Vespanthedon cerceris Le Cerf, 1917

Bartsch, Daniel, 2013, Revisionary checklist of the Southern African Sesiini (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) with description of new species, Zootaxa 3741 (1), pp. 1-54 : 28

Vespanthedon cerceris Le Cerf, 1917

( Figs 71 , 91 , 116 ).

Literature. Le Cerf 1917: 330; Hampson 1919: 77; Dalla Torre & Strand 1925: 119; Gaede 1929: 527; Heppner & Duckworth 1981: 42; Vári, Kroon & Krüger 2002: 67; Pühringer & Kallies 2004: 45.

Specimen examined. Holotype: ♂ ( Fig 71 ) Mozambique, Prov. de Gorongoza , forêt d'Inhanconde, alt. 350 mèt., 1907, ex G. Vasse (Bradley fec., MNHP prep. No. 3113, Fig. 116 ; wing venation Fig. 91 ) ( MNHP).

The original description states: “Type: 1♂ ” ( Le Cerf 1917); thus, this specimen in MNHP is the holotype. It is the only known specimen and is very characteristic and unmistakable in pattern and shape of the body, but partially rubbed off, the former bluish-black ground colour is bleached to dull brown and the abdomen was dissected. It was masterly painted in watercolours by Jules Culot ( Le Cerf 1917: pl. 479, fig. 3955).

Redescription ( Fig. 71 ). Wingspan 30 mm, forewing length 13 mm antenna 6.5 mm. Labial palpus with first palpomere black, other palpomeres yellow; frons yellow, medially grey; vertex black; pericephalic hairs dorsally black, laterally yellow; antenna dorso-proximally pale yellow, dorso-distally black, ventrally brown. Thorax black; patagia and mesothorax laterally, a scapular spot at forewing base and metathorax dorsally yellow. Abdomen (according to the original description) tergites 1–4 laterally with a triangular yellow spot, tergites 5–7 with narrow yellow posterior border; sternites 1–4 whitish yellow, sternites 5–7 laterally with a narrow yellow spot; anal tuft ventro-laterally yellow. Fore leg with coxa and femur black, coxa proximally narrow yellow; tibia and tarsus yellow, the latter ventrally with some black scales; other legs with coxa and femur black; hind coxa medially yellow; tibiae ventro-distally yellow. Forewings with wing base, costal area, costad half cell, a narrow stripe between veins M1 and M2 and veins black, underside yellow, veins black; hindwing opaque, veins black.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 116 ). As characterized in the genus description.

Figures

FIGURES 61–72. Specimens of Hagnogyna and Vespanthedon Le Cerf, 1917: 61–66. Hagnogyna sanguicosta (Hampson, 1919), (61) ♂ syntype; (62) ♀ syntype; (63, 66) ♂ Zimbabwe, Christan Bank; (64–65) ♀, Zimbabwe, Hunyani river. 67–70. H. bartschi (Freina, 2011) (67–68) ♂ Paratype, Eastern Cape Province, 50 km W Graaf Reinet, E Mt. Torberg; (69–70) ♀ Paratype, Natal, Impetyeni forest. 71. Vespanthedon cerceris Le Cerf, 1917, ♂ holotype. 72. Vespanthedon chalciphora (Hampson, 1919), ♀ holotype.

FIGURES 84–91. Wing venations: (84) Cicinnoscelis longipes Holland, 1893; (85) Alonina rygchiiformis Walker, 1856; (86) Anaudia felderi Wallengren, 1863, syntype; (87) Austrosetia semirufa Felder & Felder, 1874; (88) Felderiola candescens (Felder & Felder, 1874); (89) Monopetalotaxis doleriformis (Walker, 1856); (90) Hagnogyna sanguicosta (Hampson, 1919); (91) Vespanthedon cerceris Le Cerf, 1917, holotype.

FIGURES 115–116. Male genitalia: (115) Austrosetia semirufa Felder & Felder, 1874; (116) Vespanthedon cerceris Le Cerf, 1917, holotype.