Architesma sordida ( Birket-Smith, 1965 ), 2025

Architesma sordida ( Birket-Smith, 1965) View in CoL , comb. n.

( Figs 56 View Figures 53–62 , 124, 125 View Figures 122–125 )

Archithosia (Architesma) sordida Birket-Smith, 1965 View in CoL , A revision of the West African Eilemic moths, based on the male genitalia: 29, figs 18, 19 (Type locality: Cameroon, Bitje [Bitye], Ja [Dja] river).

Type material examined. Holotype ( Fig. 124 View Figures 122–125 ; the specimen was illustrated by Krüger (2015: figs 33, 216)): male (body destroyed), “19. 20. | Cameroons, | Bitje, Ja River . | Oct. Wet Season. / G. L. Bates. ” / “74” / “Joicey | Bequest. | Brit. Mus. | 1934-120.” / red label “type” / “ Arctiidae | genitalia slide | No. 888” / “Archithosio | ( Architesma ) | sordida | J.Birket-Smith det. 1961 | type” / QR- code label with unique ID “ NHMUK 014172965 About NHMUK ” ( NHMUK).

Additional material examined. ZAMBIA: 2 males, 1400m, Ikelenge , Hillwood, 11˚16'02''S, 24˚18'59''E, 30.x.–3.xi.2017, MV and actinic light traps, Carter, M., Lloyd, A., Miles, W., Oram, D., Smith, R . leg., gen. slide Nos.: AV7139 ♂, AV9018 ♂ ( ANHRT) .

Remark. The female genitalia of the ‘conditional allotype’ illustrated by Birket- Smith (1965: fig. 19) and subsequently Krüger (2015: fig. 318) clearly do not belong to the Archithosia generic complex therefore the female of A. sordida remains unknown.

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 15.0 mm in males. The species is externally similar to A. nouabaleana sp. n. and A. diffusa sp. n. and identification requires the examination of the genitalia structures, which are most similar to A. diffusa sp. n., the detailed comparison with which is provided above in its diagnosis.

Distribution. The species is currently known from Cameroon (type locality) and north-western Zambia (new country record).