Celaenorrhinus zanqua Evans 1937

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 : 15

Celaenorrhinus zanqua Evans 1937 ( Figures 12–13 )

Evans (1937) described and illustrated this species from Zanzibar and listed specimens from Malawi. In Tanzania, it is found from Kilimanjaro round the Eastern Arc Mountains, as well as on Zanzibar. Evans (1937) compared C. zanqua with C. macrostictus Holland, which is found in central Africa from Gabon to western Kenya. Celaenorrhinus zanqua is mostly found in lowland forest, but up to 1500 m at Lulanda in the Udzungwa range of Tanzania (TCEC).

When TCEC and colleagues found the caterpillars at Kihansi Gorge, Udzungwa, the food plant was provisionally identified as Brillantaisia sp. but subsequently, flowering material was identified as Justicia pseudorungia and J. interrupta . Justicia interrupta (Lindau) C.B. Clarke is an unavailable junior homonym of J. interrupta Kunth , an older, South American species; there does not seem to be a replacement name available as yet (Tropicos 2011).

The caterpillar ( Figure 12 ) is very similar to those of the C. proxima group, but the head is plain black. The photographs of the pupa ( Figure 13 ) are not obviously separable from those of the C. proxima group, but appear to be more yellow-brown in colour, with contrasting pale veins on the wings.

Figures

FIGURE 12. Final instar caterpillar of Celaenorrhinus zanqua, collected on Justicia sp., 21 Feb 2000, above Sanje village, eastern end of Udzungwas, c. 850 m, Tanzania (TCEC). 1, dorsal view. 2, anterodorsolateral view.

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.