Celaenorrhinus sanjeensis Kielland 1990

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 : 19-21

Celaenorrhinus sanjeensis Kielland 1990 ( Figures 16–19 )

This species ( Figure 16 ) is an endemic of the Udzungwa Mountains of the Eastern Arc, Tanzania and has been recorded above Sanje Village in the Udzungwa National Park, and in the Kihansi Gorge, Udzungwa. In both its known localities this species is confined to forest below 1000 m. It may therefore be found in other similar localities along the foot of the Udzungwas. This is one of three similar local endemic species in Tanzania, the other two being C. cordeironis Kielland , and C. kimboza Evans. The discovery of this species at Kihansi Gorge emphasises the importance of these small and isolated Eastern Arc forests, particularly those at low and intermediate elevations.

Food plants

As for C. zanqua (above), the food plants which TCEC found at Kihansi Gorge are Justicia pseudorungia and J. interrupta (Acanthaceae) . As noted above, J. interrupta (Lindau) C.B. Clarke from East and southern Africa is an unavailable homonym, with no available replacement name.

Ovum

The ovum ( Figure 17.1 ) is similar to others seen for Celaenorrhinus spp. in Africa: rounded, with the bottom flattened, with about 33 crenulated ribs, not all of which extend to the vicinity of the micropyle. It is laid on the leaf under side.

Leaf shelters

The stage 1 shelter, like those of most other Celaenorrhinus spp. is a one-cut shelter in the leaf lamina ( Figure 17.2 ) in this example, near the edge of the leaf. The stage 2 shelter is a two-cut shelter from the leaf edge, folded upwards ( Figure 17.3 ). Two-cut shelters are usually consistent in form, and it has been shown for the North American Epargyreus clarus (Cramer) (Eudaminae) that this is because as the caterpillar follows a stereotypic process, so that the size and proportions of the shelter are defined by the body size of the caterpillar ( Weiss et al. 2003). In contrast, the stage 2 shelter of C. sanjeensis is irregular, and could easily be mistaken for a piece of torn leaf. This might have some advantage in terms of protection from predators, as visually hunting predators, such as wasps, can learn to recognise and search for shelters ( Larsen 1981, Jones et al. 2002, Weiss et al. 2004). Further observations Caterpillar

The final instar caterpillar ( Figures 18.2–3 ) is similar to those of other Celaenorrhinus spp. , but the cuticle is less transparent than some, and more strikingly, the brown head is covered with visible short, erect, white hair-like setae.

Pupa and short blunt spikes on the anterior dorsal margin of the abdominal segments ( Figures 1 , 5 , 9 , 11 , 13 and 15 ). However, C. sanjeensis diverges substantially from this pattern, and the pupa is much closer to those of the C. galenus group (below). Like the C. galenus group, the pupa is green (due to a transparent cuticle), the frontal projections are almost absent, and the proboscis sheath extends well beyond the cremaster. Unlike the C. galenus group, the pupa of C. sanjeensis has a weak, pale dorsolateral line on the abdomen, the spiracle T1 is conspicuous, black and slightly projecting, and the distal half of the termen of the (fore or hind) wing is narrowly black. It does not belong in Celaenorrhinus group 1, the ‘black and white species’.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Frontal plates of pupae of Celaenorrhinus proxima group. 1, C. plagiatus female, collected as final instar caterpillar on Brillantaisia lamium, Forêt de Yapo, 4 Dec 1988, 88/203A. 2, C. undescribed nr. dargei male, collected as caterpillar on Mimulopsis solmsii, Kakamega Forest, 16 Jun 1991, 91/35. 3, C. proxima proxima female, collected as pupa on M. solmsii, Kakamega Forest, 1 Sep 1987, 87/20. 4, C. proxima proxima male, collected as caterpillar on Phaulopsis imbricata, Kakamega Forest, 19 Jul 1990, 90/75. 5, C. proxima proxima female, collected as caterpillar on?Acanthopale sp., near Douala airport, Cameroon, 16 Jun 1990, 90/205A. 6, C. proxima maesseni male, collected as caterpillar on unidentified Acanthaceae, Forêt de Yapo, Côte d’Ivoire, 4 Dec 1988, 88/202A (the projection over the eye on the left is crushed out of alignment).

FIGURE 5. Details of final instar caterpillar head capsule and pupa of Celaenorrhinus undescribed nr. dargei, collected as n– 2 caterpillar on Mimulopsis solmsii, Kakamega Forest, 16 Jun 1991, pupated 31 Jul, adult male 12 Aug, 91/35. 1, anterolateral view of head capsule to show detail of microsculpture. 2, dorsolateral view of thorax. 3, dorsolateral view of abdomen showing spikes on anterior margin. 4, frontal view of frontal plate of pupa, with projections, those over the eyes angled at about 45°. 5–7, cremaster, ventral, lateral and dorsal views.

FIGURE 9. Pupa of Celaenorrhinus proxima proxima, collected as final instar caterpillar on Mimulopsis solmsii, Kakamega Forest, 7 Nov 1987; pupated 27 Nov; date of photograph not recorded; failed to emerge, 87/33 (pupal remains identified based on the projections over the eyes).

FIGURE 11. Celaenorrhinus proxima proxima, collected as n–1 caterpillar on Acanthopale sp., near Douala airport, Camer-

FIGURE 13. Pupa of Celaenorrhinus zanqua collected as caterpillar on Justicia sp., 21 Feb 2000, above Sanje village, eastern end of Udzungwas, c. 850 m, Tanzania (TCEC). 1, dorsolateral view. 2, lateral view.

FIGURE 15. Pupa of Celaenorrhinus humbloti collected on unidentified Acanthaceae, Andasibe, Madagascar by S.C. Collins, photographed 3 Dec 2006, dorsolateral view (TCEC).

FIGURE 16. Male Celaenorrhinus sanjeensis, Kihansi Gorge, c. 600 m, Tanzania, 9 Oct 2006 (TCEC).

FIGURE 17. Ovum and shelters of Celaenorrhinus sanjeensis on Justicia sp., Kihansi Gorge, Udzungwa, Tanzania (TCEC). 1, ovum, dorsal view. 2, stage 1 shelter. 3, stage 2 shelter.

FIGURE 18. Caterpillars of Celaenorrhinus sanjeensis, Kihansi Gorge, Tanzania (TCEC). 1, Instar 3 caterpillar, detail of head, 31 May 2006. 2, final instar caterpillar, on Justicia interrupta, 12 Oct 2006, dorsal view. 3, as 2, dorsolateral view.

FIGURE 19. Pupa of Celaenorrhinus sanjeensis collected on Justicia interrupta, Kihansi Gorge, Tanzania, photographed 14 Oct 2006 (TCEC). 1, dorsal view. 2, lateral view.