Sarangesa, Moore, 1881

COCK, MATTHEW J. W. & CONGDON, T. COLIN E., 2011, Observations on the biology of Afrotropical Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera) principally from Kenya. Part 3. Pyrginae: Celaenorrhinini, Zootaxa 3033 (1), pp. 1-67 : 61

Sarangesa discussion

The life histories of Sarangesa spp. which we have documented suggest a rather heterogeneous genus. However, all African species for which food plants are known feed on Acanthaceae , and the ova which we have seen are quite similar to each other, and like Eretis spp. have strongly developed wall-like ribs. So far, they seem to be laid on the leaf under surface. The caterpillars of S. phidyle , S. motozi and S. haplopa are similar, having pale bodies with a white dorsolateral line, the head very dark, rounded, indent at the vertex and quite densely covered with bifurcate pale scales. The caterpillar of S. maculata , in contrast, appears smooth, shiny and translucent, with the head black, rounded, indent at vertex and only sparsely covered with pale, frond-like setae. The caterpillar of S. seineri durbana ( Henning et al. 1997) is similar to that of S. maculata , but the body is more heavily and densely speckled. In all the caterpillars which we have reared, the dots or speckles noted on the body are actually due to short or very short, pale, stalked, stellate setae.

The characters of the pupae also diverge in similar groups. The first three species have smooth green pupae, variably covered with white waxy powder, S. maculata is pale, with dense pale hair-like setae, a distinctive black marking over the head reminiscent of that of Eretis lugens and no waxy powder. The pupa of S. seineri durbana ( Henning et al. 1997) is similar to that of S. maculata , but lacks the black frontal marking.

One species formerly placed in Sarangesa diverged in almost all these respects, and is now placed in the genus Triskelionia below.