Harmaclona hilethera Bradley 1953

Harmaclona hilethera Bradley

Harmaclona hilethera Bradley, 1953a:65.

MALE (Figure 151).—Forewing length 6.6–10.2 mm.

Head: Vestiture mostly white, irrorated with subapically dark brown-banded scales; scales moderately slender with apices 2–4 dentate. Antenna 48–53-segmented, 0.5 the length of forewing; scape smoothly scaled dorsally, rough ventrally with irregular tuft of slender, erect, 2 or 3 dentate scales of same color as head; flagellum with basal covered dorsally with moderately broad, white scales and scattered dark brown-tipped scales, gradually transforming into a sparse covering of very slender, uniformly brown scales over distal ; basal of flagellum shortly bipectinate, with pectinations gradually reducing to bifasciculate condition over distal ; flagellomeres without spherical sensory cavities. Labial palpus with second segment moderately rough dorsally and laterally; scales predominantly fuscous with faint whitish to gray tips over lateral surface, and white irorrated with subapically dark brown-banded scales ventrally and mesally.

Thorax: Dorsum similar to head vestiture except scales usually broader and shorter, with a raised cluster of dark brown to fuscous-tipped scales posteriorly on mesoscutellum. Venter mostly white, slightly irorrated with dark-tipped scales. Forewing predominantly covered with broad, uniformly white scales with scattered patches of white scales possessing narrow, subapical, brown to fuscous bands; banded scales often arranged to form short, transverse bars; bands becoming broader in scales toward termen where the pattern coalesces to form a narrow fuscous band along base of marginal fringe; a small tuft of dark-tipped scales present near basal of dorsal margin. Hindwing pale gray over basal , becoming gradually darker over distal and with a slight bronzy luster. Legs predominantly white irrorated with dark brown-tipped scales except with foreleg mostly fuscous and slightly irrorated with white particularly over venter of tarsal segments.

Abdomen: Grayish brown with slight bronzy luster dorsally; predominantly white ventrally with a sparse irroration of dark brown-tipped scales.

FEMALE.—Unknown.

MALE GENITALIA (Figure 277–282).—Anterior margin slightly concave on either side of moderately long saccus, the latter ~0.33 the length of valva. Apotheca well developed, ~0.7 the length of valva. Valva (Figure 279) similar to that of H. natalensis but with dorsal lobe more slender and tapering; ventral lobe with broadly tapered apex, ~2× the width at base and 0.86× the length of dorsal lobe. Anellus with greatly elongate caudal arms, nearly 0.4 the length of valva. Aedoeagus without basal keel; apex broadly triangular, with ~4 pairs of minute, lateral serrations.

HOLOTYPE.—; Bibianaha, Gold Coast [Ghana], (BMNH).

FLIGHT PERIOD.—The few specimens collected thus far indicate an extended emergence period for the species, with records from Jauary to March and from August to November.

DISTRIBUTION (Map 7).—Ranging through equatorial Africa from Ghana to the Central African Republic.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.—CAMEROON: Lölodorf: 3 (paratypes), 1894–1895, slides BM 2236, 2528, 2668, 19336; 1 (paratype), 24 Feb 1895; 1 (paratype), 12 Mar 1895, L. Conradt, (BMNH). CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: La Maboké: 3, 7–9 Aug 1970, J. Boudinot, slide DRD 3712, (MNHP). GHANA (Gold Coast): Bibianaha, 700 ft [210 m]: 1 (holotype), 23 Oct-3 Nov 1911, H. Spurrell, slide BM 2224; 1 (paratype), 1912, H. Spurrell, (BMNH).