AFROTROPICAL BUTTERFLIES. MARK C. WILLIAMS. http://www.lepsocafrica.org/?p=publications&s=atb Updated 26 January 2021

Genus Xanthonymus Grishin, 2019 Yellow Discs

CONG. Q, ZHANG, J., SHEN, J. & GRISHIN, N.V. 2019. Fifty new genera of Hesperiidae (). Insecta Mundi 0731: 23 (1-56). Type-species: Pardaleodes xanthioides Holland, 1892, by original designation.

The genus Xanthonymus belongs to the Family Hesperiidae Latreille, 1809; Subfamily Hesperiinae, Latreille, 1809; Tribe Astictopterini Swinhoe, 1912. The other genera in the Tribe Astictopterini in the Afrotropical Region are Astictopterus, Isoteinon, Dotta, Lissia and Nervia.

Xanthonymus (Yellow Discs) is an Afrotropical genus of two species.

*Xanthonymus xanthioides (Holland, 1892) Yellow Disc

Pardaleodes xanthioides Holland, 1892. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (6) 10: 290 (284-294). Andronymus xanthioides (Holland, 1892). Mabille, 1904. Paronymus xanthioides (Holland, 1892). Evans, 1937. Xanthonymus xanthioides (Holland, 1892). Cong et al., 2019.

Xanthonymus xanthioides. Male. Left – upperside; right – underside. Nyong River, Ebogo, Cameroon. September 2002. SCC. ABRI-2019-2534. Images M.C. Willisms ex ABRI Collection.

Xanthonymus xanthioides. Female. Left – upperside; right – underside. Nyong River, Ebogo, Cameroon. February 2004. SCC. ABRI-2019-2535. Images M.C. Willisms ex ABRI Collection.

Type locality: Gabon: “Valley of the Ogové River”. 1 Distribution: Nigeria (Cross River loop), Cameroon, Gabon, Congo. Specific localities: Nigeria – Ikom (Larsen, 2005a; 2 males). Gabon – Ogove Valley (TL); Nouna (Vande weghe, 2010). Habitat: Forest. Habits: A rare forest (Larsen, 2005a). Early stages: Nothing published. Larval food: Nothing published.

* Xanthonymus astrape (Holland, 1892) False Yellow Disc

Pardaleodes astrape Holland, 1892. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (6) 10: 290 (284-294). Xanthodisca astrape (Holland, 1892), Evans, 1937. Xanthonymus astrape (Holland, 1892). Cong et al., 2019.

Xanthonymus astrape. Male. Left – upperside; right – underside. Mpanga Forest, Uganda. 10 June 2017. J. Dobson. Images M.C. Williams ex Dobson Collection.

Xanthonymus astrape. Female. Left – upperside; right – underside. Yakoli, Central African Republic. May 1996. SCC. ABRI-2019-2433. Images M.C. Willisms ex ABRI Collection.

Type locality: Gabon: “Gaboon”. Distribution: Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin (south), Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda. Specific localities: Ivory Coast – Lamto (Vuattoux, 1999). Ghana – Bobiri Butterfly Sanctuary (Larsen et al., 2007); Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary (Larsen et al., 2009). Togo – Bismarckburg (Karsch, 1893). Benin – see Coache et al., 2017. Gabon – Kongou (Vande Weghe, 2010); Kangwe (Vande Weghe, 2010). Democratic Republic of Congo – Kimuenza (Aurivillius, 1925); Ituri Forest (Ducarme, 2018).

2 Habitat: The edges of forest and forest clearings (Larsen, 2005a). Habits: A relatively common skipper, becoming scarcer in the eastern part of its range (Larsen, 2005a). The flight is faster and higher up than in species of Pardaleodes (pathfinder skippers) (Larsen, 2005a). Both sexes avidly visit flowers and males regularly perch on sunlit leaves along forest paths (Larsen, 2005a). Early stages: Nothing published. Larval food: Trachyphrynium braunianum (K.Schum.) Baker () [Vuattoux, 1999; Lamto, Ivory Coast].

parcus Karsch, 1893 (as sp. of Pardaleodes). Berliner Entomologische Zeitschrift 38: 258 (1-266). Togo: “Bismarckburg”.

eurydice Aurivillius, 1925 (as sp. of Pardaleodes). Ergebnisse der Zweiten Deutschen Zentral-Afrika- Expedition 1 (18): 1247 (1243-1359). [Democratic Republic of Congo]: “Belg. Kongo; Kimuenza”.

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