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Type: Article
Published: 2026-05-29
Page range: 176-196
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Genus Archithosia Birket-Smith, 1965: identification of two species groups in Sub-Saharan Africa by means of morphological analysis, with descriptions of four new species (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini)

Museo di Storia naturale del Salento. S.P. Calimera-Borgagne; Km 1; 73021 Calimera; Italy.
Museo di Storia naturale del Salento. S.P. Calimera-Borgagne; Km 1; 73021 Calimera; Italy.
Museo di Storia naturale del Salento. S.P. Calimera-Borgagne; Km 1; 73021 Calimera; Italy.
Lepidoptera Afrotropical Lithosiini systematics new taxa

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

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How to Cite

Durante, A., Potenza, L. & Pellegrino, G. (2026) Genus Archithosia Birket-Smith, 1965: identification of two species groups in Sub-Saharan Africa by means of morphological analysis, with descriptions of four new species (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini). Zootaxa, 5821 (2), 176–196. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5821.2.2