THYRIDIDAE OF AFRICA AND ITS ISLANDS 99 



Generic description. Labial palps three-segmented. Eyes without interfacetal hairs. 

 Proboscis present. Antennae minutely ciliate. Fore tibia with epiphysis. Hind tibia with 

 two pairs of spurs. Hind tarsi each with a pair of apical spines. Fore wing with R 3 and R t 

 fused for part of length, often with R 2 joined to R 3 -\-R i . Hind wing with Sc+R x and Rs 

 fused for part of length. Female with thorn-like signum in bursa. 



Biology. No information. 



Symphleps suffusa Warren 



(PI. 8, fig. 36; PI. 34, fig. 189; PI. 56, figs 339, 340) 



Symphleps suffusa Warren, 1898b : 226. 



Symphleps signicostata Strand, 1913 : 60. (Syn. by Gaede, 1917 : 359.) 



Symphleps suffusus Warren; Dalle Torre, 1914 : 47. 



Symphleps suffusus Warren; Gaede, 191 7 : 359. 



Symphleps suffusus Warren; Gaede, 1929 : 498. 



Symphleps suffusus Warren; Whalley, 1967 : 17. 



<£. Wing, 9*5-iC"5 mm. Vertex and frons brown. Labial palps with third segment 1/4 

 length of second segment, not reaching vertex. Thorax brown. Hind tibia with inner spur 

 of proximal pair long, 2 X length of outer spur. Fore wing, pattern as in PI. 8, fig. 36, yellowish 

 brown with white maculations. Fringe brown, underside similar but greyer. Veins R 3 +R t 

 off common stem of i? 2 +i? 3 +7? 4 . Hind wing, colour and pattern as fore wing. Sc+Rj^ and 

 Rs join for part of length. 



Genitalia $ (PI. 34, fig. 189). Uncus clavate. Gnathus with small median projection. 

 Juxta, two clavate lobes with a few spines at apex. Valve simple. Aedeagus with mass of 

 spines in vesica. VHIth abdominal sternite slightly incised on posterior margin. 



$. Wing, 10-5-1 1 -5 mm. Colour and pattern as male. Labial palps similar to male. 



Genitalia $ (PI. 56, figs 339, 340). Anal papillae slightly elongate. Duct broad, narrowing 

 half way along length. Bursa minutely spinose, large, inward projecting, sclerotized spine 

 which itself is covered with minute spines. 



Discussion. Externally this species is similar to S. atomosalis Walker, from 

 Indonesia but the genitalia are different. The Madagascan species, S. seta, is very 

 similar to S. suffusa but has only R 3 + R i joining in the fore wing, whereas the African 

 species has three of the radial veins joining. 



Distribution. Map 6. Sierra Leone; Ghana; Nigeria; Cameroon; Gabon; 

 Rio Muni; Democratic Republic of the Congo. 



Material examined. 



Holotype $ (suffusa), Nigeria: Warri, ix.fj.8J97 (Roth), BM slide no. 9611, in 

 BMNH ; LECTOTYPE <$ (signicostata) , here designated, Rio Muni : [Spanish GuineaJ, 

 Men, in ZMB. 



Sierra Leone: 1^,1$, Moyambe (Cator); Ghana: i <J, Coomassie [KumasiJ 

 (Whiteside) ; 1 $, Kumasi (Sanders) ; Nigeria: i <?, Warri, vi.1897 (Roth) ; Cameroon: 

 1 (J, 2 $, Bitje, Ja River, x (Bates), wet season; 4 (J, 2 $, Bitje, Ja River; 1 <$, Efulen 

 (Weber), in CMP; 1^,1$, Batanga (Good), in CMP; Gabon: i £, Kangwe, Ogove R. 

 (Good), in CMP; 1 <j>, Kangwe; Democratic Republic of the Congo: i <$, Bena 

 Dible, Sankuru, Kasai, iv.1959 (Carcasson), in NMK; 1 £, Eala, vi.1936 (Ghesquiere) , 

 in MRAC; 1 $, 2 $, no data, in CMP (probably Cameroon). 



