Afrasura duplex Durante

Durante, Antonio, 2012, The genus Afrasura Durante, 2009 in Gabon, with description of five new species and a new species group (Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini), Zootaxa 3478, pp. 383-398 : 390-391

Afrasura duplex Durante sp. n.

( Figs. 16, 17 , 27, 28, 29, 30 , 38 )

Material examined. Holotype. 3, Gabon, Ipassa-Makokou, (0°30’ 43’’N, 12°48’13’’E), 500 m, 5/ 10-4-2011, Durante legit, g. prep. 529 MAD. In coll. MSNS. Paratypes. 8 3, same locality as the holotype, 19-2/ 11-3-2011; 4 Ƥ, same locality as the holotype, 19-2/ 11-3-2011, g. prep. 689 MAD. In coll. MSNS and MAD.

Diagnosis. Easily distinguishable from all congeneric species that present spurs formula 0-2-4. Only amaniensis and fracta sp. n. have the same spurs formula (0-2-2), but the latter is discernible by its pattern with separate bands, and amaniensis clearly differs in both male and female genitalia: in the male the shape of the ala valvae terminal process, and in the female the presence of the cervix in amaniensis .

Description. Adult. Wingspan: 3 14–17 mm; Ƥ 15–17 mm. Forewing upperside ground colour light yellow, almost whitish or genuine yellow (two extreme forms, hereafter called white form and yellow form, but intermediates do exist); the ground colour is considered to be extended on the base, the costa, and the termen including the distal end of the veins; pattern violaceous-grey or brownish in colour. At forewing base one dot on radial vein and a smaller one at the base of costa, not easily observable. Typically, only the first basal band is separately discernible; all the others are confused in a marbled pattern. Presence of a dot at the distal end of the cell; three or four dots in a submarginal series, sometimes almost or entirely included in the main pattern. The interstices among the pattern are scattered of light pink scales (more intense pink in the yellow form). Hindwing upperside ground colour light yellow (slightly darkening in the yellow form). Forewing underside light yellow along costa, termen, anal margin, and at the base (the yellow form presents the proximal four fifth of the costa deep yellow); the centre of the wing is brownish-grey, often with a small pink area at the distal end of the cell. Hindwing underside as in upperside. Forewing fringes from light yellow to buff in the white form, yellow or deep yellow at base to buff at their apex in the yellow form; hindwing fringes always light yellow. All the body, including palpi, antennae, patagia, and tegulae, same colour as the upperside forewings ground; legs slightly darker. Antennae ciliated. One dot on the tegulae, two dots on the notum. Forelegs hairy, with distal end of tibiae sometimes hazel; all legs with pretarsi deep brown. Spurs formula 0-2-2.

Male genitalia. A8 membranous, about half shorter than the sixth segment; eighth tergum with two small apodemes from its cephalic margin; eighth sternum with a filiform U-shaped reinforcement originating from the cephalic margin at the pleural junctions. It embraces the membranous pouch of the intersegmental membrane between A8 and A7, where the coremata take place. Coremata like A. camilla sp. n. A7 membranous, a little longer than the sixth segment. Uncus slender, bent caudally, ending in a point; tegumen slender; vinculum with saccus of medium length. Juxta slightly sclerotized, pear-shaped, with the large base between the basis valvae, and the slender end fusing progressively on the manica penis (easily visible in lateral view, fig. 28). Transtilla W-shaped. Valva with characteristic undulation of the costa; presence of a longitudinal swelling along the costa, about at its proximal second fifth, with few long setae (arrow in fig. 27), and another one along the inner margin of the sacculus with several setae of medium length. Distal portion of supravalva membranous, sub-rectangular in shape with roundish corners when compressed under slide. Distal end of ala valvae sclerotized, slender, pointed, slightly longer than the supravalva. The distal end of ala valvae is well stronger than the correspondent of A. camilla sp. n., and the point is longer (see fig. 30). Aedoeagus tubular, slightly bent; vesica with a thorn-like cornutus more slender and two times longer than in A. camilla sp. n.; many sparse very small spines on the more distal lobe (fig. 29, arrow).

Female genitalia. A7 tergum two times longer than the sixth segment; two medium-sized (not so big as in amaniensis ) pocket-like invaginations at the anterior corners of A7 sternum; A8 small (about one third shorter than the sixth segment); no lamellae ante- and postvaginalis. Dorsal pheromone glands shorter than posterior apophyses. Ostium bursae not discernible; antrum sclerotized, longer than the seventh segment, funnel-shaped at the anterior end, internally covered by tiny spines; ductus bursae practically absent (antrum as a functional ductus). Corpus bursae ovoidal, internally covered by tiny spines, flattened on the left side where the tissue is thicker and more stainable, with a small lobe dorsally; a small cervix at the connection to the antrum, and a small appendix at the cephalic end from where the ductus seminalis arises. No signum.

Etymology. From the Latin adjective duplex , meaning “double,” owing to the two colour forms.

Figures

FIGURES 12 – 19. Adults of Afrasura. 12. Afrasura trunca sp. n. Paratype, 3, Gabon, Ipassa-Makokou, (0 ° 30 ’ 43 ’’ N, 12 ° 48 ’ 13 ’’ E), 500 m, 5 / 10 - 4 - 2010, Durante legit, g. prep. 587 MAD. In coll. MAD. 13. Afrasura trunca sp. n. Paratype, Ƥ, Gabon, Ipassa-Makokou, (0 ° 30 ’ 43 ’’ N, 12 ° 48 ’ 13 ’’ E), 500 m, 19 - 2 / 11 - 3 - 2011, Durante legit, g. prep. 669 MAD. In coll. MSNS. 14. Afrasura camilla sp. n. Paratype, 3, Gabon, Ipassa-Makokou, (0 ° 30 ’ 43 ’’ N, 12 ° 48 ’ 13 ’’ E), 500 m, 19 - 2 / 11 - 3 - 2011, Durante legit. In coll. MSNS. 15. Afrasura camilla sp. n. Paratype, Ƥ, Gabon, Ipassa-Makokou, (0 ° 30 ’ 43 ’’ N, 12 ° 48 ’ 13 ’’ E), 500 m, 19 - 2 / 11 - 3 - 2011, Durante legit. In coll. MSNS. 16. Afrasura duplex sp. n. Paratype, 3, yellow form, Gabon, Ipassa-Makokou, (0 ° 30 ’ 43 ’’ N, 12 ° 48 ’ 13 ’’ E), 500 m, 5 / 10 - 4 - 2010, Durante legit. In coll. MSNS. 17. Afrasura duplex sp. n. Paratype, Ƥ, white form, Gabon, Ipassa-Makokou, (0 ° 30 ’ 43 ’’ N, 12 ° 48 ’ 13 ’’ E), 500 m, 19 - 2 / 11 - 3 - 2011, Durante legit. In coll. MSNS. 18. Afrasura aetheria sp. n. Paratype, Ƥ, Gabon, Ipassa-Makokou, (0 ° 30 ’ 43 ’’ N, 12 ° 48 ’ 13 ’’ E), 500 m, 19 - 2 / 11 - 3 - 2011, Durante legit, g. prep. 680 MAD. In coll. MAD. 19. Afrasura fracta sp. n. Paratype, 3, Gabon, Ipassa-Makokou, (0 ° 30 ’ 43 ’’ N, 12 ° 48 ’ 13 ’’ E), 500 m, 19 - 2 / 11 - 3 - 2011, Durante legit, g. prep. 692 MAD. In coll. MAD.

FIGURES 20 - 33. Male genitalia of Afrasura. Images not all in proportion. 20. Afrasura discocellularis 3: distal end of valva in two specimens (left: g. prep. 586 MAD; right: g. prep. 588 MAD). 21. Afrasura trunca sp. n. 3 g. prep. 587 MAD: genitalia, aedoeagus removed. 22. Afrasura trunca sp. n. 3 g. prep. 587 MAD: aedoeagus, coecum cut away. 23. Afrasura camilla sp. n. 3 g. prep. 528 MAD: genitalia, aedoeagus removed. JX: juxta. 24. Afrasura camilla sp. n. 3 g. prep. 528 MAD: genitalia, juxta (JX) enlarged. 25. Afrasura camilla sp. n. 3 g. prep. 528 MAD: aedoeagus, coecum cut away. 26. Afrasura camilla sp. n. 3 g. prep. 528 MAD: caudal segments of abdomen with coremata, ventral view. 27. Afrasura duplex sp. n. 3 g. prep. 529 MAD: genitalia, aedoeagus removed. 28. Afrasura duplex sp. n. 3 g. prep. 690 MAD: genitalia, lateral view, aedoeagus in situ. JX: juxta. 29. Afrasura duplex sp. n. 3 g. prep. 529 MAD: aedoeagus, coecum cut away. Arrow points to the distal lobe of the vesica. 30. Afrasura 3: distal end of valva in camilla sp. n. (left, g. prep. 528 MAD) and duplex sp. n. (right, g. prep. 529 MAD). 31. Afrasura fracta sp. n. 3 g. prep. 692 MAD: genitalia, aedoeagus removed. 32. Afrasura fracta sp. n. 3 g. prep. 692 MAD: aedoeagus, coecum cut away. 33. Afrasura fracta sp. n. 3 g. prep. 691 MAD: genitalia and caudal segments of abdomen with coremata, ventral view.

FIGURES 34 – 39. Female genitalia of Afrasura. Images not all in proportion. 34. Afrasura emma Ƥ g. prep. 639 MAD: genitalia, bursa copulatrix in dorsal view. AP: appendix; CX: cervix; SI: signum. 35. Afrasura emma Ƥ g. prep. 639 MAD: antrum and cervix bursae enlarged. AN: antrum; AP: appendix; CX: cervix. 36. Afrasura trunca sp. n. Ƥ g. prep. 668 MAD: genitalia, bursa copulatrix in dorsal view. AN: antrum; AP: appendix; DB: ductus bursae; LP: lamella postvaginalis; SI: signum. 37. Afrasura camilla sp. n. Ƥ g. prep. 530 MAD: genitalia, in dorsal view. AN: antrum; AP: appendix; DB: ductus bursae. 38. Afrasura duplex sp. n. Ƥ g. prep. 689 MAD: genitalia, bursa copulatrix in dorsal view. AN: antrum; AP: appendix; CX: cervix. 39. Afrasura aetheria sp. n. Ƥ g. prep. 680 MAD: genitalia, bursa copulatrix in dorsal view. AP: appendix; CX: cervix.