Sesamia oriaula Tams & Bowden, 1953

Hévin, Noémie M. C., Kergoat, Gael J., Zilli, Alberto, Capdevielle-Dulac, Claire, Musyoka, Boaz K., Sezonlin, Michel, Conlong, Desmond, Van Den Berg, Johnnie, Ndemah, Rose, Le Gall, Philippe, Cugala, Domingos, Nyamukondiwa, Casper, Pallangyo, Beatrice, Njaku, Mohamedi, Goftishu, Muluken, Assefa, Yoseph, Kandonda, Onésime Mubenga, Bani, Grégoire, Molo, Richard, Chipabika, Gilson, Ong’amo, George, Clamens, Anne-Laure, Barbut, Jérôme & Le Ru, Bruno, 2024, Revisiting the taxonomy and molecular systematics of Sesamia stemborers (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Apameini: Sesamiina): updated classification and comparative evaluation of species delimitation methods, Arthropod Systematics & amp; Phylogeny 82, pp. 447-501 : 447-501

Sesamia oriaula Tams & Bowden, 1953

Figures 2 V – Y ; 3 G, N ; 4 E , 5 C , 6

Sesamia oriaula – Tams & Bowden (1953: 677), Poole (1989: 908 [catalogue]).

Type material.

Holotype ♂, UGANDA, Ruwenzori Range, Bwamba Pass (West side), 5,500–7,500 ft., XII 1934 – I. 1935, B. M. E. Afr. Exp. B. M. 1935–203, 1951 / 79, Agrotidae genitalia slide No. 1250, (F. W. Edwards Leg.) ( NHM).

Other material.

KENYA: four ♂, 11 ♀, Western Province, Kakamega Town , 00 ° 15 ′ 18 ″ N, 34 ° 45 ′ 01 ″ E, 1630 m a. s. l., IX. 2006, ex larvae in stems of Cenchrus caudatus (Schrad.) Kuntze , males gen. Prep. LE RU Bruno / 20-1016 - 1017, female gen. Prep. LE RU Bruno / 21, (B. Le Ru leg.) [ MNHN] ; two ♀, Nyanza Province, Homa Bay, Lwanda , 00 ° 48 ′ 19 ″ S, 34 ° 29 ′ 44 ″ E, 1148 m a. s. l., II. 2005, ex larvae in stems of Miscanthus violaceus (K. Schum.) Pilg. , (B. Le Ru leg.) ( MNHN) ; one ♀, Nyanza Province, Kisumu, Kasagamu , 00 ° 06 ′ 39 ″ S, 34 ° 46 ′ 32 ″ E, 1156 m a. s. l., II. 2005, ex larvae in stems of Echinochloa pyramidalis (Lam.) Hitchc. & Chase , (B. Le Ru leg.) ( MNHN) ; UGANDA: seven ♂, one ♀, Ruwenzori Range , Ibanda, 4,700 ft, 20–21. VIII. 1952, males Agrotidae genitalia slides No. 2253 - No. 2265 - No. 2422, females Agrotidae genitalia slide No. 1450 - No. 1449 - No. 2496, (D. S, Fletcher Leg.) ( NHM) ; 14 ♂, 14 ♀, South Buganda Province, Masaka, Sembabule, Kasalu , 00 ° 07 ′ 21 ″ S, 31 ° 32 ′ 57 ″ E, 1198 m a. s. l., V. 2014, ex larvae in stems of Echinochloa pyramidalis, (Lam.) Hitchc. & Chase , male gen. Prep. LE RU Bruno / 742, (B. Le Ru leg.) ( MNHN) ; one ♀, Western Province, Kyenjojo, Kabungo , 00 ° 39 ′ 21 ″ N, 30 ° 38 ′ 53 ″ E, 1363 m a. s. l., VI. 2014, ex larvae in stems of E. pyramidalis , (B. Le Ru leg.) ( MNHN) ; one ♂, North Buganda Province, Jinja, Mabira Forest , 00 ° 44 ′ 05 ″ N, 33 ° 17 ′ 14 ″ E, 1194 m a. s. l., VII. 2003, ex larvae in stems of C. purpureus , (B. Le Ru leg.) ( MNHN) ; four ♂, three ♀, North Buganda Province, Kirongo, Mpologoma , 00 ° 58 ′ 12 ″ N, 33 ° 44 ′ 20 ″ E, 1063 m a. s. l., II. 2005, ex larvae in stems of E. pyramidalis , (B. Le Ru leg.) ( MNHN) ; one ♂, seven ♀, North Buganda Province, Soroti, Awoja , 01 ° 40 ′ 00 ″ N, 33 ° 43 ′ 59 ″ E, 1051 m a. s. l., V. 2009, ex larvae in stems of M. violaceus , male gen. Prep. LE RU Bruno / 23, female gen. Prep. LE RU Bruno / 22, (B. Le Ru leg.) ( MNHN) ; one ♂, seven ♀, Western Province, Bukoba, Kakungube , 01 ° 26 ′ 46 ″ N, 31 ° 50 ′ 56 ″ E, 1285 m a. s. l., IV. 2004, ex larvae in stems of E. pyramidalis , (B. Le Ru leg.) ( MNHN) ; nine ♂, five ♀, Central Province, Kampala, Makerere, 00 ° 28 ′ 00 ″ N, 32 ° 36 ′ 21 ″ E, 1279 m a. s. l., IV. 2004, ex larvae in stems of Cenchrus purpureus (Schumach.) Morrone , (B. Le Ru leg.) ( MNHN) ; one ♂, one ♀, Western Province, Fort Portal , 00 ° 39 ′ 19 ″ N, 30 ° 17 ′ 06 ″ E, 1501 m a. s. l., IV. 2006, ex larvae in stems of C. purpureus , (B. Le Ru leg.) ( MNHN) ; one ♂, Western Province, Fort Portal, Kibale Forest , 00 ° 25 ′ 50 ″ N, 30 ° 23 ′ 48 ″ E, 1267 m a. s. l., IV. 2004, ex larvae in stems of C. purpureus , (B. Le Ru leg.) ( MNHN) ; three ♂, Central Province, Kampala, Namulonge , 00 ° 31 ′ 17 ″ N, 32 ° 37 ′ 35 ″ E, 1242 m a. s. l., IV. 2004, ex larvae in stems of E. pyramidalis , (B. Le Ru leg.) ( MNHN) ; two ♂, Western Province, Kampala, Kakabara , 00 ° 31 ′ 20 ″ N, 30 ° 57 ′ 36 ″ E, 1409 m a. s. l., IV. 2004, ex larvae in stems of C. purpureus , (B. Le Ru leg.) ( MNHN) .

Diagnosis.

(See also the identification key of calamistis species subgroup, section 3.3. 2.). This species can be distinguished from the other known members of the calamistis subgroup by the combination of the following characters of the male and female genitalia: vinculum u-shaped at the outer and inner margins, with a large sized saccus (larger than those of the other members of the subgroup), almost rectangular; apical extension of the sacculus as long as the cucullus, tapered and pointed at apex; juxta large and trapezoidal, the inferior plate produced into a sharp point, the sides blunted, the superior plate narrow and elongated, gradually narrowed; phallus long and thin; vesica with a small ventral cornutus; ventrolateral plates of female segment A 8 almost three times longer than wide; ostium bursae small, transverse, strongly sclerotized, with long and pointed tip on each side and a hemispherical cup in the middle; ductus bursae very broad, almost ovoid and strongly sclerotized posteriorly.

Description

(Fig. 2 V – Y ). The description made by Tams and Bowden (1953) was very brief, based on males only; here we provide a complete description of both sexes. Antenna light buff, bipectinate in the male, ochraceous and filiform in the female, flagellum adorned dorsally with fuscous scales in both sexes; palpus light buff with fuscous scales; eyes brown. Wing patterns similar in both sexes, but females are darker. Head and thorax covered with long light ochraceous hairs in both sexes. Abdomen light buff suffused with fuscous scales. Legs light buff in the male, ochraceous in the female. Forewing light buff uniformly and heavily suffused with brown and fuscous scales over the entire wing and with ochraceous scales from base of the cell to the termen in the male; ochraceous lightly suffused with brown and fuscous scales in the female; three distinct dark brown spots, one antemedial, one at apex of cell and one postmedial; a longitudinal light buff fascia suffused with fuscous scales along lower margin of cell, partly within, partly without cell from base of cell to the termen; a distinct curved subterminal series of black markings on the veins; outer margin adorned with black spots between the veins, fringe light buff suffused with ochraceous and fuscous scales. Hindwing lightly pink ochre suffused with fuscous scales on the costal, apical and terminal areas; four black elongated markings on the veins in the male, fringe concolor (light pink ochre), veins and basal line of fringe buff. Underside of forewing light buff in the male, ochraceous in the female, heavily suffused with brown and fuscous scales from apex of the cell to the termen, fringe concolor (light buff in males and ochraceous in females), with fuscous scales; underside of hindwing lightly pink ochre extensively suffused with brown scales in the male and ochraceous and brown scales in the female in costal and apical areas, fringe concolor (light pink ochre in males and ochraceous in females). — Forewing length: male 26–31 mm (x ̅ = 28.4 mm, N = 13); female 27–39 mm (x ̅ = 33.7 mm, N = 12). — Male genitalia (Fig. 3 G, N ). Tegumen with large peniculi; vinculum u-shaped at the outer and inner margins, with a large saccus, almost rectangular. Valve with sacculus and cucullus separate; costa short and narrow, heavily sclerotized, ending with a long straight spine, with an apical tooth; sacculus heavily sclerotized rounded at base with an indentation, a narrow and elongated apical extension as long as the cucullus, pointed at apex, slightly curved inwards, adorned outwards with rows of short stout spines; cucullus long, weakly sclerotized, slightly clavate at apex, with scattered and papillated hairs; juxta large and trapezoidal, the inferior plate produced into a sharp point, the sides blunted, the superior plate narrow and elongated, gradually narrowed, with pointed ends; uncus angled and stout at base, narrowed in distal part, truncate at apex, tufted with long hairs on upper side; phallus short, but longer and thinner than those of other members of the subgroup, dilated at base; lamina ventralis with an elongate carinal crest; vesica with a small ventral cornutus. — Female genitalia (Fig. 4 E ). Apophyses anteriores with spatulate tips; ventrolateral plates of female segment A 8 lightly sclerotized, elongated, almost three times longer than wide; ostium bursae small, transverse, strongly sclerotized with long and pointed tip on each side and a hemispherical cup in the middle; ductus bursae short, very broad and strongly sclerotized posteriorly, almost ovoid,; corpus bursae long, without signa; ovipositor lobes at least 2.5 times longer than wide with dorsal surface bearing numerous short and stout setae, the ventral side of each lobe almost straight; apophyses posteriores more slender than apophyses anteriores. — L 5 instar larva (Fig. 5 C ). Length, 35–40 mm, breadth, 4.0 mm; head smooth, red brown, prothoracic shield salmon beige; body with ground colour salmon pink, pinacula and caudal plate salmon beige. Young larvae are very similar in appearance to mature ones.

Distribution.

Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda. Known from several localities in ‘ lowland rain forest and secondary grassland’ (Mosaic # 11 a) and ‘ East African evergreen bushland and secondary acacia wooded grassland’ (Mosaic # 45) vegetation mosaics ( White 1983) (Fig. 6 ) belonging to the Congolian bioregion (sensu Linder et al. 2012).

Ecology.

Larvae were collected from young stems and shoots of Cenchrus caudatus (Schrad.) Kuntze , Cenchrus purpureus (formerly Pennisetum purpureum Schumach. ), Echinochloa pyramidalis and Miscanthus violaceus (K. Schum.) Pilg. , growing in wetlands inhabited by various Poales belonging to the genera Cyperus , Sporobolus and Typha .

Figures

Figure 2. Adults of the calamistis subgroup (S. calamistis, S. kabirara sp. nov., S. kalale sp. nov., S. madagascariensis, S. mapalense sp. nov., S. monodi, S. oriaula and S. teke sp. nov.). S. calamistis: A male upper side; B male underside; C female upper side; D female underside; S. kabirara sp. nov.: E male upper side; F male underside, G female upper side; H female underside; S. kalale sp. nov.: I male upper side; J male underside; S. madagascariensis: K male upper side; L male underside, M female upper side; N female underside; S. mapalense sp. nov.: O male upper side; P male underside, Q female upper side; R female underside; S. monodi: S male upper side; T male underside; U original label type from MNHN; S. oriaula: V male upper side; W male underside; X female upper side; Y female underside; S. teke sp. nov.: Z female upper side; AA female underside. Scale bar = 10 mm.

Figure 3. Male genitalia of members of the calamistis subgroup, with the vesica inside the phallus. S. calamistis: A apparatus; H phallus; S. kabirara sp. nov.: B apparatus; I phallus; S. kalale sp. nov.: C apparatus; J phallus; S. madagascariensis: D apparatus; K phallus; S. mapalense: E apparatus; L phallus; S. monodi: F apparatus; M phallus (poorly prepared, damaged); S. oriaula: G apparatus; N phallus. Scale bar = 1 mm for apparatus and 0.5 mm for phalli.

Figure 4. Female genitalia of members of the calamistis subgroup. A S. calamistis; B S. kabirara sp. nov.; C S. madagascariensis; D S. mapalense sp. nov.; E S. oriaula; F S. teke sp. nov. Scale bar = 1 mm.

Figure 5. Last instar larvae of members of the calamistis, incerta and nonagrioides subgroups. A S. calamistis; B S. mapalense sp. nov.; C S. oriaula; D S. epunctifera; E S. firmata; F S. incerta; G S. kamba sp. nov.; H S. penniseti; I S. roumeti. Scale bar = 10 mm.

Figure 6. Distribution map of sampled specimens of the calamistis subgroup, with the exception of S. calamistis specimens.