A new species in the Afrotropical skipper genus <i>Artitropa from São Tomé and Principe (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae: Hesperiinae (<i>incertae sedis<i>))

A distinct new species in the genus Artitropa (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae: Hesperiinae (incertae sedis)) inhabiting the islands of Principe and São Tomé is described as A. principetome. It was first collected in 2008 and almost certainly has been overlooked before that date. Colour patterns and the male genitalia indicate that it is most closely related to Artitropa comus, the only member of the genus to be found in West Africa. The food plant was found to be Dracaena arborea. Most endemic species on these islands are found on only one of the islands. Since members of the genus do not generally disperse it is likely that it evolved from A. comus over an extended time period on one island, reaching the other recently as there are no morphological differences between their populations.