Balacra (Daphaenisca) flava Durante & Zangrilli

Durante, Antonio & Zangrilli, Maria Paola, 2016, Review of subgenus Daphaenisca Kiriakoff, 1953 (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Synthomini: Thyretina), with identification keys, and description of three new species, Zootaxa 4117 (2), pp. 151-171 : 168-170

Balacra (Daphaenisca) flava Durante & Zangrilli sp.n.

( Fig. 19 , 26 )

Holotype. ♀ Aburi, Gold Coast [ Ghana] 1912-1913. W.H. Patterson. G. sl. Arct. 5851 BMNH. In BMNH coll.

Distribution. Ghana

Diagnosis. Easily distinguishable from the other species of the subgenus Daphaenisca by the yellow basal area of the forewings and the yellow hindwings.

Habitus. ♀. Forewing length 15 mm; upperside ground colour grey-brown. Continuous subcostal red line ending before apex. Red suffusion on anterior half of wings. Yellow strip behind discal cell from wing base up to CuA2; orange-red strip from base between anal vein and inner margin. Underside with basal and antemedian area yellow, extending distally along costa, distal half of wing same colour as upperside ground colour.

Hindwings elongated, upperside ground colour yellow with some orange-red suffusion, bordered by greybrown. Small orange-red patch at base on first anal space. Underside as upperside with grey-brown dot at distal end of cell.

All fringes grey-brown.

Frontoclypeus yellow, greyish between antennae and yellow vertex. Labial palpi orange with yellow tips. Antennae yellow, serrate.

Thorax same ground colour as forewings, with four orange-red marks on mesoscutum, one central yellow mark on mesoscutellum, two more orange-red lateral marks on metathorax; patagia yellow, with anterior margin grey-brown; tegulae grey-brown with small orange-red dot anteriorly at junction with costal margin of wing. Thorax underside yellow.

Legs quite faded, femurs yellow with orange longitudinal bands, tibiae and tarsi yellow, praetarsi brown. Spurs formula 0-2-2.

Abdomen same ground colour as forewings; one yellow dot on first, second, third and eighth tergites; first tergite with two lateral diagonal red stripes with cephalic end yellow; five red transversal bands at caudal margin from second to sixth segments. Underside of abdomen yellow.

Anal tuft yellow.

Genitalia. ♀. Seventh tergum twice as long as sixth segment; seventh sternum about 50% longer than sixth. A8 about one third shorter than sixth segment. Anterior and posterior apophyses similar length, slightly shorter than papillae anales. Dorsal pheromone glands paired and sock-like, as long as papillae anales ( Fig. 26 D). Ventral pheromone glands unpaired, with two clubbed sacks, as long as dorsal glands ( Fig. 26 E).

Ostium bursae with thickened membranous edges; large Y-shaped lamella postvaginalis ( Fig. 26 C) and lamella antevaginalis consisting of two short longitudinal strips; ductus bursae with thick membranous very short caudal portion (antrum) connected to thick membranous ring-like structure; anterior portion weak and membranous, concealed in the thick ring; ductus seminalis membranous thin, emerging antero-ventrally from the ring-like structure. Corpus bursae pear-shaped and membranous; without signa and with group of small granicula ( Fig. 26 B).

Derivatio nominis. The name flava derives from the Latin adjective “flavus”, meaning yellow, referring to the colour of the hindwings.

Figures

FIGURE 26. Genitalia of Balacra flava sp. n. ♀ Gold Coast [Ghana], Aburi, 1912 - 1913, W. H. Patterson, G. sl. Arct. 5851 BMNH. A) genitalia in dorsal view; B) Corpus bursae enlarged showing granicula (circle); C) lamella postvaginalis (arrows); D) dorsal pheromone glands (arrows); E) ventral pheromone glands (arrows). cb, corpus bursae; dg, dorsal pheromone glands; gr, granicula; lp, lamella postvaginalis; vg, ventral pheromone glands.

FIGURES 16 – 19. Adults of Balacra (Daphaenisca) sp. Fig. 16. Holotype male of Balacra inexpectata sp. n.: upperside (left) and underside (right). Fig. 17. Paratype female of Balacra inexpectata sp. n.: upperside (left) and underside (right). Fig. 18. Paratype male of Balacra magnoloi sp. n.: upperside (left) and underside (right). Fig. 19. Holotype female of Balacra flava sp. n.: upperside (left) and underside (right).