Taxonomic changes and review of the genera Tipulamima Holland, 1893 and Macrotarsipodes Le Cerf, 1916 stat. rev. (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae: Sesiinae).

Abstract

In this study, two genera of Afrotropical Sesiidae, Tipulamima Holland, 1893 and Macrotarsipodes Le Cerf, 1916 stat. rev., are redefined and redescribed, the latter being resurrected from synonymy with the former as a valid genus. Both genera are confirmed to belong to the tribe Synanthedonini. The genera closest to Tipulamima are unknown. Macrotarsipodes is related to Macrotarsipus Hampson, [1893] from Southeast Asia and Lepidopoda Hampson, 1900 from Africa and Southeast Asia. The latter genus as well as Pedalonina are transferred to Synanthedonini. Uranothyris Meyrick, 1933 syn. nov. is regarded as a subjective junior synonym of Tipulamima. Checklists of the species assigned to Tipulamima and Macrotarsipodes are provided. One new species, Tipulamima hesperia sp. nov., from Guinea and Ghana and the previously unknown male of T. pterotarsa (Meyrick, 1933) comb. nov. (Uranothyris) are described and depicted. The following new combinations are introduced: Macrotarsipodes leptosceles (Bradley, 1968) comb. nov. (Synanthedon), M. pedunculata (Hampson, 1910) comb. nov. (Ichneumenoptera), M. sexualis (Hampson, 1910) comb. nov. (Macrotarsipus), M. tricinctus Le Cerf, 1916 comb. rev., Synanthedon malimba (Beutenmller, 1899) comb. nov. (Sesia), Malgassesia ivondro (Viette, 1955) comb. nov. (Tipulamima), M. opalimargo (Le Cerf, 1913) comb. nov. (Sesia), Lepidopoda aericincta (Meyrick, 1928) comb. nov. (Aegeria), L. cyanospira (Meyrick, 1928) comb. nov. (Aegeria), L. dasysceles (Bradley, 1968) comb. nov. (Synanthedon), L. erythromma (Hampson, 1919) comb. nov. (Synanthedon), L. festiva (Beutenmller, 1899) comb. nov. (Sesia), L. flavipalpis Hampson, 1910 comb. rev., L. nuba (Beutenmller, 1899) comb. nov. (Sesia), L. rubripicta (Hampson, 1919) comb. nov. (Synanthedon), L. waterloti (Le Cerf, 1913) comb. nov. stat. nov. (Macrotarsipodes), Episannina sylphina (Hampson, 1919) comb. nov. (Lepidopoda) (Synanthedonini), Chamanthedon auronitens (Le Cerf, 1913) comb. nov. (Sesia), Pyranthrene hypocalla (Le Cerf, 1937) comb. nov. (Tipulamima), P. nigriceps (Hampson, 1919) comb. nov. (Tipulamima) (Osminiini). Junior subjective synonyms are: Aegeria rubripalpis Meyrick, 1932 syn. nov. of L. rubripicta, Aegeria mercatrix Meyrick, 1931 syn. nov. of L. aericincta and Aegeria pyrostoma Meyrick, 1927 syn. rev. of L. erythromma. Lectotypes of Tipulamima haugi (Le Cerf, 1917), T. flammipes (Hampson, 1910) and Macrotarsipodes sexualis comb. nov. are designated. Clerodendrum paniculatum L. (Lamiaceae) is reported as a host plant of Tipulamima for the first time. The larvae of three species of Macrotarsipodes and several species of Lepidopoda are known to be pests of Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam. (Convolvulaceae).