029 Genus Leucochitonea Wallengren

AFROTROPICAL BUTTERFLIES 17th edition (2018). MARK C. WILLIAMS. http://www.lepsocafrica.org/?p=publications&s=atb

Genus Leucochitonea Wallengren, 1857

Öfversigt af Kongl. Vetenskaps-Akademiens Förhandlingar. Stockholm annis 1838-1845. Collecta (n.s.) 2 (4): 52 (55 pp.). Type-species: Leucochitonea levubu Wallengren, by subsequent designation (Wallengren, 1858. Öfversigt af Kongl. Vetenskaps-Akademiens Förhandlingar. Stockholm 15: 82 (75-84).)

The genus Leucochitonea belongs to the Family Hesperiidae Latreille, 1809; Subfamily Pyrginae Burmeister, 1878; Tribe Tagiadini Mabille, 1878. Other genera of the Tribe Tagiadini in the Afrotropical Region are Eagris, Procampta, Calleagris, Kobelana, Tagiades, Netrobalane, Caprona and Abantis.

Leucochitonea (White-cloaked Skippers) is a small Afrotropical genus of three species.

*Leucochitonea amneris (Rebel & Rogenhofer, 1894)

Abantis amneris Rebel & Rogenhofer, 1894. In: Baumann, O., Durch Massailand zur Nilquelle. Reisen und Forschungen der Massai-Expedition des deutschen Antisklaverei-Komite in den Jahren 1891-1893 : 338 (323-341).

Leucochitonea amneris. Male. Left – upperside; right – underside. Near Mahenge, Tanzania. 2 April 1995. Images MC Williams ex Gardiner Collection.

Leucochitonea amneris. Female. Left – upperside; right – underside. Near Mahenge, Tanzania. 2 April 1995. Images MC Williams ex Gardiner Collection.

Type locality: [Tanzania]: “Kiwayasteppe und von Umbugwe”. Distribution: Tanzania (from Kilimanjaro, to Njombe and Tabora). 1 Specific localities: Tanzania – ‘Kiwayasteppe und von Umbugwe’ (TL); Oldeani (Kielland, 1990d); Rubeho Mountains (Kielland, 1990d); Image Mountain (Kielland, 1990d); Kitong (Kielland, 1990d); Ruaha Gorge (Kielland, 1990d); near Singida (Kielland, 1990d); Lugarawa (= Njombe) (C.H. McCleery, vide Kielland, 1990d). Habitat: Dry Acacia woodland, from 600 to 1 400 m (Kielland, 1990d). Habits: The flight is very rapid and in a straight line. Easily confused, in flight, with a species of Colotis (Kielland, 1990d). Often settles on the ground with the wings opened. Males are known to mud-puddle (Kielland, 1990d). Early stages: Nothing published. Larval food: Nothing published.

*Leucochitonea hindei Druce, 1903 Kenyan White-cloaked Skipper

Leucochitonea hindei Druce, 1903. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (7) 12: 636 (636-637).

Type locality: [Kenya]: “Kitui, British East Africa (about 4000 feet)”. Distribution: Ethiopia (south), Kenya (east). Specific localities: Kenya – Kitui (TL); Tana River (Larsen, 1991c); Thika (Larsen, 1991c); Mutha (Larsen, 1991c); Kathini Ridge (= Athi River); Kibwezi (Larsen, 1991c); Mount Kulal (S.C. Collins, vide Larsen, 1991c). Habitat: Dense savanna (Larsen, 1991c). Habits: This is a scarce and local species (Larsen, 1991c). The flight is relatively slow and heavy (Larsen, 1991c), and large females may be mistaken for a species of the Pieridae (Rogers, 1908). Individuals visit flowers and, occasionally, damp patches (Larsen, 1991c). Early stages: Nothing published. Larval food: Nothing published.

*Leucochitonea levubu Wallengren, 1857# White-cloaked Skipper

“Scenting” male and mating pair of the White-cloaked Skipper ( Leucochitonea levubu). Images courtesy Reinier Terblanche (left) and Steve Woodhall (right).

Leucochitonea levubu Wallengren, 1857. Öfversigt af Kongl. Vetenskaps-Akademiens Förhandlingar. Stockholm annis 1838- 1845. Collecta (n.s.) 2 (4): 52 (55 pp.). Leucochitonea levubu Wallengren. Trimen, 1866a. Abantis levubu (Wallengren, 1857). Trimen & Bowker, 1889. Leucochitonea levubu Wallengren. Swanepoel, 1953a. Leucochitonea levubu Wallengren. Dickson & Kroon, 1978. Leucochitonea levubu Wallengren. Pringle et al., 1994: 315. [date omitted]

Leucochitonea levubu. Male (Wingspan 35 mm). Left – upperside; right – underside. Loding, Mpumalanga, South Africa. 5 December 2010. M. Williams. Images M.C. Williams ex Williams Collection.

Leucochitonea levubu. Female (Wingspan 40 mm). Left – upperside; right – underside. Waterpoort, Limpopo Province, South Africa. 1 March 2009. M. Williams. Images M.C. Williams ex Williams Collection.

Type locality: [South Africa]: “Caffraria” [false locality]. Holotype in the Natural History Museum, London. Holotype in the Swedish Natural History Museum (images available at www2.nrm.se/en/lep_nrm/l). Distribution: Malawi (south), Zambia, Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia (north- east), South Africa (Limpopo Province, Mpumalanga, North West Province, Gauteng, Free State Province, KwaZulu-Natal – north, Northern Cape Province), Swaziland (Duke et al., 1999). In South Africa its distribution covers 109 quarter degree squares (374 records) [see http://vmus.adu.org.za]. It is regarded as widespread. Specific localities: Zambia – Chavuma (Heath et al., 2002); Livingstone (Heath et al., 2002); Luangwa Valley (Heath et al., 2002). Angola – Benguela Province, Bie Province; Huila Province; Kuando-Kubango Province; Moxico Province (Mendes et al., 2013). Zimbabwe – Melsetter Junction (male illustrated above). Botswana – Widespread (Larsen, 1991l); Tshabong (Pennington); Kgaligadi Transfrontier Park (Larsen, 1991l); Diphatana near Kanye (Larsen, 1991l). Limpopo Province – Waterberg (Swanepoel, 1953); Warmbaths (Swanepoel, 1953); Nylstroom (Swanepoel, 1953); Naboomspruit (Swanepoel, 1953); Potgietersrus – Zaaiplaats (Swanepoel, 1953); Polokwane (Swanepoel, 1953); Dendron (Swanepoel, 1953); Vivo (Swanepoel, 1953); Blouberg (Swanepoel, 1953); Doorndraai Dam Nature Reserve (Warren, 1990); Pienaars River (Williams); Lekgalameetse Nature Reserve (Williams, Dec. 2006). Mpumalanga – Lydenburg district (Swanepoel, 1953). North West Province – Vryburg (Swanepoel, 1953); Potchefstroom (Swanepoel, 1953); Zeerust (Swanepoel, 1953); Borakalalo Nature Reserve (J. Dobson, unpublished, 2009). Gauteng – Pretoria (Swanepoel, 1953); Buffelsdrif Conservency n.e. of Pretoria (Williams). KwaZulu-Natal –Tembe Nature Reserve (Pringle & Kyle, 2002). Northern Cape Province – Barkly West (Swanepoel, 1953). Habitat: Dry savanna (bushveld). Habits: The flight appears to be leisurely and undulating but is, in fact, quite rapid. It is fond of

3 flowers and occasionally mud-puddles (Pringle et al., 1994). Males are avid hilltoppers, selecting a shrub or small tree on which to perch, but also establish territories on the flats. Males circle their territory rapidly before returning to their perch (Pringle et al., 1994). Flight period: September to April (Pringle et al., 1994). Early stages:

Otto et al., 2013 [ovum; early instar larva].

Larval food: Grewia bicolor Juss. (Malvaceae) [Otto et al., 2013: 72; South Africa]. Grewia flava DC. (Malvaceae) [Larsen, 1991l (Kanye, Botswana; oviposion only); Williams, in Pringle et al., 1994: 315 (Pienaars River, Limpopo Province)]. Grewia monticola Sond. (Malvaceae) [Otto et al., 2013: 72; South Africa].

lactea Plötz, 1885 (as sp. of Sapaea). Stettiner Entomologische Zeitung 46: 36 (35-36). “Afrika”.

defecta Aurivillius, 1925 in Seitz, 1908-25 (as f. of Abantis levebu [sic]). Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde, Stuttgart (2) 13 Die Afrikanischen Tagfalter: 570 (614 pp.). No locality given.