Camerunia subrosea ( Aurivillius, 1893 ), 2025

Takano, Hitoshi, 2025, Taxonomic revision of Camerunia Aurivillius, 1893 and allied genera (Lepidoptera: Eupterotidae: Janinae), European Journal of Taxonomy 1022, pp. 134-175 : 159-164

Camerunia subrosea ( Aurivillius, 1893) comb. nov.

Figs 1, 28–35, 46–47, 53, 57

Jana subrosea Aurivillius, 1893: 209 . Type locality: [ South Africa] “Transvaal”.

Hemijana ruberrima Rothschild, 1917: 490 . Type locality: [ Angola] “Bibé” [sic = Kuito].

Hemijana subrosea f. distincta Berio, 1937: 379. Type locality: [ Zambia] “Monge” [sic = Monze].

Jana subrosea – Distant 1897: 205.

Hemijana subrosea – Aurivillius 1901b: 22. — Gaede 1927: 302, pl. 46 fig. a. — Pinhey 1975: 130, pls 28 and 30 fig. 571. — Vári et al. 2002: 150. — Kitching et al. 2018: suppl. material 1. — Krüger 2020: 138.

Hemijana ruberrima – Gaede 1927: 302. — Vári et al. 2002: 150 (syn.).

Diagnosis

Camerunia subrosea ( Aurivillius, 1893) comb. nov. is the smallest species of the genus, and despite similar wing patterns to C. bimaculata ( Dewitz, 1879) comb. rev., it is easily identified by its rosy-pink hindwing, which is yellow in its congener. The male genitalia of C. subrosea are also most similar to those of C. bimaculata , but in the latter, the lateral processes of the tegumen lack the basal process along the ventral margin, the spines of the gnathos are less densely packed and arise further from the midline, the apex of the saccular process is blunt (triangular and pointed in C. subrosea ) and the phallic tube is longer and thinner.

Type material

Lectotype of Jana subrosea (by present designation)

SOUTH AFRICA • ♂ ( Fig. 28); “Transvaal [handwritten] // Hemijana / subrosea / Aur. typ. [handwritten] // 12 (1). [handwritten]”; MfN .

Paralectotype of Jana subrosea

SOUTH AFRICA • ♂; “Typus [red card with black border] // 927. // Hemijana / subrosea Aur. [handwritten in Aurivillius’ hand] // NHRS-SRAH / 000001440 ”; NHRS .

Lectotype of Hemijana ruberrima (by present designation)

ANGOLA • ♂ ( Fig. 29); “Type [white disc with red border] // Bihe, / Angola / [Pemberton] [black border] // Hemijana / ruberrima / Type Rothsch. [handwritten in Rothschild’s hand] // BMNH(E)1627075 [QR Code]”; NHMUK .

Paralectotype of Hemijana ruberrima

ANGOLA • ♂; “ Bihe , / Angola / [Pemberton] [black border]”; NHMUK .

Other material examined ( 27 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀)

ANGOLA – Moxico • 1 ♂; Km 879 Benguela Railway [= Cangonga (see Hance & van Dongen 1956)]; 17 Sep. 1927; NHMUK . – Lunda Sul • 1 ♂; Xa-Sengue [= Xassengue]; 10 Apr. 1937; M.A. Excell leg.; NHMUK .

BOTSWANA • 1 ♂; [unspecified locality]; 1892; MfN .

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO – Haut-Lomami • 1 ♂; Kaniama ; Mar.–Jul. 1932; A.J.J. Massart leg.; RMCA . – Kasaï • 2 ♂♂; Mukishi ; 1928; A. Becquet leg.; RMCA . – Kasaï-Central • 1 ♂; Dimbelenge ; 30 Oct. 1950; M. Fontaine leg.; RMCA • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; 4 Nov. 1950; RMCA • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; 29 Nov. 1950; RMCA • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; 5 Jan. 1951; RMCA • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; 10 Feb. 1951; RMCA • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; 30 May 1953; RMCA • 1 ♂; Luluabourg [= Kananga]; 6 Jun. 1953; M. Fontaine leg.; RMCA . – Lomami • 3 ♂♂; Kabinda ; J. Schwetz leg.; RMCA • 1 ♂; Penge ; 16 Jan. 1926; C. Seydel leg.; RMCA . – Lualaba • 1 ♀; Kapanga ; May 1934; F.G. Overlaet leg.; RMCA • 1 ♀; Kolwezi ; 3 Nov. 1952; S. Gilbert leg.; RMCA . – Sankuru • 1 ♂; Badingale ; 12 Jan. 1950; P. Hostie leg.; RMCA .

TANZANIA – Kagera • 1 ♂; Maninga ; 2°09.189′ S, 31°40.144′ E; 1320 m a.s.l.; 4 Nov. 2008; P. Darge leg.; ANHRT . – Tabora • 1 ♀; Tabora ; Mar. 1915; A. Reuss leg.; MfN .

SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♂; [unspecified locality]; E. Holub leg.; NHMW • 1 ♂; Transvaal ; MfN. – Gauteng • 1 ♂; Johannesburg; 1829 m a.s.l.; Dec. 1898; J.P. Cregoe leg.; NHMUK • 1 ♂; Modderfontein ; Feb. 1921; A.V. Langshaw leg.; NHMUK • 1 ♂; Pretoria; W.L. Distant leg.; NHMUK. – Mpumalanga • 1 ♂; Balmoral ; 5 May 1902; E.E. Hamm leg.; OUMNH .

ZAMBIA – Copperbelt • 1 ♀; Forestry office, Chati ; 12°51′ S, 27°41′ E; 1200 m a.s.l.; 5 Nov. 1969; S.M. Tanner leg.; ANHRT. – Northwestern • 1 ♂; Hillwood, Ikelenge ; 11°16′02″ S, 24°18′59″ E; 1400 m a.s.l.; 21–28 Oct. 2013; R. Smith, H. Takano, L. Chmurova and L. Smith leg.; ANHRT. – Western • 1 ♂; Ndanda ; 15°04′44″ S, 23°45′59″ E; 1090 m a.s.l.; 10–11 Nov. 2013; R. Smith, H. Takano and D. Oram leg.; ANHRT .

Redescription

Male ( Figs 28–33, 53)

FOREWING LENGTH. 21–27 mm.

UPPERSIDE. Ground colour of body and forewing ranging from beige to pale-brown, irrorated with rosy-pink scales; hindwing ranging from rosy-red to pink. Antenna bipectinate, dark brown with pale beige scaling along entire length of shaft. Eighth sternite gently arcuate posteriorly, weakly sclerotised; its surface covered evenly in fine punctures with scattering of deeper punctures. Forewing triangular, slightly rounded at apex, outer margin gently arcuate. Antemedial fascia dark brown, gently sinuate arising perpendicular to the costa and terminating along anal margin. Discal marking black, triple, two on outer edge of medial vein, other on inner (sometimes very faint or absent). Postmedial fasciae dark brown, arcuate, arising perpendicularly nearly two-thirds along costa and curved inwards at vein M1, terminating perpendicularly to anal margin; outer of two diffuse (or entirely absent), becoming fainter towards costal margin. Submarginal fascia dark brown, arcuate, slightly sinuate, broadly running in line with postmedial fascia. Region between submarginal and subterminal fasciae with diffuse dark brown scaling in some individuals. Subterminal fascia dark brown, crenulate, indistinct, and following outer margin. Fringe mixture of pink, brown and greyish-white scales.

HINDWING. Outer margin arcuate. In some individuals, postmedial and submarginal fasciae weakly showing through from underside. Subterminal fascia dark brown, indistinct and best-defined at tornus present in some individuals. Fringe with more pink scales than on forewing.

UNDERSIDE. Legs and abdomen irrorated with long carmine ciliate scales. Ground colour of wings brown with rusty tinge. Submarginal fascia dark brown, fine, placed slightly distad to that of upperside, and only well-defined near the costa. Hindwing postmedial and submarginal fasciae dark brown, arcuate or slightly angled, almost running parallel to each other, outer gently crenulate.

MALE GENITALIA ( Figs 46–47). Uncus reduced, fused with tegumen. Tegumen broad with pair of long, cylindrical, apically pointed lateral projections, gently curved inward; ventral margin with short, truncate projection near base. Gnathos with dense cluster of spines, either side of midline. Valve triangular and cleft (about half the way along valve). Costa curved ventrad at apex, tapering to blunt point. Sacculus well-defined tapering apically into curved distal process, with triangular apex. Juxta trapezoid, proximally V-shaped, lateral margins gently tapering dorsad, distally V-shaped. Vinculum V-shaped. Saccus cylindrical, rounded at apex. Phallus robust, as long as valve, almost straight; coecum rounded. Vesica with scobination.

Female ( Figs 34–35)

FOREWING LENGTH. 27–30 mm.

Similar to male but rami of antennae nearly half as long. Some individuals with a deep crimson hue to the upperside.

Variation

The ground colour and extent of forewing markings, especially the fasciae, are highly variable among individuals of this species.

Larval foodplant

Pygmaeothamnus zeyheri ( Rubiaceae ) ( Staude et al. 2016).

Molecular characterisation

This species has been assigned the BIN BOLD:AAI2018. Intraspecific PWDs were 1.1–2.5% (n = 4), diverging from its nearest neighbour, C. bimaculata ( Dewitz, 1879) comb. rev. by 6.0–6.8% (n = 5).

Distribution ( Fig. 57)

Widely distributed across more open woodland habitats in southern and central Africa, including Angola, D.R. Congo, Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana and South Africa. It has also been recorded from Zimbabwe ( Pinhey 1975) and may be found in Malawi and Mozambique.

Remarks

In the original description of Jana subrosea, Aurivillius (1893) gave a range in wingspan and stated that the type material came from Staudinger’s collection. To preserve the stability of nomenclature by fixing the published name to a single specimen, a male in MfN from Staudinger’s collection is designated as the lectotype ( Fig. 28). The handwritten label signifying the specimen as being a type (also attached to the lectotype of C. insignis ) is believed to be written neither in Aurivillius nor Staudinger’s hand, based on several inconsistencies in the style (namely the narrow spacing of the ligature and the long “y” in the word “typ.”) and the fact that the combination Hemijana subrosea did not exist until after Staudinger’s death. These specimens are also missing the characteristic “Origin.” labels printed on purple paper that Staudinger used to identify types (see Takano 2024a), and it is possible that they were labelled by a curator from the MfN when the Staudinger types arrived at the museum. Although there are no printed ex-collection or locality labels indicating that this specimen belonged to Staudinger, the elongate label with two numbers written on it (in this case “12 (1).”, or “16,1.” in C. insignis ) is found on other Staudinger specimens of butterflies and moths studied by the present author in MfN. A male in NHRS labelled as a type with an Aurvillius determination label is probably part of the type series, the number “927” referring to a locality (in this case Transvaal) based on another specimen in MfN from Arnold Schultze’s collection with the handwritten label “927. / Trv.”. This specimen, the only one labelled with the original combination “ Jana subrosea ”, may also be part of the type series.

The two syntypes of Hemijana ruberrima were collected by Charles Hubert Pemberton in “Bihe” [= Kuito] during his journey through Angola in 1901–02, where he was predominantly collecting birds for Rothschild’s Tring Museum but also Lepidoptera . To preserve the stability of nomenclature by fixing the published name to a single specimen, the best-preserved male specimen with Rothschild’s handwritten type label is designated as the lectotype ( Fig. 29). Little is known of Pemberton, a then 23-year-old trainee lawyer who only a few years prior to his departure had been sitting exams in Torquay (IALS Archives LSOC/9/20), or of his journey in Angola, but it is possible to piece together his route based on his collecting data from his natural history specimens, together with Tring Museum correspondence in the archives of NHMUK (DF/TM/1/156/17). Arriving at Luanda, he travelled down the Cuanza River from Barraca ( May 1901) to Dondo (June), and then south through Calulo (July) and N’gungo (August) to Bailundo (September/October). He moved onto the Bié Plateau, exploring Kuito and the plains to the east (October-November) before heading southeast to Caconda (December) ending up in Humpata ( January 1902). Based on the above itinerary, the lectotype was caught at the start of the rainy season, and this particularly bright, pink specimen is similar to others from north-western Zambia captured at a similar time of year, perhaps linked to the bright red pre-rain leaf flushes of miombo trees.

Berio (1937) described a male specimen missing the transverse forewing fasciae as f. distincta, following Tams’ examination and identification of the species. Similar poorly marked specimens have been examined by the present author, including a short series collected by Maurice Fontaine at Dimbelenge in RMCA (not figured) for which Gaede had proposed the manuscript name f. impunctata. The type locality of “Monge” is almost certainly a mistranscription or typographical error of Monze in southern Zambia, which the collector, Lidio Cipriani, passed through on several occasions on his second expedition to southern Africa ( Cipriani 1931). In the same paper, Berio (1937) described several taxa collected by Cipriani in the Democratic Republic of Congo (“tra Coquilhatville e Stanleyville”) as well as at Chikuni, a mission station in southern Zambia ( Cipriani 1929), and not the Congo as erroneously stated by Berio (e.g., see under Desmeocraera ciprianii Berio 1937: 381 ). The specimen on which f. distincta was based was not examined as part of this study but it is likely to reside in MCSN (see Taberer & Giusti 2022) rather than in MZUF as stated in the original description.