Amerila shimbaensis sp.n.

10 shimbaensis.JPG (7042 Byte)

shimbaensis m 94-0029.GIF (9881 Byte)
Description
Male. Fw length 29-32 mm; wings, head, thorax, and base of abdomen ivory-coloured; wings densely scaled, fw veins finely lined with dark scales, a broader dark line along the discal vein; hw veins not dark; underside of both wings greyish white. Tegulae with a single black spot basally; legs yellow, outer sides of femora, tibiae, and proximal tarsal segments greyish white. Abdomen dorsally greyish white from base to segment III, posteriorly dull yellow, ventrally whitish grey, without obvious androconial organs.
Female. Unknown.
Male genitalia
shimbaensis a.GIF (2591 Byte) shimbaensis b.GIF (4745 Byte) shimbaensis c.GIF (1751 Byte) shimbaensis d.GIF (9736 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, broad triangular, and distally blunt. Valvae large, oval-shaped, and distally rounded; outer surface without extrusible coremata; inner sclerotized process long, slightly curved, and apically pointed, finely serrated along the outer side. Vesica distally with two short, slender, parallel, slightly curved cornuti fused at their base, and two plate-like sclerotizations.
Distribution
East Africa; southeastern Kenya, Tanzania.
Comments
This species is similar to A. bubo and A. catinca, from which it can be distinguished by the ivory coloration, and the absence of an areole in the fw costa. Although the species is known from several different localities, it appears to be fairly rare as only single specimens have been taken.
Material
Holotype male: Kenya East Africa, Kwale District, Shimba NR, at Heliotropium bait, 27-06-1980, leg. M.Boppré [SMNS]. Type locality: KENYA: Coast: Kwale: Shimba Hills. Paratypes: male, same locality data as holotype, 1988, [MB]; male, Kenya East Africa, Shanzu MSA, at light, 02-06-1980, [MB]; male, Mombasa, vi.1916, (van Someren), [BMNH]; male, Mbolo Forest, Taita Hills, Kenya ix.1969, B.Watulege, [NMKE].
Additional material examined. TANZANIA: Tanga: E.Usambara Mts., Amani, iv.1955 (1 male, NMBZ), iv.1961 (1 male, NMBZ); Morogoro: Uluguru Mts., Morningside, 1200 m, 30.xi.1982 (1 male, BJ).