Afrasura pallescens Durante

Durante, Antonio, 2009, Revision of the Afrotropical species of Asura Walker, 1854 (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae, Lithosiinae), with the description of a new genus, Zootaxa 2280, pp. 27-52 : 47

Afrasura pallescens Durante sp. n.

( Figs. 25 , 68 )

Holotype: Ƥ. Republic of Guinea, Sidakoro ( PNHN), 16/ 18-12-1995. M. Mei legit. Genitalia prep. n. 427 MAD. In coll. MSNS.

Diagnosis. The presence of a V-shaped sclerotization in the ductus bursae, size and position of cervix bursae, and two large signa on the corpus distinguish this new species.

Description. Ƥ wingspan 21 mm. Upperside forewing ground colour light straw yellow, patterned with hazel. The holotype has badly faded wings, but it nevertheless shows typical Afrasura bands -- two basal, one median and one postmedian that bends abruptly at Rs4-M1, with proximal concavity; a submarginal series of dots is present. Upperside hindwing ground colour lighter yellow than forewing. Underside of all wings like the upperside, pattern largely absent; fringes straw yellow. In wing venation, the anastomosis between the subcostal and radial vein is lacking. Head and labial palpi, patagia, tegulae, thorax, abdomen same colour as upperside forewing. Legs same colour as upperside forewing, the distal third of foreleg tibia hazel; all three pairs of legs with dark hazel last tarsomere. Spurs 0, 2, 4. A7 large, membranous, with sternal caudal margin slightly concave. A8 small, membranous. Female pheromone dorsal glands slightly longer than posterior apophyses. Male unknown. Ƥ ostium large, without sclerotizations; antrum large and deep, square in frontal section; ductus 1.5 times length of antrum, slightly widening in cephalic direction up to the heart-like signum of the corpus bursae. Ductus membranous ventrally, dorsally strongly sclerotized with a V-shaped formation with vertex oriented caudally, covered internally by thorns. Cervix ovoid, as large as entire corpus, overlapping dorsally the latter and the ductus; caudally it arches rightward upon the ductus bursae, from which the ductus seminalis arises; at the cephalic end it protrudes in a sub-conical appendix dorsal to the corpus bursae; membranous except for the dorsal band between the two protuberances, strongly sclerotized. Corpus bursae rounded, covered internally by minute thorns, with two large signa: dorsal one rectangular, ventral one heart-like, both covered internally by strong thorns.

Etymology. The species name describes the faded appearance (from Latin pallesco ‘to grow pale’).

Figures

FIGURES 25 – 36. Adults of Afrasura and related genera. Afrasura: 25, A. pallescens. 26 – 27, A. peripherica hilara. 28 – 29, A. rivulosa rivulosa. 30, A. rivulosa ethiopica. 31, A. submarmorata. 32, A. terlineata. Related genera: 33, Asura cervicalis. 34, Asura lydia. 35, " Asura " phaeosticta. 36, " Asura " pectinella.

FIGURES 65 – 76. Genitalia of Afrasura and related genera. Females of Afrasura: 65, A. neavi. 66, A. numida (right: papillae anales and pheromone gland). 67, A. obliterata. 68, A. pallescens. 69, A. peripherica hilara. 70, A. rivulosa rivulosa. 71, A. submarmorata. 72, A. terlineata. 73, Asura cervicalis, female. Related genera: 74, " Asura " phaeosticta, male. 75, " Asura " phaeosticta, female. 76, " Asura " pectinella, male.