Chrysopoloma Druce, 1886

Taberer, Tabitha R., 2023, Revision of the family Chrysopolomidae Aurivillius, 1895 (Lepidoptera: Zygaenoidea) with the description of three new genera, Bonn zoological Bulletin 72 (1), pp. 1-23 : 15-17

Chrysopoloma Druce, 1886

Figs 11–15 , 31–34

Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1886: 410.

Type species. Lasiocampa rudis Walker, 1865 (by subsequent designation ( Aurivillius, 1895: 118))

Syntypes. 2 ♂♂.

Type locality. Natal, South Africa ( NHMUK).

Genus re-description. Medium size. Antennae bipectinate, dark grey to black, flagellum dark beige or black. Ground colour of body and wings uniform pale cream to tawny brown with varying levels of brown or black speckling. Forewing broad with arcuate outer margin; discal spot pale with dark margin, well-defined in most species; indistinct postmedial band in some species. Fringe long, darker than ground colour, occasionally with black interveinal crenulations. Hindwing mostly without markings but may display dark basal sections. Underside. Ground colour similar to upperside but with fewer markings; forewing discal spot often showing through. Legs beige or light orange, sometimes with brown speckling. Hindtibia with one pair of spurs. Male genitalia. Uncus triangular, apically rounded, paired posterior processes of transtilla closely fused medially, creating a rounded or truncate lobe-like structure with a medial depression. Single, central anterior process of transtilla broad, generally obcordate, varying in length. Valve wide, sometimes slightly medially constricted, with slight concavity on distal edge. Juxta with two pointed lateral processes and longer central process. Phallus moderate length, distally ridged, membranous, with slight medial split; vesica relatively short, membranous.

Diagnosis. Species of Chrysopoloma and Scotinocerides are very similar in appearance but members of the former are smaller and typically possess a rounded discal spot on the forewing which is absent in the latter. The two genera however can easily be distinguished based on the number of tibial spurs, Chrysopoloma with one pair and Scotinocerides with two. In the male genitalia, the uncus is triangular, apically rounded and noticeably shorter in Chrysopoloma compared to its sibling genus.

Distribution. Chrysopoloma species are associated with woodland and forest-savanna mosaic habitats, the majority of species being found in southern and eastern Africa as far north as Ethiopia, with a few species known from further west in Cameroon and Ivory Coast.

Species content

C. rudis ( Walker, 1865)

C. bicolor ( Distant, 1897)

C. conspersa ( Kirby, 1896)

C. crawshayi Aurivillius, 1904

C. isabellina Aurivillius, 1895

C. moulini ( Rougeot, 1977) comb. n. C. occidens Basquin, 2016

C. pallens Hering, 1925

C. paupera paupera Hering, 1925 stat. rev. C. paupera johanni ( Rougeot, 1977) comb. n. C. similis Aurivillius, 1895

C. varia varia Distant, 1899

C. varia flavipennis Hering, 1937

C. varia flaviceps Aurivillius, 1901 C. variegata variegata Hering, 1937 C. variegata nigromaculata Hering, 1937 C. zernyi Hering, 1941

Figures

Figs 11–17. Adults. 11. Chrysopoloma rudis, South Africa (NHMUK). 12. Chrysopoloma varia, Kenya (NHMUK). 13. Chrysopoloma bicolor, South Africa (ANHRT). 14. Chrysopoloma zernyi, Tanzania (ANHRT). 15. Chrysopoloma moulini comb. n., Ethiopia (ZSM). 16. Scotinocerides pseudorestricta, Zambia (ANHRT). 17. Scotinocerides fasciata, Zambia (ANHRT).

Figs 31–34. Male genitalia (a = clasping apparatus; b = phallus). 31. Chrysopoloma rudis, South Africa, genitalia slide No. NHMUK 010317731 (NHMUK). 32. Chrysopoloma isabelline, Zambia, genitalia slide No. TT 182 (ANHRT). 33. Chrysopoloma zernyi, Tanzania, genitalia slide No. TT 192 (ANHRT). 34. Chrysopoloma moulini comb. n., Ethiopia, genitalia slide No. NHMUK 010317735 (NHMUK).