Crinipus vassei ( Le Cerf, 1917 ) Le Cerf, 1917

Bartsch, Daniel, 2010, Taxonomic revision of the clearwing moth genus Crinipus Hampson, 1896 (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae), Zootaxa 2618, pp. 36-46 : 45

Crinipus vassei ( Le Cerf, 1917) new comb.

Figs. 10–12 , 17

Aegeria vassei Le Cerf, 1917: 337 . Holotype Ψ( Fig. 10 ): Mozambique, Province de Gorongoza, forêt d'Inhanconde, 350 m., 1907, G. Vasse leg. (MNHP). The holotype is a female, not a male as originally denoted.

Literature: Hampson, 1919: 62 ( Synanthedon ); Dalla Torre & Strand, 1925: 55; Gaede 1929: 521; Heppner & Duckworth, 1981: 34; Vari, Kroon & Krüger 2002: 67; Pühringer & Kallies, 2004: 28.

Additional specimens examined: 1 Ψ, South Africa, Barberton, 25.Dec.1910, A. J. T. Janse leg. (gen. prep. Bartsch 2010–17) ( TMPS). 2 Ψ( Figs. 11−12 ), S Rhodesia, Hunyani river, 12.Dec.1970, A. J. Duke leg.

Redescription of the female. ( Figs. 10–12 , 17 ). Head with white labial palp, second palpomere laterally and third palpomere distally black; frons glossy white, medially grey; vertex brownish-black; pericephalic scales dorsally brownish-black, laterally white; antenna black. Thorax brownish-black, laterally with some white scales at patagia and in front of wing base; mesothorax dorsally with 3 white, longitudinal stripes; tegula with mesal margin and distal part white (holotype distally yellow). Abdomen with brownish-black tergites that have a large, white sub-lateral spot, tergites 4–6 additionally with glossy white posterior margin; sternites brownish-black, posterior margin laterally white; tip of abdomen dorsally white and with a brownishblack median stripe. Foreleg with coxa white, mesal margin and a large basal spot brownish-black; tibia white, proximally and distally with a dorsal black spot. Other legs brownish-black; femur ventrally with long white scales; tibia white, proximally and medially with black ring, distal half of mesal side black; tarsi of all legs brownish-black, distally with some white scales; mesal spurs brownish-black and ventrally with some white, lateral spurs white. Wings with well-developed transparent areas, anterior transparent area with narrow scale line indicating the stem of the media; margins, veins and discal spots brownish-black; proximal one third of forewing and veins of distal transparent area dusted with white; hindwing base with hair-like scales at vein 3A and fringes of anal angle white.

Remark. The male is unknown.

Variation. The type specimen shows some yellow markings at the tegula and at the dorsal scale tuft of the hindtibia, whereas the South African and Zimbabwean specimens lack yellow.

Diagnosis. Crinipus vassei is easy to recognise by the typical bluish-white markings of body and legs. See also C. marisa .

Figures

FIGURES 1 − 12. Specimens of Crinipus Hampson, 1896. Scale bar: 10 mm. 1 − 3. C. leucozonipus Hampson, 1896, (1) ♂ syntype; (2 − 3) Ψsyntype. 4. C. pictipes (Hampson, 1919) new comb., ♂ holotype. 5 − 9. C. marisa (Druce, 1899) new comb., (5 − 6) ♂, South Africa, Cape, Kei Cuttings; (7) Ψsyntype; (8) Ψ, Swaziland, Bulunga Mts.; (9) Ψ, Pretoria. 10 − 12. C. vassei (Le Cerf, 1917) new comb., (10) Ψholotype; (11 − 12) Ψ, South Africa, Barberton.

FIGURES 16 − 17. Female genitalia of Crinipus Hampson, 1896. 16. Crinipus marisa (Druce, 1899) new comb. 17. Crinipus vassei (Le Cerf, 1917) new comb.