Afrasura discocellularis saotomensis Volynkin & László, 2018

Volynkin, Anton V. & László, Gyula M., 2018, A review of the genus Afrasura Durante, 2009 from São Tomé Island with descriptions of a new species and a new subspecies (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae), Zootaxa 4508 (2), pp. 237-248 : 240

Afrasura discocellularis saotomensis Volynkin & László , ssp. nov .

( Figs. 9, 10 , 19 , 26 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs. 9 , 19 ): ♂, “ São Tomé, 482m, Roca Bombaim (montane forest-plantation), 0°14’41.7’’N, 6°37’59.8’’E, 27–31.I.2018, MV Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., Miles, W. leg., ANHRT:2018.1” / “ANHRTUK 00019763” / slide AV4546 ♂ A. Volynkin ” (Coll. ANHRT).

Paratypes. SÃO TOMÉ: 8 ♂, with the same data as the holotype, slide No.: AV4545 ♂ (coll. ANHRT) ; 4 ♂, 1303m, Antenna Bom Successo, 00°16’33.7”N, 6°36’19.7”E, 20.X.2016, MV, primary upland forest with a narrow recent plantation margin, C. R. Turner & T. Tasane leg., ANHRT : 2017.21 (coll. ANHRT); 1 ♂, 2 ♀, 174m, Guadalupe, 00°23’12.8’’N, 6°37’6.9’’E, 22.X.2016, savanna dry mosaic grassland/forest scrub/plantation, MV, C. R. Turner & T. Tasane, leg., ANHRT :2017.21, slide No.: AV4400 ♀ (coll. ANHRT) ; 1 ♂, 186m, Ponta Furada, 0°14’01.8”N, 6°28’15.5”E, 24.X.2016, MV Light Trap, Turner, C.R. & Tasane, T. leg., slide No.: AV3324 ♂ (coll. ANHRT) ; 1 ♂, 635m, Ponta Figo, 0°17’12.7”N, 6°34’14.5”E, 27.X.2016, MV Light Trap, Turner, C.R. & Tasane, T. leg. (coll. ANHRT) ; 1 ♀, 264m, Guadalupe, Antenna, 00°22’49.9”N, 6°38’47.4”E, 31.X.2016, MV, Dry coastal forest and scrub, C. R. Turner & T. Tasane leg. ANHRT 2017.21 (Coll. ANHRT).

Diagnosis. Afrasura discocellularis saotomensis ssp. nov . ( Figs. 9, 10 ) differs from the nominate subspecies occuring widespread in West Africa ( Figs. 11, 12 ) by its more yellowish forewing ground colour (while that of A. d. discocellularis is pale orange) and grey forewing pattern what is brown with a reddish suffusion in the mainland taxon. The male genitalia of the two subspecies are very similar, but the distal section of the costa is somewhat narrower and more elongated and the distal costal process is slightly longer in A. d. saotomensis ssp. nov . ( Fig. 19 ) compared to those of the nominate subspecies, in addition the distal saccular process of the new subspecies is apically narrowly rounded, while that is sharply pointed in A. d. discocellularis ( Fig. 20 ). The female genitalia of A. d. saotomensis ssp. nov . ( Fig. 26 ) differs from that of A. d. discocellularis ( Fig. 27 ) by its slightly shorter antrum, and somewhat larger signum bursae.

Description. Adult ( Figs. 9, 10 ). Forewing length 10–11 mm in males and 10–12 mm in females. Antennae of both sexes ciliate. Head bright yellow, frons with grey spot; thorax brownish yellow with four grey spots on tegulae; abdomen paler than thorax and head, light yellow. Forewing ground color bright yellow with some brownish shade, pattern grey; basal dot present; subbasal line interrupted, consisted of a medial round spot and a longitudinal streak on costa; antemedial line double, its outer part irregularly dentate, inner part dentate and interrupted into three spots; medial line irregularly dentate, forming a loop inwards the cell spot; postmedial line dentate, curved inwards between costa and cell; subterminal line interrupted, consisted of several diffuse spots; discal spot present, dot-like; cilia brownish yellow. Hindwing considerably lighter than forewing, pale yellow, without pattern; cilia pale yellow. Male genitalia ( Fig. 19 ). Uncus medium long, slender, curved, apically pointed; tuba analis broad, scaphium thin, weakly sclerotized; tegumen medium broad, rather elongate, moderately sclerotized; juxta broad, with two broad basal lobes; vinculum relatively short, V-shaped, apically rounded; transtillae fused, forming a broad plate with two short apical lobes; valva elongated, broadened medially and strongly tapering distally; costa moderately sclerotized, curved medially, its distal section elongated, narrow, with thorn-like apical process; sacculus narrow, with well developed, finger-like, slightly arcuate, apically rounded distal process. Aedeagus tubular, relatively short and broad, coecum rounded, slightly broadened; vesica short, strongly granulated medially, with two granulated ventral diverticula and robust thorn-like cornutus with broad and curved base. Female genitalia ( Fig. 26 ). Ovipositor short and broad; apophyses long and thin, apophyses anteriores slightly longer than apophyses posteriores; ostium bursae very broad; antrum heavily sclerotized, caliciform; ductus bursae very short and broad, membranous; posterior section of corpus bursae relatively narrow, weakly sclerotized, rugose; anterior section of corpus bursae rounded, covered with dense spinulose scobination, signum bursae small, rounded; appendix bursae broad and short, with a broad and long cluster of short spinules and a trigonal, heavily sclerotised process.

Distribution. The new subspecies is known so far only from São Tomé Island.

Figures

FIGURES 9–16. Afrasura spp.: adults. 9, A. discocellularis saotomensis, holotype ♂, São Tomé, Roca Bombaim (ANHRT); 10, A. discocellularis saotomensis, paratype ♀, São Tomé, Guadalupe (ANHRT); 11, A. discocellularis discocellularis, ♂, Ivory Coast (ANHRT); 12, A. discocellularis discocellularis, ♀, Ivory Coast (ANHRT); 13, A. hieroglyphica, syntype ♀ of Asura thomensis, São Tomé (©NHMUK); 14, A. hieroglyphica, holotype ♂, N Angola (©NHMUK); 15, A. hieroglyphica, ♂, São Tomé, Guadalupe (ANHRT); 16, A. hieroglyphica, ♀, São Tomé, Guadalupe (ANHRT).

FIGURES 17–20. Afrasura spp.: male genitalia. 17, A. pectinatissima, holotype ♂, São Tomé, Ponta Furada, slide AV3334♂; 18, A. friederikae, Uganda, slide NHMUK010314039 Volynkin; 19, A. discocellularis saotomensis, holotype, São Tomé, Roca Bombaim, slide AV4546♂; 20, A. discocellularis discocellularis, Ivory Coast, slide AV2949♂.

FIGURES 24–30. Afrasura and Parafrasura spp.: female genitalia. 24, A. pectinatissima, paratype, São Tomé, Ponta Furada, slide AV3335♀; 25, A. friederikae, paratype, W Kenya, slide L. Kühne 138/2004; 26, A. discocellularis saotomensis, holotype, São Tomé, Guadalupe, slide AV4400♀; 27, A. discocellularis discocellularis, Ivory Coast, slide AV2944♀; 28, A. hieroglyphica, São Tomé, Guadalupe, slide AV4505♀; 29, A. hieroglyphica, NW Angola, slide NHMUK010314043 Volynkin (©NHMUK); 30, P. pectinella, Liberia, slide AV4518♀.