Pseudoradiarctia parva Haynes

Haynes, Patrick G., 2011, A review of some of the Binna- like species of Afrotropical Spilosoma Curtis (1825) listed by Goodger & Watson (1995) and including the genus Radiarctia Dubatolov (2006) (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae, Arctiinae), Zootaxa 2811, pp. 22-36 : 28

Pseudoradiarctia parva Haynes sp. n.

Figures 12, 13 , 27

.

Diagnosis. The smallest of the Pseudoradiarctia species herein described. Similar to pallida and small specimens of lentifasciata . The abdomen is pale orange-grey ventrally, and the pale grey patch in the lower half of the forewing cell is more expressed. The narrow and pointed valvae are not swollen basally and have the addition of a triangular dorsolateral process similar to lentifasciata . The juxta is terminally much narrower than pallida and lentifasciata , and the pointed extensions reach beyond the base of the uncus.

Range: Zambia, Tanzania.

Material examined. Holotype ɗ and genitalia preparation, N.W. Rhodesia [ Zambia], Mwenga, 24.xi.1913, H.C. Dollman, 119-79 / Arctiidae genitalia slide 139 / Spilosoma lentifasciata Hampson. det. D.S. Fletcher 1954 ( BMNH). Paratypes: Zambia: 1 ɗ Broken Hill [Kabwe], N. Rhodesia [ Zambia], Feb. 1950, N. Mitton / Pres. by Coryndon Mus. B.M. 1961-696; 1 Ψ (same locality as holotype), 26.i.1914; 1 Ψ (same locality as holotype), 27.i.1914 ( BMNH). Tanzania: Sibwezi [Sibwesa] Mpanda, 1 ɗ / genitalia slide S268 (PGH); Tanga Region, 954m, Forêt de Amani, 1 ɗ, 1 ɗ / genitalia slide Heterocera Nr. 8090 (MWM); 1 ɗ ( ZSM); Rukwa Region, 1266m, Luafi Game Reserve (W. Namanyere), 1 ɗ, 1 ɗ / genitalia slide ZSM Sp 1508; Namanyere, 1290m, 1 ɗ; Livingstone Mts., 2050m, Mlangani, 1 ɗ ( ZSM).

Description. Male. Forewing ɗ 18–19mm, Ψ 21–22mm. Similar to pallida and small specimens of lentifasciata but overall paler orange-yellow. The abdomen is pale orange-grey ventrally with smaller black dots dorsally. Compared to pallida , there is occasionally a trace patch between R3 and R4, and the patch in the cell is frequently more expressed in the lower half posterior to remnant vein M. This character is more clearly expressed in the female. The lower portion of the divided patch between CuA2 and 1A+2A is very faint or absent. Coremata present. On genitalia the uncus is less constricted lateromedially. Valva is not swollen basally and there is the addition of a small triangular shape dorsolateral process. Juxta is very wide basally, narrow apically, and with two curved, pointed and slightly longer extensions. The aedeagus is less arcuate; vesica lightly scobinate. Female. As the male but more strongly marked and with the interneural patches more clearly defining the species. Because of the lack of additional material and because the female is easy to separate on external characters alone, the abdomen was not dissected.

Comments. parva and pallida males are very difficult to separate on facies alone. More clearly marked specimens of parva can be identified by the presence of a patch between R3 and R4 and in the lower half of the forewing cell. More difficult specimens can only be separated through examination of the genitalia.

Figures

FIGURES 9 – 16. Pseudoradiarctia spp. 9. P. lentifasciata, ♂, Zimbabwe, Harare (BMNH). 10. P. lentifasciata, Ψ, Zimbabwe, Harare (BMNH). 11. P. pallida, paratype ♂, Tanzania, Ilonga Kilosa (PGH). 12. P. p a r v a, paratype ♂, Tanzania, Rukwa Region (ZSM). 13. P. p a r v a, paratype Ψ, Zambia, Mwenga (BMNH). 14. P. tanzanica, paratype ♂, Tanzania, Bukoba (ZSM). 15. P. affinis, lectotype ♂, Tanzania, Uhehe, Iringa (ZMB). 16. P. scita, ♂, South Africa, Natal (BMNH).

FIGURES 25 – 32. Pseudoradiarctia spp. genitalia. 25. P. lentifasciata, Ψ genitalia, Zimbabwe, Harare, slide S 262 (PGH). 26. P. pallida, paratype ♂ genitalia, Zimbabwe, Chimanimani, slide 6278 (BMNH). 27. P. p a r v a, holotype ♂ genitalia, Zambia, Mwenga, slide 139 (BMNH). 28. P. tanzanica, paratype ♂ genitalia, Tanzania, Bukoba (ZSM). 29. P. affinis, lectotype ♂ genitalia, Tanzania, Uhehe, slide 41295 (ZMB). 30. P. scita, ♂ genitalia, South Africa, Natal, slide 6279 (BMNH). 31. P. scita, ♂ abdomen, South Africa, Natal, slide 6279 (BMNH). 32. P. scita, Ψ genitalia, South Africa, Natal, slide 6277 (BMNH).