THYRIDIDAE OF AFRICA AND ITS ISLANDS 59 



between the extremes of the range. It is interesting that species of the genus 

 Mathoris which has an American-African-Indian distribution (although with more 

 differentiation than in Banisia) also feed on species of Sapotaceae. 



The genus Banisia occurs in the tropics of the Nearctic, Neotropic, Ethiopian and 

 Madagascan, Oriental, Australasian and Pacific regions. 



Generic description. Proboscis present. Labial palps 3-segmented. Eyes without 

 interfacetal hairs. Antennae moderately ciliate. Fore wing with radial veins usually from 

 cell (only rarely with R 2 +R 3 as given in the generic diagnosis by Whalley, 1967 : 47). Fore 

 tibia with epiphysis. Hind tibia with two pairs of spurs. Hind tarsi each with pair of spines 

 at distal end. Male with bifid uncus, gnathus modified. Female with large signum in bursa. 



Biology. Although there are few host-records for species of Banisia in Africa, 

 in India it has been bred from species of Sapotaceae, particularly Manilkara 

 ( = Achras) zapota L. and Bassia latifolia Roxb. (Bose, 1935) and on M. zapota in 

 Java (Whalley, 1967). The larvae and pupae are illustrated by Bose (1935) and 

 Karlshoven (1950). 



Key to the African Species of BANISIA 



1 Wing 1 1 mm or over .......... 2 



Wing under 11 mm ........ aldabrana (p. 63) 



2 (1) Reddish patch in median fascia and on costa of fore wing. Male with spines at 



apex of gnathus ........ myrsusalis (p. 59) 



No reddish patch on fore wing. Male with or without spines at apex of gnathus 3 



3 (2) Male with spines at apex to gnathus ...... tibiale (p. 61) 



Male without spines at apex of gnathus ..... apicale (p. 62) 



Banisia myrsusalis (Walker) 



Pyralis myrsusalis Walker, 1859 : 892. 

 Rhodoneura elaralis Walker; Hampson, 1897 : 618. 



The subspecies B. myrsusalis myrsusalis Walker occurs in North and South 

 America and is very similar to B. myrsusalis elaralis Walker from Africa and India. 

 In my revision of the Thyrididae of Madagascar (Whalley, 1967) I treated the 

 African, Madagascan and Oriental specimens as a distinct species from the American 

 specimens. Since examining more material from the rest of the world I now consider 

 that, at the most, the African-Oriental specimens must be regarded as a subspecies, 

 differing only slightly from the American subspecies. In the Seychelles Islands two 

 distinct species have arisen on two of the islands some 50 miles apart. These two 

 (B. tibiale and B. apicale) have slightly different male genitalia from African-Indian 

 specimens of B. m. elaralis. 



From host-records available the subspecies of B. myrsusalis feed on Manilkara 

 zapota L. (Sapotaceae), the plant from which chewing-gum is obtained. This plant 

 has been transported by man to most tropical countries, and with it perhaps, 

 B. myrsusalis. Structurally the African-Indian specimens are practically indis- 

 tinguishable. There is a slight difference in the outline of the uncus and the number 

 of spines on the apex of the arms of the gnathus (brachia). 



