Tagiades insularis insularis Mabille, 1876

Collins, Steve C., 2017, Observations on the biology of Afrotropical Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera). Part 12. New information and corrections, Zootaxa 4312 (3), pp. 471-496 : 479

Tagiades insularis insularis Mabille, 1876

The ABRI team reared this Madagascan subspecies from Maroantsetra (Cap Masoala) from a Discorea sp. ( Dioscoreaceae ) in April 2016, and more recently TCEC reared it in December 2009 and SCC and TCEC in April 2013 from the same or a different Dioscorea sp. at Tsaranoro Valley, southern Madagascar ( Figure 10 ). There are currently 30 endemic, three non-endemic and two introduced species of Dioscorea recognised from Madagascar (Madagascar Catalogue 2013).

The final instar caterpillar of T. i. insularis ( Figure 11 ) is very similar to that of T. flesus (Fabricius) ( Henning et al. 1997, p. 65; Cock & Congdon 2011a, Figure 21 ). The head of the Madagascan T. i. insularis is slightly darker in colour and the apices more acutely angled, while the body appears more intensely coloured. However, without more information on individual variation, it would be premature to assume this was significant.

The pupa is very similar to that of T. flesus ( Henning et al. 1997, p. 65; Cock & Congdon (2011a, Figure 22 ), and immediately recognisable as a Tagiades sp. The pupa of T. i. insularis is darker brown, the shape of the brown wing markings differ, the distal half of the antenna is shining white in T. flesus , and light brown in T. i. insularis , and the shining white area on the ventral abdomen is much more extensive in T. flesus . However, as for the caterpillar, without examining more material, it cannot be suggested that these differences are significant.

Figures

FIGURE 10. Tsaranoro Valley, south Madagascar, where TCEC and SCC found caterpillars of Tagiades insularis.

FIGURE 11. Final instar caterpillar of Tagiades insularis collected on Dioscorea sp., Tsaranoro Valley, southern Madagascar, 27 Dec 2009 [TCEC]. 1, dorsal view; 2, lateral view; 3, detail of head, anterior view.

FIGURE 21. Ovum of Prosopalpus styla photographed on unidentified grass following field oviposition, Minziro, Tanzania, 30 Dec 1994 [TCEC].

FIGURE 22. The main parts of the caterpillar head used in descriptions.