Malgassesia rufescens Le Cerf, 1922

Bartsch, Daniel, 2018, Taxonomic changes in Synanthedonini from Madagascar, with description of two new genera and species (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae), Zootaxa 4433 (1), pp. 174-186 : 180

Malgassesia rufescens Le Cerf, 1922

Figs 8–12

Lectotype: ♂, Madagascar, Brickaville [Ampasimanolotra], 1917 (MNHN) designated by Viette (1982).

= Malgassesia biedermanni Viette, 1982 syn. nov.

Holotype: ♀, Madagascar, Brickaville [Ampasimanolotra], 1917 ( MNHN).

Additional material examined: Paralectotype: 1♂, same data ; 1♂, 1♀, Madagascar Centre, Environs de Tananarive ; 1♂, Madagascar Centre, Tananarive (en ville) ; 1♂, Madagascar Centre, Ihosy , Feb.1933 ; 1♀, Madagascar Centre, Bekily , Mar.1933 .

Malgassesia rufescens was described by Le Cerf (1922) on the basis of two males from Brickaville. In the same publication, a third specimen, a quite different female from the same locality and date was described as the female of Epitarsipus rufithorax ( Fig. 12 ). Viette (1982) designated lectotypes of both species and published the first correct description of the female of M. rufescens on the basis of a mating pair found in the “Environs de Tananarive” and a female from Bekily. He refers further to the misidentification of the female from Brickaville by Le Cerf and describes M. biedermanni designating this specimen as the holotype and a second female from Tananarive [Antananarivo] as a paratype. The holotype of M. biedermanni is rather badly preserved. It misses the antennae and anal tuft; however, significant differences between this specimen and the two well preserved females of M. rufescens from Tananarive and Bekily cannot be found ( Figs 10–11 ). Thus I consider M. biedermanni a junior synonym of M. rufescens .

Figures

FIGURES 1–12. Adult specimens of Madagascan Synanthedonini: 1–5. Rodolphia hombergi Le Cerf, 1911. (1–2) male, Madagascar, Bekily, Region sud de l’Ile. (4–5) female, same data. (3) male, holotype of Malgassesia pauliani Viette, 1955, ventral view. 6–7. Malgassesia andrianony (Viette, 1982) comb. nov., male holotype. 8–12. Malgassesia rufescens Le Cerf, 1922. (8–9) male, Madagascar, Ihosy, Region sud de l’Ile. (10–11) female, Madagascar, Bekily, Region sud de l’Ile. (12) female, holotype of Malgassesia biedermanni Viette, 1982. Scale bars 10 mm, ventral view right.