A. vitrea Plötz ssp. vitrea

13 vitrea.JPG (7067 Byte)

vitrea f 94-0001.GIF (6623 Byte)
Description
Male. Fw length 20-24 mm; fw at base, and along outer and inner margin pale greyish brown, the apex darker, pale brown; the central fw area almost completely transparent, sharply delimited towards the apex and wing margins; fw veins finely lined with brown scales, a broader streak along the discal vein; hw weakly scaled, almost transparent, pale greyish brown at the tip of the apex and along the outer margin. Head, thorax, and dorsal base of abdomen pale brownish grey; tegulae with a single, weak black spot basally; outer sides of fore and mid tibiae and tarsi brown, outer sides of coxae, femora and hindlegs greyish white, inner sides of legs pinkish red. Abdomen dorsally bright pinkish red, ventrally greyish white, without obvious androconial organs.
Female. As male.
Male genitalia
vitrea a.GIF (3024 Byte) vitrea b.GIF (6723 Byte) vitrea c.GIF (2313 Byte) vitrea d.GIF (8265 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 and narrow, hirsute, somewhat elongated, and distally pointed. Valvae large, broad oval-shaped, and distally rounded; outer surface with long extrusible, hirsute, tube-like coremata; inner sclerotized process short and slender, smooth, strongly bent at its base and with a hook-like tip. Vesica distally with two short, almost straight, parallel cornuti of unequal length fused at their base, originating from a distinct short membraneous papillate appendage.
Distribution
The species is widespread across most of tropical and subtropical Africa, from the southern Arabian peninsular (Saudi-Arabia, Yemen), Sudan and Eritrea south to the Cape and westwards to Senegal; on Madagascar and the Comoro Islands a different subspecies occurs.
Comments
This species had first been synonymized by Hampson (1901: 504) with A. astreus from India; later, however, he accepted A. vitrea as a separate species (Hampson 1920: 527), as did most other authors (Gaede, 1926; Goodger & Watson, 1995). On the basis of the detailed original description, the identity of this taxon has never been in doubt, despite the fact that the type specimen apparently has never been examined.
Material
Amerila vitrea Plötz, 1880: 84. Holotype: Eningo, R.Buchholz leg. [not located; possibly in Zoological Museum, University of Greifswald; see Horn et al. (1990)]. Type locality: CAMEROON: "Eningo".
Material examined. SENEGAL: Casamance: Sedhiou, 20.- 30.viii.1917 (3 females, BMNH); Cap Skiring, 10.xi.1977 (1 male, 2females, DSLU). GAMBIA: Kabafita Forest Park, 2.2 km NNW Brikama, 5.xi.1977 (1 male, DSLU); Gambia (1 male, MB). LIBERIA: Bong Town, 6° 48'N, 10° 21'W, 4.ix.1983 (1 female, GA), 29.iv.1985 (1 female, GA). BURKINA FASO: 4 km NE Deregone, Savanne, 26.i.-22.ii.1983 (1 female, BGSS). Côte d'Ivoire: Badenou S Mbingue, 9.50 N, 5.50 W, 15.-16.xi.1982 (2, RS), 9.-13.xi.1983 (4, RS); Seguebe SE Sirasso, 9.11 N, 6.03 W, 11.xi.1983 (1 male, RS), 29.xi.1983 (1 male, RS); Marahoue-Ranch bei Mankono, 330-400 m, 8.22 N, 6.23 W, 15.xi.-15.xii.1981 (3 males, RS), 8.-9.xi.1982 (3 males, RS), xii.1983 (5 males, RS); Comoe Parc National, NE Kakpin, 8.45 N, 3.50 W, 15.-17.xii.1982 (2 males, RS); Riv. Bagoe, Guingereni, 9.32 N, 6.36 W, 1.iii.1983 (3 males, RS); Bundama, 12 km N Tawara, 9.45 N, 5.39 W, 9.ii.1983 (2 males, RS); 15 km E Bouafle, Pakodji near Degbezere, 7.xi.1983 (7 males, ITZA), 23.i.1984 (1 female, ITZA), 6.-7.ii.1984 (2 females, ITZA). GHANA: Brong Ahafo: Yamfo, 15.-20.x.1993 (2 males, 1 female, LK); Ashanti: Kwadoso, 26.+29.iv.1995 (3males, 8 female, MB), 12.-25.v.1995 (5 males, 3 female, MB), Bobiri, 27.iv.1995 (1 female, MB); Central: Kakum NP, 30.v.1995 (1 male, MB). BENIN: Bohicon, Lama-Forest, xii.1990 (1 male, MB), 9.-17.xii.1992 (2 males, 1 female, MB, SMNS). NIGERIA: Oyo: Ibadan, i.-vi.1954 (1 male, 1 female, ZMUC); Kwara: [New] Bussa, Kainji, 27.v.1965 (1 female, ZFMK); Kaduna: Zaria, Samaru, 8.vi.1972 (1 female, NMBZ), Kaduna, 9.+21.vii.1970 (1 male, 1 female, ZSSM); Federal Capital Territory: Abuja, ix.1981 (3 males, 1 female, ZFMK). CAMEROON: Nord: Adamaoua, ca. 20 km S Minim, 6.49 N, 12.52 E, 1200 m, 14.iii.-6.iv.1979 (1 male, BGSS). ZAIRE: Leopoldville [= Kinshasa], 21.viii.1954 (1 female, MRAC); Shaba: Lubumbashi, 9.xi.1979 (1 male, MRAC); Kivu: 1967 (1 female, SMNS), Lwiro bei Bukuvu, 1800 m, 19.vi.- 27.vii.1965 (3 males, 2 females, SMNS), i.1967 (1 female, SMNS), Rwanki (1 female, MRAC). RWANDA: Sud: Butare, 1750 m, 30.vi.1975 (3 males, 1 female, SMNS). BURUNDI: 65 km S Bujumbura, Tanganjika See, Hotel Resha, 780 m, 28.ii.1984 (1 male, ZSSM). UGANDA: Entebbe, Zika Forest, vi.1961 (1 female, NMBZ). SUDAN: Hudeiba, Ed Damer, 17.xii.1961 (1 male, ZSSM), 23.iii.1962 (1 female, ZSSM). ERITREA: Dorfu, 27.ix.1938 (1 female, MCSN). ETHIOPIA: Omo R., Bongozi, vi.1967 (1 female, NMKE). KENYA: Western: Kakamega, Kakamega Forest, 2.-5.vii.1980 (2 females, MB), Kakamega, xi.1967 (1 female, NMKE); Coast: Kwale: Shimba Hills, 8.-13.vi.1980 (1 male, 2 females, MB), 1984, e.o. (8 males, 6 females, MB), 1989, e.o. (4 males, 4 females, MB); Jardini, 21.-22.vi.1970 (1 male, 1 female, ZMUC); Mombasa, Shanzu, 4.vi.1980 (2 males, 2 females, MB), Galana R., 2 mi E. Tsavo Nat. Park, iv.1969 (1 male, NMKE), Tsavo West, Ngulia, ii.1984 (1 male, 4 females, MB), 14.xii.1991 (8 males, 5 females, MB), Kenami, Mtito Andei, iv.1969 (1 male, NMKE); Kitale, viii.1953 (1 female, NMKE). TANZANIA: Kigoma: Tubira Forest, 1100 m, 29.iv.+7.v.1989 (1 male, 2 females, BJ); Rukwa: Mpanda, 1000 m, ii.1974 (1 female, BJ), Mpanda, Nkungwe, c.1150 m, 2.iv.1957 (1 female, BJ); Arusha: Mount Meru Natl. P., 2000 m, 7.vii.1970 (1 female, ZMUC); Tanga: Mal.Inst. Amani, iv.1961 (1 female, BMNH), Muheza: E-Usambara, Amani, 8.vii.1982 (1 male, 1 female, BJ), Amani, Usambara, 1000 m, 27.vi.1970 (1 female, ZMUC), Lushoto, W-Usambara, Mazumbai, 1500 m, 12.vii.1982 (1 female, BJ); Morogoro: Uluguru Mts., Morningside, 1200 m, 30.xi.+2.xii.1982 (2 females, BJ), Ilonga, Kilosa, vi.1967 (2 males, 7 females, BMNH); Coast: Kiono For., Sadani, 250 m, 17.i.1986 (1 female, BJ); Daressalam, iv.1909 (1 male, MNHU); Bumbuli bei Mombo, 1250 m, 4.v.1933 (1 female, SMFM). RWANDA: Kigali, 20.x.1980 (1 male, ZMUC). ZAMBIA: Northern: Abercorn [= Mbala], ix.1963 (1 female, NMKE). MOZAMBIQUE: Salone R., 25 m. S.W. of Marromeu, 21.v.1979 (1 female, NMBZ). NAMIBIA: Damaraland: Okahandja, 14.viii.1939 (1 male, SMWN). ZIMBABWE: 96 m. SE of Nuanetsi, 21¯55'S 31¯30'E, iv.1961 (1 female, NMBZ); Doddieburn Ranch, 21¯27'S 29¯23'E, 5.xii.1985 (1 male, NMBZ); Melsetter: Mount Selinda, Chirinda Forest, 19.ix.1973 (1 male, NMBZ). SWAZILAND: Mbabane, Mdagwane Hill, 13.xii.1992 (1 male, MB), 14.ii.1993 (1 female MB), Lubambo Mts., Sileki, 20.xii.1992 (2 females, MB). SOUTH AFRICA: Transvaal: Bushveld, Krodilspoortberge, 21 km SE Nelspruit, 800 m, 31.i.-2.ii.1989 (5 males, WT), 25 km SE Nelspruit, 1500 m, 31.i.-2.ii.1989 (1 male, 2 females, WT), Drakensberge, Montrose, 14 km W Nelspruit, 800 m, 28.-30.i.1989 (1 male, WT); Natal: See St.Lucia, Charters Creek, 0 m, 11.ii.1989 (1 female, WT), Sodwana Bay, 0 m, 9.-10.ii.1989 (3 males, 1 female, WT); Cape Province: St.Johns, xi.1953 (1 female, NMKE).