Eoophyla mimicalis ( Hampson, 1917 ) Published, 2012

Agassiz, David J. L., 2012, The Acentropinae (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea: Crambidae) of Africa, Zootaxa 3494, pp. 1-73 : 37

Eoophyla mimicalis ( Hampson, 1917) comb. n.

Argyractis mimicalis Hampson, 1917: 366 .

Argyractis lithorma Meyrick, 1936: 7 . syn. n.

Argyractis sphragidacma Meyrick, 1937: 102 . syn. n.

Type locality: Nigeria, Borgu.

Imago (Figs. 65, 66): Wingspan 13–16mm. Head pale ochreous; labial palpus long, pointed, upturned and almost straight, pale ochreous, segment 3 longer than segments 1+2; maxillary palpus short and pointed; antenna pale fuscous. Thorax mixed pale ochreous; tegulae with long scales. Forewing ground colour whitish, sometimes heavily suffused dark fuscous; base fuscous towards costa; a broad irregular fuscous antemedian fascia; a fine irregular median fascia; a yellow oblique costal strigula at ¾; a white costal strigula before apex, outwardly edged metallic fuscous; teminal area yellow with apical dot; obscure tornal spot silver grey; terminal cilia with a fuscous line. Hindwing with a diffuse fuscous fascia near base; fuscous and ochreous scales forming antemedian fascia; a fine irregular fuscous median fascia, beyond which a scattering of fuscous scales; clear double subterminal line, ochreous white before eyespots; three elongate eyespots, 1 containing two ochreous wedges and three metallic dots, 2 with one ochreous wedge and two metallic dots, 3 with an ochreous dash between two ochreous spots and two metallic dots; cilia with dark fuscous line.

Specimens from Kenya (Fig. 67) have reduced terminal eyespots on the hindwing, forewing usually dark.

Male genitalia (Fig. 115): Uncus tapered to a blunt point; gnathos digitate, 2/3 length of uncus with several small thorns near apex on dorsal side; valva oblong with rounded corners, four specialised setae arising from a process near lower part of termen, each having a broad flat outer part concluding in a narrower piece bent at apex; juxta with parallel sides bearing spines, apex with many short spines. Aedeagus long and selder with a cluster of longitudinal sclerotised ridges near apex.

Female genitalia (Fig. 169): Ostium wide, antrum wide but gradually tapering towards colliculum where it becomes scobinate with sclerotised ridges; corpus bursae 1.5 x ductus, ovate, the posterior half covered with small spicules, signa comprising a pair of parallel sclerotised ridges bearing small points at intervals.

Tympanal organs: Venulae anteriorly divergent, waisted towards tympani.

Diagnosis: Distinguished by the fuscous streaks protruding into the terminal cilia of the hindwing opposite the gaps between eyespots.

Biology: Unknown, adults recorded in every month of the year.

Distribution: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Congo, D.R. Congo, Cameroon, Ghana, Sierra Leone.

Material examined: Holotype ♀ Borgu, Nigeria, 2 paratypes: 1♀ Zungeru, Nigeria; 1♂ Sierra Leone: ( BMNH), lectotype ♀ of A. sphragidacma, Elisabethville , paralectotypes: as cited by Maes (1996).

NIGERIA: 2♀ Ibadan , 1♀ Zaria ( BMNH) ; GHANA: 1♀ Navao , 1♀ Kete-Krachi ( BMNH) ; KENYA: 1♀ Gazi ( BMNH) ; CAMEROON: 1♀ Dschang ( BMNH) ; UGANDA: 3♂ 2♀ Murchison Falls N.P. ( DJLA) ; TANZANIA: 4♀ Udzungwa Mts. ; CONGO : 2♂ 2♀ Brazzaville ( TMMA) ; MALAWI: 2♂ 6♀ Dzalanyama ( AJK) .