Afrasura fracta Durante

Durante, Antonio, 2012, The genus Afrasura Durante, 2009 in Gabon, with description of five new species and a new species group (Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini), Zootaxa 3478, pp. 383-398 : 392

Afrasura fracta Durante sp. n.

( Figs. 19 , 31, 32, 33 )

Material examined. Holotype. 3, Gabon, Ipassa-Makokou, (0°30’ 43’’N, 12°48’13’’E), 500 m, 19-2/ 11-3-2011, Durante legit, g. prep. 691 MAD. In coll. MSNS. Paratype. 3, same data as the holotype, g. prep. 692 MAD. In coll. MAD.

Diagnosis. Species with spurs formula 0-2-2, hence easily distinguishable from the five species with spurs formula 0-2-4 (i.e., discreta , aetheria sp. n., violacea , camilla sp. n., submarmorata ). The pattern of well separated bands differentiates this species from duplex sp. n. and amaniensis .

Description. Adult. Wingspan: 3 14–15 mm. Forewing upperside ground colour pale yellow, almost whitish; pattern light hazel. Forewings with one small dot at the base, one dot at the beginning of costa (not always visible); two basal bands, one median, one postmedian and one marginal band, the latter of which made by four to five dots. One small dot present at the distal end of the cell. Hindwing upperside ground colour whitish. Forewing underside suffused of light hazel, with distal half of costa, termen and the anal margin whitish. Hindwing underside as in upperside. Fringe of the four wings whitish. All the body, including palpi, antennae, patagia, tegulae, and legs, same colour as the upperside forewings ground. Antennae ciliated. One dot on the head vertex. Patagia small. One dot on the tegulae and two dots on the notum. Forelegs hairy. Distal end of tibiae hazel and pretarsi deep brown in all pairs of legs. Spurs formula 0-2-2.

Male genitalia. A8 membranous, about half shorter than the sixth segment; eighth tergum with a filiform arch in the middle of its cephalic margin ending in two small apodemes; eighth sternum with a filiform U-shaped reinforcement originating from its cephalic margin at the pleural junctions. It embraces the membranous pouches of the intersegmental membrane between A8 and A7, where the coremata take place. Coremata fusiform, two times bigger than the other species, reaching cephalad the centre of A6 (fig. 33). A7 membranous, a little longer than the sixth segment. Uncus slender, bent caudally, ending in a point; tegumen slender; vinculum with saccus of medium length. Juxta similar to the one of A. duplex sp. n., but weaker. Valva with characteristic undulation of the costa; at about the proximal second fifth of the costa, presence of a fold forming a dimple (not a swelling like the other species) with few long setae (fig. 31, arrow); a swelling is indeed present along the inner margin of the sacculus with several long setae. Distal portion of supravalva membranous, quite similar in shape to the ones of camilla sp. n. and duplex sp. n., but two times larger. Distal end of ala valvae sclerotized, slender, acuminate but without the kind of point of camilla sp. n. and duplex sp. n., clearly shorter than the supravalva. Aedoeagus tubular, bent, very big compared to the whole genitalia; vesica also big, with a long thorn-like cornutus on the main lobe, and covered by sparse tiny thorns inside the two minor lobes.

Female genitalia. Unknown.

Etymology. From the Latin verb frangere, meaning “broken”, in reference to the broken banding.

Figures

FIGURES 12 – 19. Adults of Afrasura. 12. Afrasura trunca sp. n. Paratype, 3, Gabon, Ipassa-Makokou, (0 ° 30 ’ 43 ’’ N, 12 ° 48 ’ 13 ’’ E), 500 m, 5 / 10 - 4 - 2010, Durante legit, g. prep. 587 MAD. In coll. MAD. 13. Afrasura trunca sp. n. Paratype, Ƥ, Gabon, Ipassa-Makokou, (0 ° 30 ’ 43 ’’ N, 12 ° 48 ’ 13 ’’ E), 500 m, 19 - 2 / 11 - 3 - 2011, Durante legit, g. prep. 669 MAD. In coll. MSNS. 14. Afrasura camilla sp. n. Paratype, 3, Gabon, Ipassa-Makokou, (0 ° 30 ’ 43 ’’ N, 12 ° 48 ’ 13 ’’ E), 500 m, 19 - 2 / 11 - 3 - 2011, Durante legit. In coll. MSNS. 15. Afrasura camilla sp. n. Paratype, Ƥ, Gabon, Ipassa-Makokou, (0 ° 30 ’ 43 ’’ N, 12 ° 48 ’ 13 ’’ E), 500 m, 19 - 2 / 11 - 3 - 2011, Durante legit. In coll. MSNS. 16. Afrasura duplex sp. n. Paratype, 3, yellow form, Gabon, Ipassa-Makokou, (0 ° 30 ’ 43 ’’ N, 12 ° 48 ’ 13 ’’ E), 500 m, 5 / 10 - 4 - 2010, Durante legit. In coll. MSNS. 17. Afrasura duplex sp. n. Paratype, Ƥ, white form, Gabon, Ipassa-Makokou, (0 ° 30 ’ 43 ’’ N, 12 ° 48 ’ 13 ’’ E), 500 m, 19 - 2 / 11 - 3 - 2011, Durante legit. In coll. MSNS. 18. Afrasura aetheria sp. n. Paratype, Ƥ, Gabon, Ipassa-Makokou, (0 ° 30 ’ 43 ’’ N, 12 ° 48 ’ 13 ’’ E), 500 m, 19 - 2 / 11 - 3 - 2011, Durante legit, g. prep. 680 MAD. In coll. MAD. 19. Afrasura fracta sp. n. Paratype, 3, Gabon, Ipassa-Makokou, (0 ° 30 ’ 43 ’’ N, 12 ° 48 ’ 13 ’’ E), 500 m, 19 - 2 / 11 - 3 - 2011, Durante legit, g. prep. 692 MAD. In coll. MAD.

FIGURES 20 - 33. Male genitalia of Afrasura. Images not all in proportion. 20. Afrasura discocellularis 3: distal end of valva in two specimens (left: g. prep. 586 MAD; right: g. prep. 588 MAD). 21. Afrasura trunca sp. n. 3 g. prep. 587 MAD: genitalia, aedoeagus removed. 22. Afrasura trunca sp. n. 3 g. prep. 587 MAD: aedoeagus, coecum cut away. 23. Afrasura camilla sp. n. 3 g. prep. 528 MAD: genitalia, aedoeagus removed. JX: juxta. 24. Afrasura camilla sp. n. 3 g. prep. 528 MAD: genitalia, juxta (JX) enlarged. 25. Afrasura camilla sp. n. 3 g. prep. 528 MAD: aedoeagus, coecum cut away. 26. Afrasura camilla sp. n. 3 g. prep. 528 MAD: caudal segments of abdomen with coremata, ventral view. 27. Afrasura duplex sp. n. 3 g. prep. 529 MAD: genitalia, aedoeagus removed. 28. Afrasura duplex sp. n. 3 g. prep. 690 MAD: genitalia, lateral view, aedoeagus in situ. JX: juxta. 29. Afrasura duplex sp. n. 3 g. prep. 529 MAD: aedoeagus, coecum cut away. Arrow points to the distal lobe of the vesica. 30. Afrasura 3: distal end of valva in camilla sp. n. (left, g. prep. 528 MAD) and duplex sp. n. (right, g. prep. 529 MAD). 31. Afrasura fracta sp. n. 3 g. prep. 692 MAD: genitalia, aedoeagus removed. 32. Afrasura fracta sp. n. 3 g. prep. 692 MAD: aedoeagus, coecum cut away. 33. Afrasura fracta sp. n. 3 g. prep. 691 MAD: genitalia and caudal segments of abdomen with coremata, ventral view.