Prionapteryx triplecta (Meyrick, 1935) Bassi & I-, 2013

Bassi, Graziano, 2013, Notes on some Old World Prionapterygini Landry, 1995 (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea, Crambidae, Crambinae), with descriptions of new species, Revue suisse de Zoologie 120 (1), pp. 131-160 : 144-146

Prionapteryx triplecta (Meyrick, 1935) , comb. n. Figs 9, 27, 42, 43

Loxophantis triplecta Meyrick, 1935: 570 .

MATERIAL EXAMINED: Holotype; RMCA; 3; [ DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO, Haut-Katanga, Lubumbashi, 11°40’S 27°28’E] Elisabethville , XII.1933, Ch. Seydel legit, GS 4189 SB. – RMCA; 2♀♀; Elisabethville, 31.X.[19]34 and 27.XII.1937, Ch. Seydel legit, GS 4190 SB and 5407 GB. – MHNG; 233; Ht. Katanga, Tsinkolobwe, 3.X.[19]31, J. Romieux legit, GS 5367 GB.

DIAGNOSIS: Prionapteryx triplecta (Fig. 9) is most similar to P. diaplecta (Meyrick) (Fig. 10) in facies but the ground color of P. triplecta is yellow brown compared to paler yellow brown with a well-defined medial yellow stripe dorsodistally bordered with an elongated dark brown patch in P. diaplecta . The male genitalia of P. triplecta (Fig. 27) are closest to those of P. diaplecta (Fig. 26) but the triple tips of the uncus are smaller, the tegumen is basally broader, and the valvae and juxta are stockier. The female genitalia (Figs 42, 43) are distinguished by the cup-shaped ostium bursae and the papillae’s dorsal sclerite with rounded tip compared to the pointed and produced sclerite of P. diaplecta (Fig. 44).

REDESCRIPTION (Fig. 9): Wingspan 22-27 mm. Labial palpi 3 x longer than widest diameter of compound eye, yellowish sprinkled with brown and white. Maxillary palpi yellowish with brown irroration. Frons subconical, yellowish, clearly produced, with apical corneous point. Antennae strongly bipectinate, with long black rami, and costa greyish brown annulated with black and brown. Ocelli and chaetosemata fully developed. Head, patagia, tegulae and thorax yellow. Abdomen with basal four tergites yellow suffused with orange, then brown suffused with yellow; anal tuft yellow. Forelegs greyish brown with tarsomeres annulated white; mid- and hindlegs yellowish white with inner surface greyish, with tarsomeres lightly annulated dark brown. Forewings ground color pale yellow; apex rounded; hook absent; costal line light brown; basally, at 0.3, with three brown spots in middle of wing; distal end of cell with rounded brown spot; postmedial fascia brown, sinuous; subterminal area yellow with venation marked with brown; 8 tiny blackish terminal dots; fringes bronze brown. Hindwings brown with yellow suffusion; fringes whitish with short scales brown. Female darker, with brown fascia in forewings larger. Sclerotizations of male abdominal segment VIII as shown in figure 27.

MALE GENITALIA (Fig. 27): Uncus 1.8 x longer than gnathos, slightly downcurved, basally with broad and rounded extensions; patch of setae proximally placed before extensions; tip tri-hooked. Tegumen broadly rectangular, with ventral teeth moderately pointed. Vinculum with lateral arms and dorsal extension broadly pointed. Juxta strongly slerotized, subconical, 0.38 x as long as valva. Valva with rounded cucullus; costa and sacculus sclerotized; basal costal process well-developed with one large tooth and some small teeth in distal third dorsally. Phallus 0.6 x as long as valva, proximally sinuous, with tip ventrally and dorsally moderately sclerotized and slightly produced.

FEMALE GENITALIA (Figs 42-43): Papillae anales subtriangular, almost fused dorsally, ventrally membranous and with dorsal sclerite clearly produced, with rounded tip; setae mainly normally developed. Apophyses posteriores long, basally with plate- FIGS 24-27

Prionapterygini spp., male genitalia and sclerotizations of abdominal segment VIII, scale bar 0.5 mm. (24) Mesolia alborzella sp. n., paratype GS 1279 Glaser; sclerotizations abdominal segment VIII from paratype GS 5344 GB. (25) Prionapteryx eberti sp. n., holotype. (26) P. diaplecta (Meyrick) , Kenya, GS 1225 GB, juxta ventral view. (27) P. triplecta (Meyrick) , Democratic Republic of the Congo, GS 5367 GB, juxta lateral view.

like sclerite reaching sternum. Abdominal segment VIII as long as apophyses anteriores, subconical, ventrally membranous. Apophyses anteriores 0.6 x as long as apophyses posteriores. Ostium bursae cup shaped, membranous. Corpus bursae membranous, 1.22 x as long as apophyses anteriores. Ductus seminalis opening in proximal third of corpus bursae. Abdominal segment VII with sclerotized sternite in front of ostium bursae.

DISTRIBUTION: P. triplecta is only known from South Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo ; P. diaplecta is known from Burundi (type locality: [ Burundi, Bujumbura, 03°23’S 29°22’E] Ruanda, Usumbura) and Kenya.