Scirpophaga flavidorsalis (Hampson, 1919)

Chen, Fuqiang, Song, Shimei & Wu, Chunsheng, 2006, A review of the genus Scirpophaga Treitschke, 1832 in China (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), Zootaxa 1236, pp. 1-22 : 12-14

8. Scirpophaga flavidorsalis (Hampson, 1919)

Figs. 1, 2, 6, 7

Topeutis flavidorsalis Hampson, 1919 , Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (9) 4: 319.

Schoenobius melanostigmus Turner, 1922 , Proc. R. Soc. Vict. 35: 47. syn. n.

Male: Expanse 19 mm. Head and thorax ochreous white. Length of labial palpus approximately 3 times diameter of compound eye. Forewing pale ochreous, with a dark fuscous spot at the lower angle of cell, underside fuscous; hindwing pale ochreous on both surfaces. Genitalia with uncus and gnathos slender; tegumen with dorsal sclerotized thickening X­shaped; subteguminal process tubercle­like; valva relatively short; juxta plate­like; coremata present; manica with two groups of spines; aedeagus slender, swollen in apical 1/3; vesica with small spines; one cornutus present, a flat plate with serrate margin.

Female: Expanse 21–25 mm. Head and thorax white. Length of labial palpus approximately 4 times diameter of compound eye. Forewing white to pale ochreous, with a dark fuscous spot at the lower angle of cell, underside white; hindwing white on both surfaces; frenulum with one bristle. Anal tuft pale ochreous. Genitalis with ostium bursae broad, membranous, lined with minute spines, weakly sclerotized towards ductus bursae; ductus bursae membranous; corpus bursae rounded, lined with dense spines.

Material examined

Hekou, Yunnan, 22.4 °N 103.9 °E, 200m, 1♂, 5.V.1956, Huang Keren (S491), 1♂, 1Ψ, 8.VI.1956, Huang Keren (S158, S421); 1Ψ, 10.VI.1956, Huang Keren (S251), 1Ψ, 11.VI.1956, Huang Keren (S144); Mengla, Yunnan, 21.4 °N 101.5 °E, 800m, 1♂, 23.VI.1982, Li Ju (S239); Mengyang, Xishuangbanna, 22.0 °N 100.8 °E, 850m, 1Ψ, 12VII.1958, Zhang Yiran (S420); Menglong, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, 21.5 °N 100.6 °E, 650m, 1Ψ, 10.VII.1958, Hong Chunpei (S423), 1♂, 12.VII.1958, Zhang Yiran (S422).

Distribution

China: Yunnan (new record); Bhutan, New Guinea, India, Bangladesh, Thailand, West Malaysia, Java, Philipppines, Australia.

FIGURES 17–23. Genitalia(a. aedeagus) 17, S. humilis ɗ; 18, 19, S. exceptalis ɗ Ψ; 20, 21, S. magnella ɗ Ψ; 22, 23, S. tongyaii ɗ Ψ. Scale: 1mm.

Remarks

Lewvanich (1981 a) indicated there is some evidence that Scirpophaga flavidorsalis (known only from the male) and S. melanostigma (known only from the female) may be the same species. On the basis of their size, wing pattern, life history, and geographic distribution (sympatric), we agree that S. melanostigma is almost certainly a synonym of S. flavidorsalis and we formally propose that new synonymy.