Yponomeuta disemanta Meyrick, 1933

Agassiz, David J. L., 2019, The Yponomeutidae of the Afrotropical region (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutoidea), Zootaxa 4600 (1), pp. 1-69 : 28

31. Yponomeuta disemanta Meyrick, 1933 comb. rev.

Hyponomeuta disemanta Meyrick, 1933: 373

Paraswammmerdamia disemanta ( Meyrick, 1933) ; Gershenson & Ulenberg (1998: 86)

Type locality: Sierra Leone: Njala .

This species was transferred to Paraswammerdamia by Gershenson & Ulenberg (1998) but since it possesses the hyaline patch near the base of the hindwing that is likely not a correct placement. Whilst it may require a new genus, for the present it is restored to Yponomeuta .

Redescription of adult ( Plate 5). Wingspan 14–19 mm. Head and appendages pale grey, labial palpus with segment 3 pointed at apex, segment 2 about the same length. Thorax pale grey with two large black spots, tegula plain pale grey. Forewing pale grey, a large black spot in middle of fold, a smaller one towards apex, fringe concolorous with wing. Hindwing grey, paler basally, a small hyaline patch near base. Abdomen and legs pale grey.

Male genitalia ( Plate 15). Uncus almost square, socius moderate a fine pair of spines at apex; valva almost parallel sided, heavily clothed with dense hairs near base of dorsum, saccus simple about half length of valva. Aedeagus slender, almost equal in length to valva, a pair of weak cornuti.

Female genitalia ( Plate 24). Lamella postvaginalis lobes pronounced, antrum sclerotised, short and skewed to the left, ductus bursae scobinate for almost all of its length, corpus bursae ovate, signum a weakly sclerotised stellate plate.

Diagnosis. A very distinct species with one spot on the fore wing.

Biology. Not known. Adults recorded in January, February, March, April, May, June.

Distribution. West Africa: Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Gabon, DRC.

Type material. Holotype ♀ Sierra Leone, Njala, 11.vi.32 E. Hargreaves. Slide JFGC 7531 ( NHMUK).

Other material examined: 1 ♂ Sierra Leone, vii.1895 Clements, Genitalia slide BMNH Microlep 34351 ; 11 specimen, forewings only, vi.1895 Clements; 1 ♂ IVORY COAST, Bingerville 1915 G. Melou ; 1 ♂ Bingerville 25.v–3.vi.1915 G. Melou ; 1 ♀ Bingerville 9–12.vi.1915 G. Melou ; 1 ♀ NIGERIA, Rivers, Port Harcourt 19.i.58 B.J. MacNulty ; 1 ♀ Rivers, Port Harcourt 21.iv.58 B.J. MacNulty ; 2 ♀ Rivers, Port Harcourt 27.ii.55 B.J. Mac- Nulty ; 1 ♂ Old Calabar, 1901–09 F.W. Sampson, Genitalia slide BMNH Microlep 28372 ( NHMUK); GABON: Ogooue-Ivindo, Ipassa, Makokou 550 m 0°30’43’’N 12°48’13’’E 14–24.iii.2015 K. Larsen ( DJLA); D.R. CONGO : 1 ♂ Eala viii.1936 J. Ghesquière ( MRAC) .

Note. Specimens from other localities such as Ivory Coast have genitalia distinctly smaller than those from the type locality and may constitute a separate taxon .

Species incertae sedis