Observations on the biology of Afrotropical Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera). Part 9. Hesperiinae incertae sedis: Zingiberales feeders, genera of unknown biology and an overview of the Hesperiinae incertae sedis
Author
Cock, Matthew J. W.
Author
Congdon, T. Colin E.
Author
Collins, Steve C.
text
Zootaxa
2016
4066
3
201
247
journal article
51187
10.11646/zootaxa.4066.3.1
efd9df5e-1439-4724-ae76-a219f7c3ce70
1175-5326
264653
680D0FB4-F3BC-4562-B214-631067287218
The
Marantaceae
feeders
Four Afrotropical
Hesperiinae
incertae sedis
genera are known to include
Marantaceae
feeders.
Rhabdomantis
and
Osmodes
have only been recorded from
Marantaceae
, whereas
Xanthodisca
and
Caenides
include selected representatives that use this food plant family and both are paraphyletic.
The genus
Rhabdomantis
comprises two species and only differs from
Osmodes
in the absence of any brand on the hindwing and in the appearance, particularly in the absence of silvery spots on the hindwing below according to
Evans (1937)
. Although
Larsen (2005)
suggests there are affinities between the genitalia of
Rhabdomantis
and
Osmodes
, he subsequently changed his view, considering the genitalia to be very different (T.B. Larsen pers. comm. 2014, 2015). The
type
species,
R. galatia
(Hewitson)
is found from
Sierra Leone
to western
Uganda
(
Evans 1937
,
Ackery
et al
. 1995
).
Vuattoux (1999)
reports rearing a single specimen from
Trachyphrynium braunianum
(Marantaceae)
in
Côte d’Ivoire
. This record is repeated by
Larsen (2005)
and Vande weghe (2010). There is no other information on the biology of this genus.
As
discussed above under
Xanthodisca
, the late T.B. Larsen (pers. comm. 2015) planned to establish a new genus for
X. astrape
, a species that had been placed in
Xanthodisca
but is not closely related to this or any other genera of
Hesperiinae
incertae sedis
. We have not reared this species, but
Vuattoux (1999)
reared one specimen from
T. braunianum
(Marantaceae)
in
Côte d’Ivoire
; this record is repeated in
Larsen (2005)
and Vande weghe (2010). Unfortunately we have no further information on the early stages of this genus.
Caenides kangvensis
has been reared from the lily
Gloriosa superba
(
Colchicaceae
, formerly
Liliaceae
) and
Thalia geniculata
(=
T. welwitschii
) (
Marantaceae
) (
Vuattoux 1999
), but the early stages have not been documented.
As
noted above, other
Caenides
spp. feed on
Arecaceae
,
Zingiberaceae
and
Costaceae
.