AFROTROPICAL . MARK C. WILLIAMS. http://www.lepsocafrica.org/?p=publications&s=atb Updated 10 March 2021

Genus Mabille, [1904] Palm Night-fighters

In Mabille, [1903-4]. In: Wytsman, P.A.G., Genera Insectorum 17: 183 (210 pp.). Type-species: Pamphila dysmephila Trimen, by subsequent designation (Lindsey, 1925. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 18: 106 (75-106).).

The genus Zophopetes belongs to the Family Hesperiidae Latreille, 1809; Subfamily Hesperiinae Latreille, 1809, Tribe Hesperiini Latreille, 1809. Other genera in the Tribe Hesperiini, are Lepella, Prosopalpus, Kedestes, Fulda, Gorgyra, Gyrogra, Teniorhinus, Flandria, Hollandus, Xanthodisca, Acada, Rhabdomantis, Osmodes, Parosmodes, Osphantes, Acleros, Paracleros, Semalea, Hypoleucis, Paronymus, Andronymus, Malaza, Perrotia, Ploetzia, Moltena, Chondrolepis, Tsitana, Gamia, Artitropa, Mopala, Pteroteinon, Leona, Caenides, Monza, Melphina, Melphinyet, Noctulana, Fresna, and Platylesches.

Zophopetes (Palm Night-fighters) is an Afrotropical genus of seven species. The antennae have prominent white clubs and adults of the genus are crepuscular (Larsen, 1991c). The larval host-plants are palms (Arecaceae) (Larsen, 1991c).

*Zophopetes barteni De Jong, 2017 Ebogo Palm Night-fighter

Zophopetes barteni De Jong, 2017. Metamorphosis 28: 12 (11-15).

Type locality: Cameroon: Ebogo (about 80 km, as the crow flies, south of Yaoundé), 40 21'00''N, 110 25'00''E, 600 m, 25–26 December 2012, leg. Frans Barten. Holotype (male) in collection of the Naturalis Biodiversity Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands, RMNH INS 910268. No further specimens are known. Etymology: Named for Frans Barten, the person who first collected it. Distribution: Cameroon. Specific localities: Cameroon – Egogo (TL; one male). Habitat: Partly degraded forest (De Jong, 2017). Habits: Nothing published. Early stages: Nothing published. Larval food: Nothing published.

*Zophopetes cerymica (Hewitson, [1867]) Common Palm Night-fighter

Hesperia cerymica Hewitson, [1867] in Hewitson, [1867-71]. Illustrations of new species of exotic butterflies 4: 108 (118 pp.). Zophopetes cerymica cerymica (Hewitson, 1867). Evans, 1937. Zophopetes cerymica (Hewitson, 1867). Lindsey & Miller, 1965.

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Zophopetes cerymica. Male. Left – upperside; right – underside. Luakera bridge, Mwinilunga district, Zambia. 1 November 2002. Images M.C. Williams ex Gardiner Collection.

Zophopetes cerymica. Female. Left – upperside; right – underside. Sakeji, Ikelenge, Zambia. 28 July 2007. Images M.C. Williams ex Gardiner Collection.

Type locality: Nigeria: “Old Calabar”. Distribution: Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau (Bivar-de-Sousa & Passos-de-Carvalho, 1987), Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin (south, central), Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo (east), Zambia (north-west). Specific localities: Gambia – Fajara, Kartong, Sanyang, Kotu, Gunjur, Abuko, Brusubi, Kitty Forest (Jon Baker, pers. comm, May 2020). Ghana – Aburi (Ploetz, 1886); Bobiri Sanctuary (Larsen et al., 2007); Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary (Larsen et al., 2009). Benin – Houeyogbe Forest (Coache & Rainon, 2016); see Coache et al., 2017. Nigeria – Old Calabar (TL). Gabon – Waka (Vande weghe, 2010). Kenya – Kilifi (Larsen, 1991c); Mombasa (Larsen, 1991c); Diani Beach (Larsen, 1991c). Tanzania – Gombe Stream (Kielland, 1990d); Mihumu Forest (Kielland, 1990d); Kasye Forest (Kielland, 1990d); Das es Salaam (Kielland, 1990d); Pugu Hills (Kielland, 1990d). Angola – Luanda (Bampton); Cabinda Province; Kwanza Sul Province; Luanda Province; Malanje Province; Moxico Province (Mendes et al., 2013). Democratic Republic of Congo – Ituri Forest (Ducarme, 2018); Mt Mitumba (Ducarme, 2018). Zambia – Ikelenge (Heath et al., 2002). Habitat: Varying habitats, as long as palms are present. Habits: Flies at dusk or after (Heath et al., 2002). Sometimes, at dusk, they will enter buildings (Larsen, 2005a). Larsen (2005a) noted them coming to red flowers of a root parasite in Boabeng-Fiema at 08:30, when they made an audible buzzing sound. Early stages:

Genty, 1968 (in error for Z. dysmephila).

2 Mariau & Morin, 1974 (in error for Z. dysmephila).

Cock et al., 2014: 25 [ovum, larva and pupa; Ivory Coast, Togo, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia].

Larval food: species (Arecaceae) [Kielland, 1990 (erroneously as nobilior; requires confirmation according to Cock et al., 2014]. Cocos nucifera L. (Arecaceae) () [Mariau & Morin, 1974 (erroneously as dysmephila); Van Someren, 1974: 325]. Elaeis guineensis Jacq. (Arecaceae) (oil palm) [Genty, 1968 (erroneously as dysmephila); Vuattoux, 1999 (Ivory Coast)]. Phoenix species (Arecaceae) [Sevastopulo, 1981; requires confirmation according to Cock et al., 2014]. Raphia species (Arecaceae) [Van Someren, 1974: 325; Heath et al., 2002: 16; ex Bampton from Ikelenge, Zambia]. Raphia farinfera (Gaertn.) Hyl. (Arecaceae) [Cock et al., 2014; Tanzania & Zambia].

weiglei Plötz, 1886 (as sp. of Hesperia). Stettiner Entomologische Zeitung 47: 90 (83-117). Ghana: “Aburi”.

* (Trimen, 1868)# African Palm Nightfighter

Male (left) and female (right) of the African Palm Nightfighter, Zophopetes dysmephila. Images courtesy Allison Sharp.

Pamphila dysmephila Trimen, 1868. Transactions of the Entomological Society of London 1868: 96 (69-96). Pamphila dysmephila Trimen, 1868. Trimen & Bowker, 1889. Zophopetes dysmephila Trimen. Swanepoel, 1953a. Zophopetes dysmephila (Trimen, 1868). Dickson & Kroon, 1978. Zophopetes dysmephila (Trimen, 1868). Pringle et al., 1994: 330.

3 Zophopetes dysmephila. Male (Wingspan 45 mm). Left – upperside; right – underside. Umtamvuna River, KwaZulu-Natal, . 5 January 2012. J. Dobson. Images M.C. Williams ex Dobson Collection.

Zophopetes dysmephila. Female. Left – upperside; right – underside. Somerset West, Western Cape Province, South Africa. Emerged 25 August 1998. J. Greyling. Images M.C. Williams ex Greyling Collection.

Alternative common name: Palm-tree Nightfighter. Type locality: [South Africa]: “Bashee River, Kaffraria”. Holotype (female) in the Natural History Museum, London. Distribution: Cameroon (south), Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, to Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia (central), Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana (north), Namibia (Caprivi), South Africa (Limpopo Province, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape Province, Western Cape Province), Swaziland. Specific localities: Cameroon – Baliburg (Karsch, 1892). Angola – Bon Jesus (Plötz, 1882); Bengo Province; Kuando-Kubango Province (Mendes et al., 2013). Democratic Republic of Congo – Ituri Forest (Ducarme, 2018); Mt Mitumba (Ducarme, 2018). Uganda – Semuliki N.P. (Davenport & Howard, 1996). Kenya – Cherangani Mountains (Stoneham, vide Larsen, 1991c); Nairobi (Cock, vide Larsen, 1991c); coast (Cock, vide Larsen, 1991c). Tanzania – West, south, east and Tabora Region (Kielland, 1990d). Malawi – Mt Mulanje (Congdon et al., 2010); Zomba Mountain (Congdon et al., 2010). Zambia – Mufulira (Heath et al., 2002); Kitwe (Heath et al., 2002); Ndola (Heath et al., 2002); Luanshya (Heath et al., 2002); Mpongwe (Heath et al., 2002); Lusaka (Heath et al., 2002). Mozambique – Njesi Plateau (Congdon et al., 2010). Zimbabwe – Vumba Mountains (Pinhey); Victoria Falls (Pinhey). Botswana – Kasane (E. Pinhey; sight record). Limpopo Province – Duiwelskloof (Swanepoel, 1953). Mpumalanga – Nelspruit (Swanepoel, 1953); Skukuza (Williams); Blyde River Canyon National Park (Williams). Gauteng – Die Wilgers, Pretoria [25 45 40.6S 18 18 18.4E] 22/02/2009 (C.K. Willis, pers. comm., 5 March, 2009); Rietondale, Pretoria 15 February, 2021 (African Butterfly News 2021 no. 2: 4). KwaZulu-Natal – Durban (Millar, vide Trimen & Bowker, 1899); Umkomaas (Swanepoel, 1953); Pietermaritzburg (Swanepoel, 1953; male illustrated above); Stanger (Swanepoel, 1953); Kosi Bay Nature Reserve (Pringle & Kyle, 2002); Tembe Nature Reserve (Pringle & Kyle, 2002). Eastern Cape Province – Bashee River (TL; Bowker); King William’s Town (Swanepoel, 1953); East London (Swanepoel, 1953); Port Elizabeth (Swanepoel, 1953; probably introduced according to Pringle et al., 1994); Kei mouth (Swanepoel, 1953). Western Cape Province – Introduced to Cape Town as larvae on potted palm trees in about 1980 but, for some unknown reason, became rare after 1988 (Claassens & Dickson, cited by Pringle et al., 1994). Habitat: Moist savanna and forest. In Tanzania from sea-level to 1 800 m (Kielland, 1990d). Habits: Not often seen since it flies in the evening, after sunset. Specimens rest in folded leaves of the host plant during the day. Males establish territories around the larval food plant, using a frond on the

4 host plant as a perch. The flight is very fast and they make a distinct clicking or buzzing sound (Pringle et al., 1994). In the gloom of dusk the only easily visible parts of the butterfly are the white antennal clubs and wing tips (Pringle et al., 1994). Specimens sometimes come to bright lights (Larsen, 1991c). Flight period: All year, but commonest from December to May (Pringle et al., 1994). Early stages:

Trimen & Bowker, 1899: 328 [as Pamphila dysmephila Trimen]. “Larva. Elongated; deep-green on the head and thoracic segments, light-green abdominally; head with two small jet-black spots, looking like eyes.” The larva draws “the leaves together, and forming a silk-lined incomplete tube, sometimes six or seven inches in length.” – J.H. Bowker, 23 rd March, 1881. Colonel Bowker adds that he was indebted to Mr. A.D. Millar, of D’Urban, for the discovery of this larva and its food-plant; and Mr. Millar has lately (1888) written to me that he had bred about a dozen Dysmephila from a small date-palm in his garden. He notes that the larvae feed on the leaves above the tube that they have formed, retiring to the tube when not feeding; and that they are most difficult to discover among the folds of the leaves. Pupa. Elongate, cylindrical, abruptly acuminate at tip of abdomen. Shining reddish-brown, paler beneath. Attached to leaf by the tail, and almost concealed in the channel or imperfect tube formed by the larva. Length about one inch. Colonel Bowker sent five pupa-skins of this species, enveloped in the folded palm- leaves.”

Kelly, 1912 [KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa].

Lepesme, 1947.

Jannone, 1948 [Eritrea].

Clark, in Dickson & Kroon, 1978: 262; plate 29 [as Zophopetes dysmephila; Eastern Cape]. “Eggs: Laid on the surface of a leaf, singly or in clusters; 1.5 mm in diameter by 1.0 mm high, with 28 to 30 longitudinal ribs. Colour whitish-brown to pale brown, with pinkish crown. The incubation period is 16 to 25 days. The shell may or may not be eaten. Larva: 1st instar 3 growing to 6 mm in 10 days; 2 nd instar 6 growing to 9 mm in 10 days; 3rd instar 9 growing to 13 mm in 10 days; 4 th instar 13 growing to 18 mm in 10 days; 5 th instar 18 growing to 28 mm in 10 days; 6 th instar 28 growing to 46 mm in 13 days. The instars are of variable duration. The young larva crawls to the end of a blade and joins the edges together to form a shelter, and then feeds on the tip. In this way it eventually eats the shelter itself, but it then draws together the edges of the blade behind it, and the blade thus becomes successively shorter. Moulting occurs in the shelter. After demolishing the original blade, the larva moves to another one. In the final instar, two blades may be joined together. Pupation takes place within the shelter, and the larva generally lines this finally with silk and exudes a white powdery substance before pupating. The instars are generally drawn-out in the colder months and late pupae have a long, almost hibernating, period. Pupa: 27 mm. Emergence after 33 to 55 days. Parasites: The egg is infested by Cynipeds (?) and Chalcids. Species of Tachinidae recorded are: Nemorilla (Jesuimgia) cruciata, ex pupa; Erycia sp., ex pupa. Also Thecocarcelia incedens (Diptera), ex pupa. There is also parasitic attack by species of Pimpla, in the 3rd instar. Chalcids kill pupae, with 5 to 7 emerging from a single pupa. Z. dysmephila is attacked, too, in all larval instars by birds, such as the Cape White-eye, (Zosterops pallidus? capensis), which rip open the shelter with their beaks. There is a succession of broods. Recorded from eggs and larvae from Port Elizabeth or East London.”

Henning, Henning, Joannou & Woodhall, 1997: 169 [photograph of final instar larva and pupa].

Cock et al., 2014: 10 [ovum, larva & pupa; Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania & Zambia].

Egg of Zophopetes dysmephila. Image courtesy Allison Sharp.

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Final instar larva and pupa of Zophopetes dysmephila. Images courtesy Allison Sharp.

Larval food: Borassus species (Arecaceae) [Van Someren, 1974: 325; Cock et al., 2014 consider this record to be erroneous]. Chamaerops humilus L. (Arecaceae) [Jannone, 1948; Eritrea]. Chrysalidocarpus (Areca) lutescens (Arecaceae) (butterfly palm) [Claassens, 1984: 4; on plants in nurseries in Hout Bay and Constantia, Western Cape Province]. Cocos species (Arecaceae) [Larsen, 1991c: 425; According to Cock et al., 2014 in error for Z. cerymica]. (H. Wendl.) Beentje & J. Dransf. (= Chrysalidocarpus (Areca) lutescens H. Wendl.) (Arecaceae) (exotic) [Claassens & Dickson, 1986; South Africa]. Chabaud (Arecaceae) (exotic) [Jannone, 1948 (Eritrea); Claassens, 1984: 4 (on plants in nurseries in Hout Bay and Constantia, Western Cape)]. Phoenix dactylifera L. (Arecaceae) (exotic) [Jannone, 1948 (Eritrea); Dickson & Kroon, 1978: 197 (South Africa)]. Jacq. (Arecaceae) [Bowker, in Trimen & Bowker, 1889: 328]. Phoenix sylvestris (Arecaceae) (exotic) [Cock et al., 2014]. Raphia species (Arecaceae) [Van Someren, 1974: 325]. Raphia farinifera (Gaertn.) Hyl. (Arecaceae) [Cock et al., 2014; Tanzania]

schulzi Plötz, 1882 (as sp. of Hesperia). Stettiner Entomologische Zeitung 43: 326 (314-344, 436-456). Angola: “Bon Jésus”. Synonymized with dysmephila by Evans, 1937.

mucorea Karsch, 1892 (as sp. of Hesperia). Entomologische Nachrichten. Berlin 18: 178 (161-183). Cameroon: “Baliburg (Deutsch-Westafrika)”. Synonymized with dysmephila by Evans, 1937.

*Zophopetes quaternata (Mabille, 1876) Western Palm Night-fighter

Pamphila quaternata Mabille, 1876. Annales de la Société Entomologique de France (5) 6: 268 (251-274). Zophopetes quaternata (Mabille, 1876). Evans, 1937. Zophopetes dysmephila quaternata (Mabille, 1876). Evans, 1947. Synonym of Zophopetes dysmephila (Trimen, 1868). Ackery et al., 1995. [erroneously as quaterna] Zophopetes quaternata (Mabille, 1876). Larsen, 2005a: 521.

Zophopetes quaternata. Male. Left – upperside; right – underside. Fajara Banjul, Gambia. October 2010. SCC. ABRI-2019-2570. 6 Images M.C. Williams ex ABRI Collection.

Zophopetes quaternata. Female. Left – upperside; right – underside. Fajara Banjul, Gambia. October 2010. SCC. ABRI-2019-2571. Images M.C. Williams ex ABRI Collection.

Type locality: “Senegambia”. Diagnosis: Unlike dysmephila the underside has a dense irroration of tiny blackish flecks, often with a slight reddish tone (Larsen, vide Cock et al., 2014). Distribution: Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau (Bivar-de-Sousa et al., 2016), Guinea, Ivory Coast (H. Warren-Gash, pers. comm., 2002), Ghana, Benin (south, central), Nigeria, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo (Virunga district), Uganda (south-west), Tanzania (north-west) (Larsen, vide Cock et al., 2014). Specific localities: Gambia – Fajara, Sanyang, Abuko (Jon Baker, pers. comm, May 2020). Ivory Coast – Lamto (Vuattoux, 1999); Banco (H. Warren-Gash, vide Larsen, 2005a). Benin – see Coache et al., 2017. Democratic Republic of Congo – Semuliki Valley (Ducarme, 2018). Habitat: Nothing published. Habits: Relatively common in the Gambia but very rare elsewhere (Larsen, 2005a). Gillies (1982) obsereved adults flying at great speed round Phoenix palms at dusk. Early stages:

Cock et al., 2014: 21 [larva & pupa; Gambia and Nigeria].

Larval food: Phoenix dactykifera L. (Arecaceae) [Cock et al., 2014; Ibadan, Nigeria]. Phoenix reclinata Jacq. (Arecaceae) [Vuattoux, 1999; Lamto, Ivory Coast; erroneously for Zophopetes dysmephila (Larsen, 2005a)]. Phoenix reclinata Jacq. (Arecaceae) [Cock et al., 2014; Gambia].

*Zophopetes ganda Evans, 1937 Small Palm Night-fighter

Zophopetes ganda Evans, 1937. A catalogue of the African Hesperiidae indicating the classification and nomenclature adopted in the British Museum: 142 (212 pp.).

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Zophopetes ganda. Male. Left – upperside; right – underside. Ekombe, north-west Democratic Republic of Congo. 2014. LB. ABRI-2019-2568. Images M.C. Williams ex ABRI Collection.

Zophopetes ganda. Female. Left – upperside; right – underside. Mate, Ghana. April 2006. SY, RV. ABRI-2019-2569. Images M.C. Williams ex ABRI Collection.

Type locality: Ivory Coast. Distribution: Guinea-Bissau (Bivar-de-Sousa et al., 2016), Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin (south, central), Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Tanzania (north-west). Specific localities: Ivory Coast – La Me (Larsen, 2005a). Ghana – Agona Junction (ABRI, vide Larsen, 2005a); Atewa Range (ABRI, vide Larsen, 2005a); Tano Ofin (ABRI, vide Larsen, 2005a); Anfoega (Maessen, vide Larsen, 2005a); Likpe (Maessen, vide Larsen, 2005a). Togo – Klouto (ABRI, vide Larsen, 2005a). Benin – Houeyogbe Forest (Coache & Rainon, 2016); see Coache et al., 2017. Nigeria – Agege (Larsen et al., 1980); Ikoyi Park, Lagos (Larsen, 2005a); Okomu (Wojtusiak, vide Larsen, 2005a); Obudu Plateau (Cock et al., 2014). Democratic Republic of Congo – Ituri Forest (Ducarme, 2018). Tanzania – Minziro Forest (single female) (Congdon & Collins, 1998). Habitat: Forest, but in more open areas if the correct palm host-plants are present (Larsen, 2005a). Habits: A very rare nightfighter (Larsen, 2005a). Early stages:

Cock et al., 2014: 23 [pupal case; Nigeria].

Larval food: Phoenix sp. (Arecaceae) [Cock et al., 2014; Obudu Plateau, Nigeria].

8 *Zophopetes haifa Evans, 1937 Scarce Palm Night-fighter

Zophopetes haifa Evans, 1937. A catalogue of the African Hesperiidae indicating the classification and nomenclature adopted in the British Museum: 143 (212 pp.).

Type locality: Cameroon: “Cameroons (Bitje)”. Distribution: Ivory Coast, Cameroon. Specific localities: Ivory Coast – near Danane (Berger, 1962; single specimen). Cameroon – Bitje (TL; a few specimens). Habitat: Nothing published. Forest? Habits: An extremely rare nightfighter (Larsen, 2005a). Early stages: Nothing published. Larval food: Nothing published.

*Zophopetes nobilior (Holland, 1896) Gabon Palm Night-fighter

Ploetzia nobilior Holland, 1896. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1896: 95 (2-107). Zophopetes cerymica nobilior (Holland, 1896). Evans, 1937. Zophopetes nobilior (Holland, 1896). Lindsey & Miller, 1965.

Zophopetes nobilior. Female. Left – upperside; right – underside. Djeng, near Nfoud, Cameroon. November 2014. SCC. ABRI-2019-2572. Images M.C. Williams ex ABRI Collection.

Type locality: Gabon: “Lambarene, French Congo”. Distribution: Cameroon, Gabon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania. Specific localities: Cameroon – Djeng (female images above). Gabon – Lambarene (TL). Uganda – Semuliki N.P. (Davenport & Howard, 1996). Habitat: Moist savanna and forest. In Tanzania from sea-level to 1 000 m (Kielland, 1990d). Habits: Less common and widespread than Zophopetes dysmephila (Kielland, 1990d). Like other species in the genus this is a crepuscular (Larsen, 1991c). Observed feeding from flowers at dawn (Kielland, 1990d). Early stages: Nothing published. Larval food: Cocos species (Arecaceae) [M.J.W. Cock, vide Larsen, 1991c: 425; Diani Beach, Kenya].

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