AFROTROPICAL BUTTERFLIES 17th edition (2018). MARK C. WILLIAMS. http://www.lepsocafrica.org/?p=publications&s=atb Genus Leptomyrina Butler, 1898 Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1898: 405 (395-444). Type-species: Hesperia phidias Fabricius, by original designation. = Gonatomyrina Aurivillius, 1924. In: Seitz, 1908-25. Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde, Stuttgart (2) 13 Die Afrikanischen Tagfalter: 423 (614 pp.). Type-species: Papilio lara Linnaeus, by monotypy. D’Abrera (2009: 768) believes that Gonatomyrina is spurious and synonymizes it with Leptomyrina syn. nov. The genus Leptomyrina belongs to the Family Lycaenidae Leach, 1815; Subfamily Theclinae Swainson, 1831; Tribe Hypolycaenini Swinhoe, 1910. The other genera in the Tribe Hypolycaenini in the Afrotropical Region are Hypolycaena and Hemiolaus. Leptomyrina (Black-eyes) is a purely Afrotropical genus containing nine species. *Leptomyrina boschi Strand, 1911 Leptomyrina boschi Strand, 1911. Entomologische Rundschau 28: 137 (137-141). Leptomyrina boschi Strand, 1911. d’Abrera, 2009: 768. Type locality: Ethiopia: “Abyssinien”. Distribution: Ethiopia (central). Early stages: Nothing published. Larval food: Nothing published. *Leptomyrina hirundo (Wallengren, 1857)# Tailed Black-eye Tailed Black-eye (Leptomyrina hirundo) male (left), female underside (right). Images courtesy Steve Woodhall. Thecla hirundo Wallengren, 1857. Öfversigt af Kongl. Vetenskaps-Akademiens Förhandlingar. Stockholm annis 1838-1845. Collecta (n.s.) 2 (4): 35 (55 pp.). Amblypodia hirundoWallengren. Trimen, 1866a. Hypolycaena hirundo (Wallengren, 1857). Trimen & Bowker, 1887b. 1 Leptomyrina hirundo Wallengren. Swanepoel, 1953a. Leptomyrina hirundo (Wallengren, 1857). Dickson & Kroon, 1978. Leptomyrina (Leptomyrina) hirundo (Wallengren, 1857). Pringle et al., 1994: 162. Leptomyrina hirundo Wallengren, 1857. d’Abrera, 2009: 768. Leptomyrina hirundo. Male (Wingspan 22 mm). Left – upperside; right – underside. Eshowe, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. 11 July 2004. J. Dobson. Images M.C. Williams ex Dobson Collection. Leptomyrina hirundo. Female (Wingspan 24 mm). Left – upperside; right – underside. Loding, Mpumalanga, South Africa. 11 Decemeber 2010. J. Dobson. Images M.C. Williams ex Dobson Collection. Type locality: [South Africa]: “Caffraria”. Holotype (female) in the Swedish Natural History Museum (images available at www2.nrm.se/en/lep_nrm/h). Distribution: Kenya (east to north-west), Tanzania (east), Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa (Limpopo Province, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape Province), Swaziland (Duke et al., 1999), Lesotho. Specific localities: Kenya – coast (Larsen, 1991c); Nairobi (Larsen, 1991c); Mount Elgon (Larsen, 1991c). Tanzania – A park in Dar es Salaam (Kielland, 1990d); Pugu Hills (Kielland, 1990d); lower slopes of Uluguru Mountains (Kielland, 1990d); Kimboza Forest (Kielland, 1990d); East Usambara Mountains (Kielland, 1990d); dry parts of Rubeho Mountains (Kielland, 1990d). Malawi – Mt Mulanje (Congdon et al., 2010); Mt Zomba (Congdon et al., 2010). Zambia – A single record from Kalulushi on the Copperbelt. Mozambique – Amatongas Forest (Pennington); Mt Namuli (Congdon et al., 2010); Mt Mabu (Congdon et al., 2010). Botswana – Lake Xau (Pinhey). Limpopo Province – Sibasa (Swanepoel, 1953); Louis Trichardt – Hanglip (Williams); Buzzard Mountain Retreat [-23.012 29.765] (Williams, unpub., 2015); Lekgalameetse Nature Reserve (“Malta Forest”) (Williams, unpub., 2002). 2 Mpumalanga – Barberton (Swanepoel, 1953); Mariepskop area (Henning, 1994c). KwaZulu-Natal – Port Shepstone (Swanepoel, 1953); Umkomaas (Swanepoel, 1953); Amahlongwa (Swanepoel, 1953); Pietermaritzburg (Pennington); Durban (Swanepoel, 1953; male illustrated above); False Bay (Pringle et al., 1994); Kosi Bay Nature Reserve (Pringle et al., 1994); Mhlosinga (Pringle et al., 1994); Makatini Flats (Pringle et al., 1994); Tembe Nature Reserve (Pringle & Kyle, 2002); Ndumo Nature Reserve (Pringle & Kyle, 2002). Eastern Cape Province – Uitenhage (Trimen); Coega (Swanepoel, 1953); Keiskamma River (Swanepoel, 1953); Grahamstown (Swanepoel, 1953); Alicedale (Swanepoel, 1953); Cookhouse (Swanepoel, 1953); Port Alfred (Swanepoel, 1953); Hamburg (Swanepoel, 1953); Zuurberg (Swanepoel, 1953); Kei River (Swanepoel, 1953); Bellevue (Swanepoel, 1953); Bashee River (Swanepoel, 1953); Cintsa East (Williams). Lesotho – Bushmans Pass (Lunderstedt). Habitat: Savanna, forest, coastal dunes, parks and gardens. In Tanzania from sea-level to 1 100 m (Kielland, 1990d). Habits: Usually found in discrete colonies; within a colony individuals may be very numerous. The flight is weak and close to the ground (Larsen, 1991c). Flight period: All year. Early stages: Clark & Dickson, 1971: 132, plate 63 [as Leptomyrina hirundo; Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal]. “Egg: 0.6 mm diam. x 0.3 mm high. Laid singly on a leaf or stem. Pure white with bold hexagonal ribbing. Eggs hatch after some 7-9 days. The discarded shell is not eaten. Larva (5-instar group): 1st instar 0.8 mm, growing to 1.8 mm in 4-9 days; 2nd instar growing to 4 mm in 4-7 days; 3rd instar growing to 7.5 mm in 4-7 days; 4th instar growing to 10 mm in 6-8 days; 5th instar growing to 15 mm in 12 days. Larva (4-instar group): 1st instar 0.8 mm, growing to 2 mm in 6-7 days; 2nd instar growing to 5.5 mm in 6-7 days; 3rd instar growing to 9 mm in 6-7 days; 4th instar growing to 15 mm in 10 days. There are no tubercles but the honey-gland is present in the 3rd and subsequent instars. Larvae live in the succulent leaves of their food-plant, where they also moult and pupate. Sometimes the excavated portion of their abode becomes flooded with excess juice, in which case the more posterior segments are left outside and air is taken in through the posterior spiracles. Ants which may be normally inside with the larva, are now in a circle outside the excavation. The colour may vary but is generally of light shades of dull yellow, with pink marking. This species is multibrooded. Pupa: Pupation takes place within the shrivelled leaf or, more often, outside the leaf or on a twig, secured by the cremastral hooks, which are attached to a silken mat. The pupa measures some 9 mm. The colour varies from shades of green to pale dull yellow with a little pink. Emergence takes place after 13-16 days. Parasites: Egg. Parasitized by very small Chalcids. Larva. Killed in the penultimate instar by the Tachinid, Aplomyia laeviventris. Pupa. Killed by Braconids, chiefly Pimpla spp.” “Recorded from eggs and larvae from Pietermaritzburg, obtained by Mr. T.W. Schofield.” Larval food: Bryophyllum delagoense (Eckl. & Zeyh.) Schinz (Crassulaceae) (exotic) [Botha & Botha, 2006: 200]. Bryophyllum species (Crassulaceae) (exotic) [Clark & Dickson, 1971: 132]. Cotyledon species (Crassulaceae) [Clark & Dickson, 1971: 132]. Crassula species (Crassulaceae) [Clark & Dickson, 1971: 132]. Kalanchoe species (Crassulaceae) [Clark & Dickson, 1971: 132]. *Leptomyrina makala Bethune-Baker, 1908 Leptomyrina makala Bethune-Baker, 1908. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1908: 115 (110-126). Leptomyrina makala Bethune-Baker, 1908. d’Abrera, 2009: 768. Type locality: [Democratic Republic of Congo]: “Makala, Congo Free State”. Distribution: Democratic Republic of Congo (Kivu), Uganda (west), Tanzania (north-west). Specific localities: Democratic Republic of Congo – Makala (TL). Tanzania – Near gate of Serengeti Corridor on the road to Mwanza (Kielland, 1990d). Habitat: Dry scrub country (Kielland, 1990d). Habits: A rare and little known species (Kielland, 1990d). Early stages: Nothing published. 3 Larval food: Nothing published. *Leptomyrina phidias (Fabricius, 1793) Hesperia phidias Fabricius, 1793. Entomologia Systematica emendata et aucta 3 (1): 286 (488 pp.). Leptomyrina phidias Fabricius, 1793. d’Abrera, 2009: 768. Type locality: [Madagascar]: “India”. [False locality.] Distribution: Madagascar, Reunion, Mauritius (Williams A., 2006), Comoros (Balletto et al., 2015). Specific localities: Madagascar – Toamasina (Boisduval, 1833). Mauritius – First recorded in 1989 at Curepipe (Williams, 2006); Grand Gaube (Lawrence, 2016). Habitat: Rocky areas with rupicolous vegetation and anthropogenic environments (Lees et al., 2003). Early stages: Nothing published. Larval food: Bryophyllum delagoense (Eckl. & Zeyh.) Schinz (Crassulaceae) [Witt & Rajaonarison, 2004: 5]. Kalanchoe daigremontiana Raym.-Hamet & H.Perrier (Crassulaceae) [Witt & Rajaonarison, 2004: 5; as Bryophyllum daigremontianum (Hamet & Perrier)]. Kalanchoe pinnata (Lam.) Pers. (Crassulaceae) [Witt & Rajaonarison, 2004: 5; as Bryophyllum pinnatum (Lam.) Persoon]. Kalanchoe prolifera (Bowie ex Hook.) Raym.-Hamet (Crassulaceae) [Witt & Rajaonarison, 2004: 5; as Bryophyllum proliferum (Bowie) Hamet]. Relevant literature: Williams A. 2006 [Records and notes from Mauritius]. Witt & Rajaonarison, 2004 [Association with Bryophyllum delagoense in Madagascar]. rabe Boisduval, 1833 (as sp. of Lycaena). Nouvelles Annales du Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris 2: 173 (149-270). Madagascar: “Tamatave [Toamasina]”. *Leptomyrina sudanica Stempffer, 1964 Leptomyrina sudanica Stempffer, 1964. Bulletin de l’Institut Français d’Afrique Noire (A) 26: 1285 (1226-1287). Leptomyrina sudanica Stempffer, 1964. d’Abrera, 2009: 768. Type locality: Sudan: “Province de Kassala, Erkowit, 1000-1300 m”. Distribution: Sudan. Known only from the type locality. Specific localities: Sudan – Erkowit, Kassala Province (TL). Early stages: Nothing published. Larval food: