Metisella congdoni De Jong & Kielland, 1983

Cock, Matthew J. W. & Congdon, T. Colin E., 2017, Observations on the Biology of Afrotropical Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera) with particular reference to Kenya. Part 11. Heteropterinae, Zootaxa 4226 (4), pp. 487-508 : 500-501

Metisella congdoni De Jong & Kielland, 1983

To date, this species has only been recorded from forested areas in Mufindi in the Udzungwa Mountains, and the slopes of Rungwe Mountain in the Southern Highlands ( De Jong & Kielland 1983). It is close to M. orientalis , and differs from form kappa in the paler yellow markings, the larger average size, the yellow (not brown) hair scales on the upper side of both wings, and in the male genitalia, which are illustrated by De Jong & Kielland (1983).

Food plants. TCEC found and reared the caterpillars on Festuca africana at Mufindi , Tanzania.

Caterpillar. Caterpillars of M. congdoni and M. orientalis were both found in closed canopy forest, females apparently avoiding the usual laying sites on forest edges. The final instar caterpillar ( Figure 15 ) has the head predominantly black, differing from M. orientalis where the head is pale green with a strong anterolateral black stripe ( Figure 9 ). Compared with M. orientalis , the body is more uniformly green, with only the white dorsolateral lines strongly developed and a weak subdorsal line.

Pupa. The pupa ( Figure 16 ) is similar to that of M. orientalis ( Figure 11 ) and other members of the genus. In the individuals documented here, M. congdoni is less heavily marked, and the subdorsal lines along the dorsum of the wings and dorsolaterally on the thorax are barely evident.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Final instar caterpillar of Metisella orientalis orientalis, collected on Festuca africana, Mufindi, Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania [TCEC]. 1, dorsal view, 20 Mar 2004; 2, dorsal view, 20 Mar 2004; 3, prepupa, dorsal view, 23 Mar 2004; 4, detail of head of prepupa, anterior view, 23 Mar 2004.

FIGURE 11. Pupa of Metisella orientalis orientalis, collected on Festuca africana, 26 Mar 2004, Mufindi, Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania, dorsal view [TCEC].

FIGURE 15. Final instar caterpillar of Metisella congdoni, collected on Festuca africana, 20 Mar 2004, Mufindi, Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania [TCEC]. 1, dorsal view, head in anterolateral view; 2, detail of head in dorsolateral view.

FIGURE 16. Pupa of Metisella congdoni, collected on Festuca africana, 22 Mar 2004, Mufindi, Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania [TCEC]. 1, dorsolateral view; 2, ventrolateral view.