Abstract
The genus Archithosia Birket-Smith, 1965 is herein revised, and two species groups are identified, along with the description of 4 species as new to science (Archithosia ghanensis Durante & Potenza sp. nov.; Archithosia gabonensis Durante & Potenza sp. nov.; Archithosia tchibozo Durante & Pellegrino sp. nov.; Archithosia ugandensis Durante & Pellegrino sp. nov.), while a fifth, close to Archithosia costimacula (Mabille, 1878), remains unnamed due to the scarcity of material. Archithosia decipiens (Holland, 1893) is reinstated as a bona species, and the lectotype is designated. The genus Asbolopsyche Krüger, 2015 is argued to not belong to the Archithosia group of genera.
References
- Agbangla, M.M., Aoudji, A.K.N., Akouehou, G.S., Gbetoho, J.A., Sanon, K., Ayina, O., de Cannière, C. & Canglo, J.C. (2015) Caractéristique structural et écologique des populations d’espèces commerciales : une base pour la sylviculture dans les peuplements forestiers de Niaouli (Sud-Benin). Tropicultura, 33 (3), 238–252.
- Bendib, A. & Minet, J. (1999) Lithosiine main lineages and their possible interrelationships. I. - Definition of new or resurrected tribes (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae). Annales de la Société Entomologique de France, 35 (3–4), 241–263.
- Birket-Smith, J. (1965) A revision of the West African Eilemic moths, based on the male genitalia (Lep., Arctiidae, Lithosinae; incl. gen. Crocosia, Eilema, Lithosia, Pelosia, Phryganopsis a. o.). Haile Sellassie I university. Papers from the Faculty of science, Series C (Zoology), 1, 1–161.
- Dang, P.T. (1993) Vesicas of selected Tortricid and small Lepidopterous species, with descriptions of new techniques of vesica eversion (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae, Oecophoridae, Gelechiidae, and Nepticulidae). The Canadian Entomologist, 125 (5), 785–799. https://doi.org/10.4039/Ent125785-5
- De Prins, J. & De Prins, W. (2011–2025) Afromoths, online database of Afrotropical moth species. Available from: http://www.afromoths.net/ (accessed 20 November 2025)
- Durante, A. (2008) Asuroides, a new genus of lithosiine moths (Lepidoptera, Arctiidae, Lithosiinae). Zootaxa, 1713 (1), 53–68. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.1713.1.5
- Durante, A. & Apinda-Legnouo, E.A. (2022) Fifth contribution to the study of the Lithosiini of Gabon: two genera new for Gabon, with a description of two new species (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae). Zootaxa, 5091 (3), 416–428. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5091.3.2
- Evenhuis, N.L. (2024) The Insect and Spider Collections of the World website. Available from: http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/codens/ (accessed 29 June 2025)
- Holland, W.J. (1893) Descriptions of new species and genera of West African Lepidoptera. Psyche, (6), 373–376, 393–400, 411–418, 431–434, 451–454, 469–476, 487–490, 513–520, 531–538, 549–552, 565–568. https://doi.org/10.1155/1893/68657
- Holloway, J.D. (2001) The moths of Borneo [Part 7]: Arctiidae, Lithosiinae. Malayan Nature Journal, 55, 279–486.
- Holloway, J.D., Kibby, G. & Peggie, D. (2001) The Families of Malesian Moths and Butterflies. Fauna Malesiana Handbook. Brill, Leiden, xi + 455 pp. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004475595
- Kiriakoff, S.G. (1958) Ruwenzori Expedition, 1952, vol. I, 2–3. Trustees of the British Museum, London, 53 pp.
- Klots, A.B. (1970) Lepidoptera. In: Tuxen, S.L. (Ed.), Taxonomist’s glossary of genitalia in insects. 2nd Edition. II. Munksgaard, Copenhagen, pp. 115–130.
- Kristensen, N.P. (2003) Skeleton and muscles: adults. In: Kristensen, N.P. (Ed.), Lepidoptera, Moths and Butterflies. Vol. 2. Morphology, Physiology, and development. Part 36. In: Fischer, M. (Ed.), Handbook of Zoology. Vol. IV. Anthropoda: Insecta. W. de Gruyter, Berlin, New York, pp. 39–131. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110893724.39
- Krüger, M. (2015) Generic classification of Afrotropical footman moths sensu stricto (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini (partim)). Transvaal Museum Monograph, 15, 1–176.
- Mabille, P. (1878) Lepidoptera Africana. Bulletin de la Société Zoologique de France, III, 3, 87–88.
- Robinson, G.S. (1976) The preparation of slides of Lepidoptera genitalia with special reference to the microlepidoptera. Entomologist’s Gazette, 27, 127–132.
- Rothschild, W. (1912) New Lithosianae. Novitates Zoologicae, XIX, 212–246. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.part.1549
- Scoble, M.J. (1992) The Lepidoptera. Form, function and diversity. The Natural History Museum in association with Oxford University Press, Oxford, XI + 404 pp.
- Strand, E. (1912) Zoologische Ergebnisse der Expedition des Herrn G. Tessmann nach Süd-Kamerun und Spanisch-Guinea. Lepidoptera. Archiv für Naturgeschichte, LXXVIII, 9, 92–106. https://doi.org/10.1002/mmnz.19120060202
- Tomasi, F., Susini, A. & Durante, A. (2025) Membracidae of Gabon: the genus Euceropsila Boulard, 1978 (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha) with description of two new species. Zootaxa, 5683 (2), 212–224. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5683.2.3
- Volynkin, A. (2025) Contribution to the knowledge of the Afrotropical Archithosia Birket-Smith generic complex with the description of a new genus, nineteen new species and a new subspecies, and introduction of new combinations (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini). Ecologica Montenegrina, 82, 1–63. https://doi.org/10.37828/em.2025.82.1
- Winter, W.D. (2000) Basic techniques for observing and studying moths and butterflies. The Lepidopterists’ Society Memoir 5. The Lepidopterists’ Society, Los Angeles, xviii + 444 pp.
