Asclerobia flavitinctella ( Ragonot, 1893 )

Yepishin, Viktor, 2023, Additional information on the taxonomy of genus Asclerobia Roesler, 1969 (Lepidoptera; Pyralidae), Zootaxa 5336 (2), pp. 247-258 : 249-251

Asclerobia flavitinctella ( Ragonot, 1893)

( Figs 1–6 , 13, 16–17 , 18 , 20–21 , 23–26 )

Laodamia flavitinctella Ragonot, 1893: 418 , pl. 17, fig. 9. TL: “Indes orient. (Poona)” [ India, Maharashtra, Pune]

Salebria tchahabarella Amsel, 1950: 232–233 , figs 18, 58. TL: Iran, Bender Tchahbahar [Chabahar] syn. nov.

Oligochroa [Salebria] tchahabarella (Ams.) ; Amsel 1970: 68, transferred to Oligochroa

Asclerobia flavitinctella ( Ragonot, 1893) ; Shaffer et al. 1996: 176, transferred to Asclerobia

Pempelia tchabaharella Amsel, 1950 ; Asselbergs 2007: 494, pl. 24, fig. 17, lapsus calami

Asclerobia tchahabarella ( Amsel, 1950) ; Yepishin 2021: 153 , 161, figs 5–6, 33, transferred to Asclerobia

Additional material from South India collected near the type locality of A. flavitinctella as well as the examination of the type specimen of A. tchahabarella allowed to revise the status of these taxa. The study of the genitalia structures and tympanal organs (figs 23–26) of both sexes, as well as adults from S India and S Iran, showed complete conspecificity between the tchahabarella and flavitinctella . Hence, the following synonymy is proposed: Salebria tchahabarella Amsel, 1950 syn. nov. of Asclerobia flavitinctella ( Ragonot, 1893) . Below is a redescription of A. flavitinctella and a description of hitherto unknown female genitalia.

Material examined. Paralectotype of tchahabarella ♀, “ Iran Baloutchistan | Bender Tchahbahar | 22. Dezember 193 7 | Coll. Brandt ” || “ Salebria tchah- | baharella | [reverse:] Paratypus | leg.H.Amsel”; gen. prep. 600.21s V. Yepishin ( SMNK).

1♀, Iran, Kahoorestan, Hormozgan prov., 75 m [altitude], [no date], Ayat [ollahi] and Paz [uki] leg.; the specimen has no left forewing and has label: “m 108 | m 108”; gen. prep. 709.23s V. Yepishin ( SMNK) .

1♁, Iran, Strasse Bandar-Abbas-Sirjan , km 40, 300 m [altitude], 30.iii.1973, H. G. Amsel leg.; gen. prep. ♁711.23s and antenna prep. 711.23a23s V. Yepishin ( SMNK).

3♀, India, Niigiri Hills , Kunda Hills, Silent Valley, 1000 m [altitude], 11°05’N 76°27’E, 10–14.xii.1982, E. Bauer, A. Bauer and Schliermann leg.; gen. prep. 635.22s, 636.22s V. Yepishin ( SMNK).

Diagnosis. Asclerobia flavitinctella is characterized by the yellowish-brown forewing, the yellow ante-medial line with bright red-brown raised scales and light costa covered with grey scales. Asclerobia alexandrae differs in having the yellowish-grey forewing with a bright yellow ante-medial line edged with grey-brown raised scales. In Asclerobia sinensis the forewings are noticeably narrower, light-yellow with the almost concoloured indistinct ante-medial line that is edged inwardly with red raised scales, and with distinct grey costa. In male genitalia a false cornutus is trapezoidal, the editum is very small, triangular. In A. sinensis and A. alexandrae the false cornutus is D-shaped, and the editum is larger with a broad base. The female genitalia of A. flavitinctella are characterized by broadly egg-shaped corpus bursa with specific longitudinal sclerotized zone in the posterior part of the base of the protrusion, and also by the fact that the ductus bursae departs from the “pole” of the corpus bursa. In female genitalia of A. sinensis and A. alexandrae ductus seminalis and ductus bursae depart from the same side of the corpus bursae, and the sclerotized zone of the base of the protrusion is funnel-shaped and enters the protrusion itself.

Redescription. Adult ( Figs 1–6 ): wingspan 17–21.5 mm. Head, tegulae, patagium and thorax light-yellow with light-brown slight tinge. Frons with long scales directed arcuately forward and forming a low cone with a wide base. Labial palpi light-yellow, yellow or dirty-yellow 2× as long as the diameter of eye. Maxillary palpi in male long brush-like, as long as the second labial palp segment; in female short, as long as the third labial palp segment. Antennae brown with light-yellow scales dorsally. Male antenna ( Fig. 13 ) filiform, flattened, covered with very short hairs that are distinguishable only at high magnification; base of flagellum (3–5 antennal segments) with 4–5 barbs formed by special strong scales which can come off. Female antenna slightly flattened, filiform. Ground colour of forewings from dirty yellow, yellow-brown to yellow-grey with dark grey scales. Costa (costal streak), base, medial and postmedial area mainly yellow; basal, external and base of medial area covered with white and grey-brown scales. Ante-medial line yellow with raised red-brown scales. Sometimes noticeable grey or black discal spot (or double spot). Fringes dark yellow-grey. Hindwings from brown to light-grey, marginal line grey-brown and quite wide; fringes light yellow-grey. Legs from light grey with brown spots to dark grey.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 18 ): uncus slightly longer than its base, parallel-conical with blunt tip. Gnathos 2× shorter than uncus, hook-shaped, curved dorsally, tapers towards pointed apex. Tegumen in anterior half parallel-sided, in posterior half evenly narrowed, with distinct transition to uncus. Valva parallel-sided at base, remaining 2/3 narrowed to costa. Editum present, isosceles-triangular with rounded top, located in first quarter under costa. Cucullus pointed, weakly sclerotized, densely covered with setae. Costa severely sclerotized, almost parallel-sided. Sacculus strongly sclerotized, tapers evenly towards apex, on average 1.7× less than length of costa. Juxta V- or U-shaped, tips of irregular shape and covered with long setae. Vinculum elongated, 1.4× longer than wide at base; base parallel-sided, then sharply narrowing to ½ at its narrowest, then slightly expands again; the apex of saccus rounded. Aedeagus of almost even width, false cornutus trapezoidal is the twisted part of vesica which almost ½ length of aedeagus, strongly sclerotized consisting of distinct teeth-like projections. Culcita 1.4× as long as wide, with specific sclerotization.

Variation. In male genitalia of specimen from Iran (gen. prep. 711.23), immediately below the tip of the gnathos on the dorsal side there are two additional small teeth; this part of the gnathos is not visible on the photograph of the lectotype preparation of tchahabarella (gen. prep. 795a, H. Amsel) published in Yepishin (2021) .

Female genitalia ( Figs 20–21 ): papillae anales subtriangular, sparsely covered with long hairs. Posterior apophyses straight, long, on average 4.2–4.7× as long as papillae anales.Anterior apophyses straight, 1.5–1.6× shorter than posterior apophyses. Segment VIII almost quadrangular, 2× as short as anterior apophyses, posterior margin straight; anterior margin of tergum VIII rounded with a C-shaped unsclerotized zone seems like a cutout. Ductus bursae broad, as long as anterior apophyses. Antrum slightly wider than ductus bursae and 1.3–1.5× narrower than segment VIII, slightly sclerotized. Ductus seminalis very thin, arises from a conical, rapidly narrowing protrusion on right side of corpus bursae. Characteristic longitudinal sclerotized zone in posterior part of base of protrusion. Corpus bursae broadly egg-shaped with distinct wide transition to ductus bursae, which departs from the “pole” (its posterior end). Numerous thorn-like signa with irregular star-shaped base and 4–5 crooked rays gathered in semicircular cord.

Remark. Laodamia flavitinctella was described based on single male (fig. 2) from “Indes orient. Poona”, now Pune city, Maharashtra state of India. This specimen, kept at the MNHN (Muséum national d’Histoire Naturelle), Paris, is labeled as “Type” and should be considered the holotype.

Distribution. S Iran: Hormozgan prov., Sistan and Baluchestan prov.; United Arab Emirates ( Asselbergs 2007: 494); India: Maharashtra state, Kerala state; Sri Lanka ( Hampson 1896: 97); Australia: along the northern coast ( Shaffer et al. 1996: 176; iNaturalist 2023).

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Adults of A. flavitinctella: 1. tchahabarella PLT, 17 mm, ♀600.21; 2. flavitinctella HT, 16.5 mm, ♁; 3. Iran, Kahoorestan, 19 mm, ♀709.23; 4. India, Silent Valley, 20 mm, ♀636.22; 5. Iran, Bandar-Abbas-Sirjan, 17 mm, ♁711.23; 6. India, Silent Valley, 18 mm, ♀635.22.

FIGURES 13–17. Head structures. 13–15. Male antennae. 16, 17. Heads of flavitinctella, lateral view: 16. Iran, Bandar-Abbas- Sirjan, ♁711.23; 17. India, Silent Valley, ♀636.22.

FIGURES 18–19. Male genitalia: a. ventral view, aedeagus is separated; b. editum of left valva, enlarged; c. editum of right valva, enlarged; d. aedeagus; e. culcita and tergum VIII. 18. flavitinctella, Iran, Bandar-Abbas-Sirjan, ♁711.23. 19. yangtseella PLT, ♁622.21. (Scale bars = 1mm. 18d—vesica is partially everted. 19d—vesica is everted)

FIGURES 20–22. Female genitalia: a. general (ventral) view; b. base of ductus seminalis, enlarged. 20. tchahabarella PLT, ♀600.21. 21. flavitinctella, India, Silent Valley, ♀635.22. 22. yangtseella PLT, ♀621.21.

FIGURES 23–30. Tympanal organs of Asclerobia spp.: 23–26. flavitinctella; 27–30. sinensis.