Afrasura pectinatissima 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 : 238-240

Afrasura pectinatissima Volynkin & László , sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–4 , 17 , 24 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs. 1 , 17 ): ♂, “ São Tomé, 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. Trip Ref.: ST-001(ANHRT-21)” / “Slide AV3334 ♂ A. Volynkin ” (Coll. ANHRT).

Paratypes. SÃO TOMÉ: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, with the same data as the holotype, slides AV3323 ♂, AV3335 ♀ (Coll. ANHRT) ; 2 ♀, 1303m, Antenna, Bom Successo, 00°16’33.7’’N, 6°36’19.7’’E, 19.X.2016, MV Light Trap (Coll. ANHRT) ; 3 ♂, 1 ♀, same data, MV, primary upland forest with a narrow recent plantation margin (Coll. ANHRT) ; 2 ♀, same data but collected at 28.X.2016 ; 1 ♂, 635m, Ponta Figo, 00°17’12.7”N, 6°34’14.5”E, 27.X.2016, MV Light Trap (Coll. ANHRT) ; 1 ♀, same data, but collected at 29.X.2018. C. R. Turner & T. Tasane, leg. ANHRT:2017.21 (Coll. ANHRT) .

Diagnosis. The closest relative of the new species is Afrasura friederikae ( Kühne, 2007) , comb. nov. ( Figs. 5, 6 ) described from western Kenya ( Kühne 2007). Afrasura pectinatissima sp. nov. ( Figs. 1–4 ) can easily be distinguished from it by its somewhat larger size (forewing length of A. friederikae is 7–8.5 mm in males and 8–9.5 mm in females ( Kühne 2007), while that is 8–9 mm in males and 10–11 mm in females in A. pectinatissima ), much longer rami of male antennae, broader forewings, darker, brownish yellow coloration of both wings (while in A. friederikae the forewing ground color is ochreous yellow, and hindwing is pale yellowish), dark grayish brown pattern (while that is lighter, reddish brown in A. friederikae ), and strongly dentate antemedial and medial transverse lines (while those are irregularly wavy in A. friederikae ). Afrasura pectinatissima sp. nov. also resembles externally Parafrasura pectinella ( Strand, 1922) ( Figs. 7, 8 , 23 , 30 ) by its bipectinate male antennae, but differs clearly from it by its much longer rami of male antennae, brownish yellow coloration of both wings (the forewing is orange yellow, the hindwing is pale brownish yellow in P. pectinella ), dark grayish brown pattern (that is reddish brown in P. pectinella ), strongly dentate antemedial and medial transverse lines (while those are irregularly wavy in P. pectinella ), a smaller number of spots in the subterminal area of forewing, and principally different structure of the male genitalia. The male genitalia of A. pectinatissima sp. nov. ( Fig. 17 ) can be distinguished from that of A. friederikae ( Fig. 18 ) by its narrower juxta lacking ventral setose processi, larger vinculum, shorter and basally much narrower valva with more curved costal margin, broader and apically truncate costal process, broader and less setose sacculus, more robust distal saccular process, much larger and less curved aedeagus with broad bilobate coecum (that is simply rounded in the related species), in addition vesica consisting of several diverticula with spinulose scobination and strong granulation (whereas the vesica of A. friderikae has less diverticula, lacking any scobination), armed with much larger cornutus than that of the related species. The male genitalia of A. pectinatissima sp. nov. is also similar to that of Afrasura discocellularis ( Figs. 19, 20 ) also found in São Tomé due to the presence of the distal costal process, but differs clearly by its significantly smaller juxta, shorter valva with costal margin more curved, simple, broad and apically truncate distal costal process (that is apically pointed in A. discocellularis ), presence of the distal membranous lobe of the valva (while in A. discocellularis it is absent), broader sacculus, more robust and apically rounded distal saccular process (while that is pointed apically in A. discocellularis ), slightly longer and narrower aedeagus with broader bilobate coecum, in addition larger and less curved cornutus, and more numerous diverticula in the vesica with spinulose scobination and strong granulation (while in A. discocellularis all diverticula are only finely granulated). The female genitalia of A. pectinatissima sp. nov. ( Fig. 24 ) differs from that of A. friederikae ( Fig. 25 ) by its more heavily sclerotized antrum, significantly shorter ductus bursae, much broader appendix bursae armed with a cluster of spinules, stronger spinulose scobination of the corpus bursae and presence of the signum bursae (that is absent in A. friderikae ); from A. discocellularis ( Figs. 26, 27 ) differs by its much narrower antrum, significantly larger appendix bursae bearing only a smaller cluster of spinules (that is covered by spinules more extensively in A. discocellularis ) and lack of the trigonal sclerotized process of appendix bursae, in addition, by its weaker spinulose scobination of the corpus bursae, and smaller signum bursae.

Description. Adult ( Figs. 1–4 ). Forewing length 8–9 mm in males and 10–11 mm in females. Male antennae bipectinate with conspicuously long rami, female antennae ciliate. Body brownish-yellow. Forewing broad, costa curved at base; forewing ground color pale brownish-yellow; pattern grayish-brown, diffuse; subbasal line wavy, indistinct; antemedial, medial and postmedial lines narrow, irregularly dentate; subterminal line represented by a row of spots of different size; cilia reddish brown. Hindwing pale brownish-yellow, with diffuse grayish spot at apex; medial transverse line broad, diffuse, grayish-brown, irregularly wavy, poorly visible, may be deleted; cilia brownish-yellow. Male genitalia ( Fig. 17 ). Uncus, relatively long, slender, curved, apically pointed; tuba analis broad, membranous; scaphium thin, weakly sclerotized; tegumen elongate and narrow; juxta shield-shaped, weakly sclerotized; vinculum medium long, rather broad at base, apically rounded, more or less V-shaped. Valva elongated, medially broadened, apically tapering; costa weakly sclerotized, slightly S-shaped, with a very short and broadly rounded distal process; distal membranous lobe of valva present, short, narrow, broadly rounded; sacculus narrow, its posterior surface covered with long setae; distal saccular process well developed, almost straight, apically rounded, exceeding distal section of valva. Aedeagus large, cylindrical, slightly curved; coecum, well developed, broad, bilobate; vesica short, relatively thick, consisted of a large bilobate subbasal diverticulum densely covered with acute spinules, four additional small conical, medially granulated diverticula, armed with a large thorn-like distal cornutus; terminal section of vesica narrowly tubular, with weak spinulose scobination. Female genitalia ( Fig. 24 ). Ovipositor short and broad; apophyses relatively long and thin, equal in length; ostium bursae broad; antrum moderately sclerotized, trapezoidal; ductus bursae very short, membranous; posterior section of corpus bursae narrow, rugose; anterior section of corpus bursae rounded, almost fully covered by dense spinulose scobination; signum small, rounded, covered with small denticles; appendix bursae conspicuously large, sack-like, broader than corpus bursae, weakly sclerotized, with an elongated cluster of short but thick, acute spinules.

Distribution. The presumably endemic species is found only on São Tomé Island. Its occurance in Principe and the surrounding islands requires confirmation.

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Afrasura (1–6) and Parafrasura (7, 8) spp.: adults. 1, A. pectinatissima, holotype ♂, São Tomé, Ponta Furada (ANHRT); 2, A. pectinatissima, paratype ♂, São Tomé, Ponta Furada (ANHRT); 3, A. pectinatissima, paratype ♂, São Tomé, Bom Successo (ANHRT); 4, A. pectinatissima, paratype ♀, São Tomé, Bom Successo (ANHRT); 5, A. friederikae, paratype ♂, West Kenya, Kakamega Forest (ZMB); 6, A. friederikae, paratype ♀, West Kenya, Kakamega Forest (ZMB); 7, P. pectinella, ♂, Uganda, Masaka (©NHMUK); 8, P. pectinella, ♀, Liberia, Nimba county (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♀.

FIGURES 21–23. Afrasura (21, 22) and Parafrasura (23) spp.: male genitalia. 21, A. hieroglyphica, São Tomé, Guadalupe, slide AV4503♂; 22, A. hieroglyphica, Sierra Leone, slide AV4504♂; 23, P. pectinella, Uganda, Masaka, slide NHMUK010313530 Volynkin (©NHMUK).