AFROTROPICAL BUTTERFLIES. MARK C. WILLIAMS. http://www.lepsocafrica.org/?p=publications&s=atb Updated 10 December 2020 Genus Monza Evans, 1937 Grass Skippers A catalogue of the African Hesperiidae indicating the classification and nomenclature adopted in the British Museum: 7, 160 (212 pp.). Type-species: Gonoloba cretacea Snellen, by original designation. The genus Monza 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, Zophopetes, Gamia, Artitropa, Mopala, Pteroteinon, Leona, Caenides, Tsitana, Melphina, Melphinyet, Noctulana, Fresna, and Platylesches. Monza (Grass Skippers) is an Afrotropical genus of three species. The larvae of all three species feed on grasses (Poaceae) (Cock & Congdon, 2014). *Monza alberti (Holland, 1896) Black Grass Skipper Baoris alberti Holland, 1896. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1896: 67 (2-107). Monza alberti. Male (Wingspan 30 mm). Left – upperside; right – underside. Mpanga Forest, Uganda. 13 June 2009. J. Dobson. Images M.C. Williams ex Dobson Collection. Monza alberti. Female (Wingspan 33 mm). Left – upperside; right – underside. Mpanga Forest, Uganda. 13 June 2009. J. Dobson. Images M.C. Williams ex Dobson Collection. 1 Type locality: Gabon: “Valley of the Ogové”; Cameroon: “Cameroons”; Sierra Leone. Diagnosis: Differs from Monza punctata in that the antennae do not have white tips (Congdon & Collins, 1998). Distribution: Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Benin (south, west), Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Kenya (west), Tanzania (north-west). Specific localities: Senegal – Basse Casamance (Larsen, 2005a). Guinea – Ziama (Safian et al., 2020). Liberia – Wologizi (Safian et al., 2020). Ghana – Bobiri Butterfly Sanctuary (Larsen et al., 2007); Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary (Larsen et al., 2009). Benin – see Coache et al., 2017. Cameroon – Bibundi (Strand, 1913); Alen (Strand, 1913); Korup (Larsen, 2005a). Gabon – Ogove Valley (TL); Malibe (Vande weghe, 2010); Mboumie (Vande weghe, 2010); Bitam (Vande weghe, 2010); Waka (Vande weghe, 2010). Democratic Republic of Congo – Ituri Forest (Ducarme, 2018); Semuliki Valley (Ducarme, 2018); Mt Mitumba (Ducarme, 2018). Uganda – Entebbe (Swinhoe, 1909); Mpanga Forest (Baron et al., 2017). Kenya – Nandi Hills (Larsen, 1991c); Kakamega Forest (Cock, vide Larsen, 1991c). Tanzania – Open parts of Munene Forest (common) (Congdon & Collins, 1998); Minziro Forest (Congdon & Collins, 1998); Buzenya Forest (Congdon & Collins, 1998). Habitat: Forest, including degraded forest and riverine forest that penetrates Guinea savanna in West Africa (Larsen, 2005a). Habits: A common, sometimes even numerous, forest skipper (Larsen, 2005a). They are mostly found along shady forest paths, which have grass present (Larsen, 2005a). Specimens perch on leaves about a metre above the ground (Larsen, 1991c). The flight is low down, specimens often being encountered feeding from the flowers of acanthaceous plants (Larsen, 2005a). The flight is weak when compared to the congeneric species punctata (Cock & Congdon, 2014). Early stages: Cock & Congdon, 2014: 340. Describe leaf shelters, larvae (3rd, 4th and 5th instars) and pupa. Illustrate larvae and pupa. Larval food: Cenchrus trachyphyllum (= Pennisetum trachyphyllum) (Poaceae) [(Cock & Congdon, 2014). Panicum trichocladum (Poaceae) [Cock & Congdon, 2014; requires confirmation]. Pennisetum species (Poaceae) [Cock, vide Larsen, 1991c: 429; Kakamega Forest]. Setaria megaphylla (= S. plicatilis) (Poaceae) [(Cock & Congdon, 2014)]. Setaria sulcata (= S. poiretiana) (Poaceae) [Cock & Congdon, 2014]. entebbea Swinhoe, 1909 (as sp. of Parnara). Annals and Magazine of Natural History (8) 3: 90 (89-98). [Uganda]: “Entebbe”. bibundicana Strand, 1913 (as ab. of Baoris alberti). Archiv für Naturgeschichte 78 (A.12.): 51 (30-84). Cameroon: “Bibundi”. alenicola Strand, 1913 (as ab. of Baoris alberti). Archiv für Naturgeschichte 78 (A.12.): 51 (30-84). Cameroon: “Alen”. *Monza cretacea (Snellen, 1872) White-bodied Grass Skipper Goniloba cretacea Snellen, 1872. Tidschrift voor Entomologie 15: 27 (1-112). 2 Monza cretacea. Male. Left – upperside; right – underside. Yekepah, Nimba Mountains, Liberia. 8 January 2014. J. Dobson. Images M.C.Williams ex Dobson Collection. Monza cretacea. Female. Left – upperside; right –underside. Libreville, Gabon. 12 June 2016. J. Dobson. Images M.C. Williams ex Dobson collection. Type locality: [Africa]: “Neder-Guinea”. [False locality (Ackery et al., 1995]. Snellen (1872) is actually referring to the region where van Woerden collected in Lower Guinea, at the mouth of the Congo River, at around 6 degrees south latitude (Cock & Congdon, 2014). Distribution: Senegal (Mabille, 1877 – in error?), Guinea, Guinea-Bissau (Mendes et al., 2007), Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin (south, central), Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Angola, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Kenya (west), Tanzania (west), Malawi. Specific localities: Guinea – Ziama (Safian et al., 2020). Liberia – Wologizi (Safian et al., 2020). Ghana – Bobiri Butterfly Sanctuary (Larsen et al., 2007); Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary (Larsen et al., 2009). Benin – Lokoli (Tchibozo et al., 2008); Houeyogbe Forest (Coache & Rainon, 2016); see Coache et al., 2017. Cameroon – Bonjongo (Ploetz, 1879); Fokubar (Neustetter, 1927). Equatorial Guinea – Santa Isabel, Bioko (Martin, 2015). Gabon – Malibe (Vande weghe, 2010); Iguela (Vande weghe, 2010). Angola – Bengo Province; Cabinda Province; Kwanza Norte Province; Kwanza Sul Province; Luanda Province (Mendes et al., 2013). Democratic Republic of Congo – Ituri Forest (Ducarme, 2018); Semuliki Valley (Ducarme, 2018); Central Forest Block (Ducarme, 2018); Mt Mitumba (Ducarme, 2018); Mt Blue (Ducarme, 2018). Uganda – Mpanga Forest (Safian & Pyrcz, 2020). Kenya – South Kavirondo (van Someren, vide Larsen, 1991c). Malawi – Mt Mulanje (Congdon et al., 2010). Habitat: Mainly in drier forests and secondary habitats, occasionally even in Guinea savanna in West Africa (Larsen, 2005a) Habits: A reasonably common skipper, which is very active and often seen on flowers (Larsen, 2005a). Early stages: 3 Cock & Congdon, 2014: 344. Describe leaf shelters, penultimate and final instar larva and pupa. Illustrate final instar larva and pupa. Larval food: Megathrysus maximus (=Panicum maximum) (Poaceae) [Cock & Congdon, 2014]. Saccharum officinarum L. (Poaceae) (sugar-cane) (exotic) [Vuattoux, 1999; Lamto, Ivory Coast]. Setaria megaphylla (Steud.) T.Durand & Schinz (Poaceae) [Vuattoux, 1999; Lamto, Ivory Coast]. gonessa Hewitson, 1877 (as sp. of Hesperia). Annals and Magazine of Natural History (4) 19: 76 (76- 85). Angola. leucosoma Mabille, 1877 (as sp. of Pamphila). Petites Nouvelles Entomologiques 2: 114 (114). “Congo”; Senegal. camerona Plötz, 1879 (as sp. of Hesperia). Stettiner Entomologische Zeitung 40: 356 (353-364). Cameroon: “Bonjongo”. ploetziana Strand, 1921 (as var. of Hypoleucis cretacea). Archiv für Naturgeschichte 86 (A.7.): 155 (113-171). Cameroon: “Kamerun”. oldenburgi Neustetter, 1927 (as sp. of Acleros). Zeitschrift des Österreichischen Entomologen-Vereins 12: 61 (60-62). Cameroon: “Fokubar”. *Monza punctata (Aurivillius, 1910) Banded Grass Skipper Baoris alberti var. punctata Aurivillius, 1910. In: Sjöstedt, B. Y., Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Schweidischen zoologischen Expedition nach dem Kilimandjaro, dem Meru und den umgebeden Massaisteppen Deutsch-OstAfrikas 1905-1906. 2 (9): 15 (56 pp.). Stockholm. Monza cretacea punctata (Aurivillius, 1910). Evans, 1937. Monza punctata (Aurivillius, 1910). Ackery et al., 1995. Monza punctata crola. Female. Left – upperside; right – underside. Kibale Forest, Uganda. 22 October 2014. J. Dobson. Images M.C.Williams ex Dobson Collection. 4 Monza punctata punctata. Male. Left – upperside; right – underside. Wingspan: 33mm. Lunzua Falls. 12.IX.76. (Gardiner Collection). Monza punctata punctata. Female. Left – upperside; right – underside. Wingspan: 36mm. Ikelenge, Zambia. 25 March, 1981. A.J. Gardiner. (Gardiner Collection). Type locality: [Tanzania]: “Kilimandjaro”. Holotype in the Swedish Natural History Museum (images available at www2.nrm.se/en/lep_nrm/a). Distribution: Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique (Congdon et al., 2010). Recorded, in error, from Nigeria by Kielland (1990d) and Ackery et al., 1995 (Larsen, 2005a). Habitat: Forest and heavy woodland (Kielland, 1990d). In Tanzania from 300 to 1 700 m (Kielland, 1990d). Habits: Kielland (1990d) regards this as a very common species but Larsen (1991c) says that it is a relatively scarce skipper. Males perch, when sunbathing, with the hind wings three quarters open, when they can be mistaken for a species of Borbo (Cock & Congdon, 2014). Early stages: Cock & Congdon, 2014: 346. The authors describe the early stages from three populations – Nyachilo in the Uluguru Mountains, Ruo Gorge (Mt Mulanje), Malawi and Sanje, Udzungwa Mountains. Material from Ruo Gorge represents the taxon crona Evans, 1937, which according to the authors may represent