and Macrotarsipodes Le Cerf, 1916 stat. rev. (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae: Sesiinae), Zootaxa 5094 (1), pp. 103-128 : 108-110

Tipulamima flavifrons Holland, 1893

( Figs 3–5 )

Tipulamima flavifrons Holland, 1893: 183 ; Hampson 1919: 57; Dalla Torre & Strand 1925: 6; Gaede 1929: 519; Heppner & Duckworth 1981: 41; Fletcher & Nye 1982: 163; Pühringer & Kallies 2004: 33.

Type material: Holotype ♀ ( Figs 3–4 ): [ Gabon] Valley of the Ogowé River , about two hundred miles from the mouth of the river, Good leg.; with label: “ Tipulamima / flavifrons, Holl. / ♂ Type. / Ogové. Good.” ( CMNH).

Further specimens. 1♀ ( Fig. 5 ), Uganda, Kawanda , 19.XI.1940, T.H.C. Taylor leg. ( NHMUK) ; 1♀, [Democratic Republic] Congo, Kasai-Oriental, Lusambo , 8.IX.1950, Dr. Fontaine leg., (BOLD: CCDB-14647 F12 ) ( RMCA) .

The holotype is a female not a male as originally stated. The male is unknown. This is a central African species, so far only known from the Congo basin, eastwards to Uganda.

Diagnosis. The three species Tipulamima flavifrons , T. haugi and T. pterotarsa form a distinct group within the genus, which is well characterized by the predominantly black, on the head, thorax and legs partially dark yellow to bright orange colouration of both sexes (body extensively orange or red in other species). Males of T. haugi and T. pterotarsa have most parts of the wings transparent; the male of T. flavifrons is unknown. Females of all three species have the wings black, with apparently species-specific shaped, hyaline areas.

In T. flavifrons the transparent part of the hindwings extends up to discal vein (shorter, not reaching discal vein in T. haugi ; larger, protruding beyond discal spot in T. pterotarsa ). Most specimens of the newly discovered female of T. pterotarsa differ further by a distinct, orange apical patch of the forewing, which, however, can also be absent.

“ Tipulamima ” nigriceps is superficially similar to the females in this group, but differs significantly by the smoothly scaled, slender, not elongated hindlegs, the slightly waisted abdomen and the venation of the hindwing. It may represent a different genus.

Figures

FIGS 3–14. Type specimens of Tipulamima. 3–5. T. flavifrons Holland, 1893. (3–4) holotype ♀. (5) ♀ Uganda, Kawanda. 6–8. T. haugi (Le Cerf, 1917). (6–7) paralectotype ♂. (8) lectotype ♀. 9–14. T. pterotarsa (Meyrick, 1933). (9–10) holotype ♀. (11, 14) ♂ Cameroon, SW slope of Mount Cameroon. (12–13) ♀ Ghana, Central Region, Abrafo village. Scale 10 mm.