Asuroides dimidiata Durante

Durante, Antonio, 2008, Asuroides, a new genus of lithosiine moths (Lepidoptera, Arctiidae, Lithosiinae), Zootaxa 1713, pp. 53-68 : 60

Asuroides dimidiata Durante , new species

(Figs. 6, 24)

Material analyzed: Ψ holotype, Lowowo Valley, South Lowa Dist., W. Kiwu [ Democratic Republic of the Congo], 4000 ft, 3-1924, g. sl. Arct. 5865 BMNH, in BMNH.

Forewing: wingspan 23 mm; upperside ground color ochreous yellow, darker in the basal area and between postmedian and submarginal bands; pattern brown-grey; large patch in basal area, formed by large dot behind cubital vein and dot on radial vein, merging with large costal fascia; basal band joins costal fascia at distal end, and continues to inner margin with slight distal uniform convexity; median band similar to that in A. sagenaria but thicker and corners more rounded; postmedian band arising on costa close to median band, similar to that in A. sagenaria but more irregular, and linked to median band by a streak more or less at anal vein level; submarginal band consisting of seven dots, the two most posterior being merged together, and the four most anterior are linked by transversal line; two dots on M1 and M3 elongated distally; C-shaped patch present at distal end of discal cell; costa yellow except grey in basal area, at origin of median and postmedian bands, and from submarginal to apex; fringes brown-grey; underside with costal fascia in basal area clearly visible, but median, postmedian and submarginal bands scarcely distinguishable; ground color similar to upperside, but with diffuse and variable pink-orange colour present.

Hindwing: upperside straw-yellow, underside like upperside; fringes straw-yellow.

Body: head, thorax and abdomen same color as forewings ground; brown-grey dot on vertex; antennae yellow, filiform; labial palpi yellow porrect, not extending beyond frons; tegulae with two grey dots (notum on specimen examined spoiled, pattern not discernible); fore legs and one midleg present, color yellow with distal end of femur and tibia brown-grey (scarcely evident in the mid-leg); tibial spurs 0-2-?; abdomen with VII sternum longer than VI, clearly divided in two sub-rectangular shields; VII tergum sub-rectangular and long, about two times VI; VIII abdominal segment long, less than half VI segment, rigid except around the ostium, where it is soft and membranous (lamella postvaginalis); dorsal pheromone gland bilobate, as long as the posterior apophyses.

Genitalia: Ψ: ostium rounded, medium sized; ductus bursae sclerotized, cylindrical, slightly shorter than VII abdominal sternum; corpus bursae sub-spherical, not falling into the same axis as ductus but shifted left; dorsally presenting a sub-cylindrical prominence, from posterior end of which the ductus seminalis arises, and from anterior end a slender, diaphanous, bag-shaped appendix arises; corpus bursae sprinkled inside with small spines; anterior portion of appendix spined; signa absent.

Etymology: the specific epithet refers to the poor condition of the holotype, appearing after dissection as only half a moth.

Remarks: A. dimidiata resembles A. sagenaria , A. retromaculata , A. calimerae and A. atricraspeda but can be separated as follows: from all four other species by the thicker medial band; from A. sagenaria by the different hindwing ground color; from A. retromaculata by lacking hindwing patterning; from A. calimerae by having dark forewing fringes; from A. atricraspeda by genitalia (larger and shorter bursa, corpus bursae not in axis with ductus). The male is unknown.