Amerila nigroapicalis  (Aurivillius )

Description
Male. Fw length 30-32 mm; fw along the costal and inner margin greyish white, at the apex and along the outer margin dark greyish brown, with the central area transparent; fw veins dark, the costal vein with a long areole extending from the base to about one third of the total winglength, broad at base and gradually tapering distally; hw whitish, weakly scaled, the posterior half, particularly along the inner margin, cream-to ivory-coloured, the apex sometimes dark greyish brown. Head and thorax dorsally white; tegulae with two conspicuous black spots, one basally and another one apically; outer sides of femora and tibiae greyish white, inner sides of femora and tibiae, as well as tarsi red. Abdomen dorsally red, ventrally greyish white; ventrally between sternites III and IV medially a pocket with an extrusible brush of long, hair-like scales.
Female. Unknown.

nigroapicalis 94-0025.GIF (12856 Byte)

Male genitalia
nigroapicalis a.GIF (4185 Byte) nigroapicalis b.GIF (8425 Byte) nigroapicalis c.GIF (1935 Byte) nigroapicalis d.GIF (7672 Byte)
view on leftside of vinculum and valva, lateral view inner side of right valva tegumen/uncus, dorsal view aedeagus with vesica everted
Uncus short, triangular, and distally pointed. Valvae large, distally broadened, almost square-shaped; outer surface with long extrusible, tube-like coremata; inner sclerotized process short and smooth, curved inwards, and distally pointed. Vesica short and broad, distally with a single large, hook-like cornutus, strongly bent at its base.
Distribution
West and Cental Africa; Nigeria to southern Zaire.
Comments
So far only known from male specimens. The status of the type material of A. nigroapicalis is given by Goodger & Watson (1995: 5) as 'syntype(s)', but the original description (l.c.) is evidently based on a single specimen said to be a female from the Staudinger collection. As the malespecimen in MNHU listed above agrees well with the description and has all corresponding labels, it is here regarded as the holotype.
Material
Pelochyta nigroapicalis Aurivillius, 1899: 242. Holotype male (examined): Kamerun int., Barombi Station, 1889. Preuss / Pelochyta nigroapicalis Auriv.(zu 31) / Staudinger K. 1283 / Holotypus, Pelochyta nigroapicalis Aurivillius, 1889, det.Chr.L.Häuser [MNHU]. Type locality: CAMEROON: Barombi station.
Additional material examined. NIGERIA: Forcados, 21.x.1914 (1 male, BMNH); R. Niger, Akassa to Onusha (1 male, BMNH). EQUATORIAL GUINEA: Bioko: Fernando Po (2 males, MNHU). ZAIRE: Leopoldville [= Kinshasa], 30.v.1955 (1 male, MRAC); Kasai Occidental: Lulua, Kapanga, vii.1933 (1 male, MRAC); Kasai Oriental: Lusambo, 4.ix.1949 (1 male, MRAC); Shaba: Kafakumba, xii.1932 (1 male, MRAC).