Gymnosophistis staudei, Bartsch, 2018

Bartsch, Daniel, 2018, Revision of Gymnosophistis Meyrick, 1934 (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) from East Africa with description of a new species, Zootaxa 4532 (1), pp. 145-150 : 148-150

Gymnosophistis staudei sp. nov.

( Figs 4–6 , 8 )

Holotype ( Figs 4–6 ): ♂, Kenya, Nairobi , Karen, ABRI, 1°18'06.4"S, 36°41'34.4"E, 5.XI.2010, leg. S.C. Collins ( CHS, later TMSA); with labels: “ Kenya, Nairobi, Karen, / ABRI, / 1°18'06.4"S / 36°41'34.4"E, / leg. S.C. Collins / 05-11-2010 ”; “Collection / H. S. Staude / Magaliesburg / South Africa ”.

Paratypes: 1♂, same data and label as holotype ( CHS) . 1♂, same locality, 2011 (Bartsch gen. prep. 2018-27) ( SMNS); with label: “ Kenya / Nairobi Karen / Sept. 2011 ”; “Collection / H. S. Staude / Magaliesburg / South Africa ”; “Bartsch Lepidoptera / Präparat-Nr. / 2018-27 / Gymnosophistis / D. Bartsch fec.” .

Etymology. The species is named after Hermann Staude to recognise his excellent work on African Lepidoptera .

Description. Alar expanse: 20–25 mm, forewing: 8–10 mm, antenna: 3.5–4.5 mm body: 10–13 mm.

Head: labial palpus pale yellow, first palpomere ventrally densely mixed with rufous partially long, hair-like scales, second and third palpomere with black, lateral stripe; frons, vertex and pericephalic scales dark grey, frons with slight silvery gloss; antennae orange-red, yellowish brightened distally, dorsally with some black scales.

Thorax: dark anthracite-grey, hair-like scales with brownish tinge dorsally, whitish laterally; patagia black, densely mixed with rufous; scapular spot of forewing, hair-like scales of outer margin of tegulae and dorso-lateral scale tufts of meta-thorax pale yellow. Foreleg: coxa black densely mottled with pale yellow, hair-like scales; femur rufous, ventrally and hair-like scales at ventral edge anthracite-grey; tibia rufous, ventro-laterally black; tarsus rufous to orange-red, ventrally yellow. Midleg: coxa and femur anthracite-grey, femur dorsally rufous; tibia black, distally rufous, laterally with pale yellow, medial patch; tarsus rufous, ventrally mixed with yellow and black. Hindleg: coxa and femur anthracite-grey; tibia black, distally rufous, ventro-proximally anthracite-grey, ventromedially pale yellow; tarsus rufous, tarsomere 1 and 2 ventrally and laterally black, distal 2 tarsomeres internally white. Spurs of all legs pale yellow. Wings: veins and margins rufous, towards distally as well as fringes greyishbrown; forewing costal margin and discal spot mixed rufous and greyish-brown; wing base proximally black, distally rufous.

Abdomen: dorsally black, ventrally anthracite-grey; tergite 7, sternites 5–7 and anal tuft densely mixed with; tergites 1–2 and sternites 1–4 mottled with yellow, hair-like scales; segment 3 with indistinct, 4 with narrow yellow caudal margin.

Female unknown.

Male genitalia: ( Fig. 8 ) As stated in the genus description. Valva slightly rectangular, ventro-distally moderately angled; saccus medium long.

Variation. The type series varies in size as stated below and somewhat in the density of rufous and yellow scales. The smallest specimen lacks the yellow margin of segment 3.

Diagnosis. G. staudei sp. nov. is easily distinguished from G. thyrsodoxa by the lack of the yellow scales covering the thorax and abdomen and the presence of the pale yellow caudal margins of abdominal segments 3 and 4. Differences of the male genitalia are: valva slightly longer and narrower, therefore more rectangular, its ventral margin almost straight in G. staudei sp. nov., while in G. thyrsodoxa valva is shorter and broader, its ventral margin slightly rounded; saccus longer in G. staudei sp. nov.; coecum penis straight in G. staudei sp. nov., curved in G. thyrsodoxa . Superficially similar species of Alonina or other genera are easily distinguished by the generic characters presented above.

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Specimens of Gymnosophistis Meyrick, 1934: 1–2. G. thyrsodoxa Meyrick, 1934, paralectotype; 3. lectotype. 4–6. G. staudei sp. nov., holotype. Scales 10 mm. (4) head lateral. Scale 1 mm.

FIGURES 7–8. Male genitalia of Gymnosophistis Meyrick, 1934: 7. G. thyrsodoxa Meyrick, 1934, lectotype; 8. G. staudei sp. nov., paratype. Scales 1 mm.