Archithosia, Birket-Smith, 1965

The Archithosia View in CoL generic complex

Remarks. (1) In his fundamental work, Krüger (2015) provided a detailed description of the genus Archithosia sensu lato but the diagnosis was not informative and the only important diagnostic feature mentioned was the presence of a basal saccular process called the ‘free valvella’ by the author, which is unique among the Afrotropical Lithosiina. (2) Archithosia gilvafrons described from Nigeria based on a single female specimen was included by Krüger (2015) in the genus Archithosia without its subgeneric placement being specified as its female genitalia are substantially different from those of all lineages in the complex. After comparing its genitalia structures illustrated by Durante & Panzera (2002) with other genera of Afrotropical Lithosiina, they proved to express diagnostic characters typical of the genus Coniopsyche Krüger, 2015 therefore the name gilvafrons is excluded from Archithosia and transferred to Coniopsyche in the present paper (see below).

Diagnosis. Species of the Archithosia generic complex range from medium-sized to relatively large footman moths with forewing ground colour varying from ochreous yellow to brown or fuscous and forewing pattern expressed as two dark spots on the costal margin and anal vein postmedially, which are in many species enclosed by a strongly angled transverse fascia. The male genitalia of the Archithosia generic complex are characteristic among the Afrotropical Lithosiini due to the presence of the basal saccular process (called the ‘valvella’ by Birket- Smith (1965) and Krüger (2015)), which is apparently a plesiomorphic feature of the group. This process is narrow, spike- or rod-shaped, and its base protrudes into the diaphragm and is fused with it along the lateral margin of the juxta but separated from the latter by a narrow membranous or gelatinous strip. In addition to the basal saccular process, the male genitalia of the Archithosia generic complex are characterised by the combination of the following characters. (1) The uncus is thick and in certain groups proximally swollen. (2) The scaphium is present, string- or narrow plate-like, weakly sclerotised, and in certain groups partly gelatinous. (3) The editum is present, plate- or fold-like, and in certain groups bears a distal ampulla. (4) The ventral margin of the costa is fused with the dorsal margin of the editum proximally or along its whole length forming an editum-costa complex. The latter can bear a distal process (in Acanthosia and Architesma ), which topographically belongs rather to the ventral, editum side of the complex and therefore it is also herein suggested it be referred to as the ampulla. (5) The valvula is long and broad, has weak secondary sclerotisation (only its ventro-basal part is membranous) and forms the distal part of the dorsal section of the valva (‘supravalva’ sensu Birket-Smith (1965)). (6) The sacculus is well-sclerotised and well-separated from the dorsal section of the valva. (7) The phallus is cylindrical with a ventral carina protruding into the base of the vesica but not forming a free process. (8) The vesica has one or two subbasal diverticula and a longer distal diverticulum; the vesica ejaculatorius originates from the proximal section of the vesica. The female genitalia of the Archithosia generic complex are characterised by the combination of the following features. (1) The sterigma is fully developed and consists of the fold-like antevaginal plate edging the ostium bursae anteriorly or covering it ventrally (in certain species of Architesma ), and the long and broad postvaginal formation which can be entirely plate-like with rugose margins, or plate-like medially with swollen lateral parts, which are fused with the antevaginal plate laterally. In their paper, Durante et al. (2024) erroneously called the lateral swollen parts of the postvaginal formation of A. henricus the ‘VIII sternite’ while also referring to the medial, weakly sclerotised and finely scobinate part as the ‘membranous caudal portion of ostium bursae.’ However, the 8 th sternite in the Archithosia generic complex, as well as in most other Lithosiini, is membranous or finely scobinate (except Archithosia , the sternite of which has lateral sclerotised plates articulated with the apophysis anterior), while the sterigma is a derivative of the enlarged ventral section of the intersegmental membrane between the 7 th and 8 th sternites (well-recognisable in Archithosia and the morphologically similar Tesma Birket-Smith, 1965 ). (2) The corpus bursae is clearly subdivided into the anterior and posterior sections, of which the former is broad, elliptical or nearly globular, granulose or finely scobinate, and bears a single small signum, which can be elliptical, rounded or teardrop-shaped. The posterior section is narrow and duct-like, and in most genera (except Asbolopsyche ) bears sclerotised areas of various shapes and sizes, which are genus- and species-specific. (3) The appendix bursae is very short or completely reduced and situated in the posterior end of the posterior section of the corpus bursae dorsally near the connection with the ductus bursae (or the ostium bursae in groups with a reduced ductus bursae).

The genitalia of the Archithosia generic complex are morphologically similar to the genus Tesma but besides the presence of the basal saccular process, differ in the thin and weakly sclerotised scaphium, which is heavily sclerotised and broadly triangular plate-like in Tesma (see: Krüger 2015). The female genitalia of Architesma are distinguished from Tesma by the larger and more complex sterigma, and the reduced appendix bursae, which is well-developed and utricular or conical in Tesma (see: Krüger 2015).

Distribution. The Archithosia generic complex is widespread in Sub-Saharan Africa. Most species are distributed in the Congolian Region and associated with rain forests but a number of taxa also occur in the Zambezian and Ethiopian Regions, where they inhabit Afromontane and gallery forests.