Anaphosia Hampson, 1903

Volynkin, Anton V. & Takano, Hitoshi, 2024, Taxonomic review of the Afrotropical genus Anaphosia Hampson with description of a new species (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini: Lithosiina), Ecologica Montenegrina 73, pp. 391-403 : 392-393

Genus Anaphosia Hampson, 1903

Anaphosia Hampson, 1903 , Annals and Magazine of Natural History (7), 11 (64): 344.

Type species: Anaphosia cyanogramma Hampson, 1903 , by monotypy ( Hampson 1903)

Diagnosis. The genus comprises characteristic and spectacular species, which are the largest footman moths on the African continent. Members of Anaphosia ( Figs 1–8 ) are superficially similar to the genus Carcinopodia Hampson, 1900 ( Figs 15, 16 ) but the latter is significantly smaller and has a shiny forewing ground colour with a metallic tint, which is matte creamy white in Anaphosia . The male genital capsules of the two genera are similar ( Figs 9–11 , 17 ) but in Anaphosia , the uncus is laterally flattened (whereas it is swollen, proximally dilated and rather dorso-ventrally flattened in Carcinopodia ), the vinculum has a short saccus (absent in Carcinopodia ), the juxta has a shallow ventral medial depression (it is deep and subdivides the juxta into two plates fused only dorsally in Carcinopodia ), and the lamella centralis is long, almost reaching the sacculus ventrally, bearing a swollen setose process proximally (which is short and smooth in Carcinopodia ). The phallus of Anaphosia is similar to Carcinopodia but in the latter its distal end is dilated and expandable whereas in Anaphosia , the phallus is evenly sclerotised with a narrow distal end. The vesica of Anaphosia is broader than in Carcinopodia and lacks the elasma. In the female genitalia, Anaphosia ( Figs 12–14 ) differs from Carcinopodia ( Fig. 18 ) in the 8 th tergum not protruding ventrally (in Carcinopodia , it is protruded ventrally as two lateral setose lobes enveloping the postvaginal area), the corpus bursae bearing two long ribbon-like signa equal in length ( Carcinopodia has a short ribbon-like signum dorsally and a second, elliptical signum ventrally), and the longer and helicoid appendix bursae, which is short and more or less conical in Carcinopodia .

Re-description. Adults ( Figs 1–8 ). Forewing length 18.0–21.0 mm in males and 21.5–24.5 mm in females. Sexual dimorphism limited and expressed only in larger size of female. Antenna blackish, weakly ciliate in both sexes with sparser ciliae in female. Head creamy with admixture of ochreous scales. Thorax blackish dorsally and with creamy margins, tegula and patagia creamy. Forewing elongate and narrow, with slightly convex costal margin. Forewing pattern black with a bluish iridescence in fresh specimens, consisting of edge of costal margin, cilia and anal margin with exception of subbasal area, medial (absent in A. majori ) and postmedial transverse lines, and two longitudinal lines in postmedial area arising from the latter. Hindwing pale ochreous-yellow. Abdomen pale ochreous-yellow.

Male genitalia ( Figs 9–11 ). Uncus laterally flattened, with slightly convex dorsal margin, distally tapered, apically pointed, and medio-laterally setose. Tegumen short with fused dorsal halves of its arms. Tuba analis membranous with thin and weakly sclerotised scaphium. Vinculum somewhat longer than tegumen, ventrally V-shaped with short saccus. Valva lobular with almost straight dorsal and medially convex ventral margins. Costa moderately broad and with indistinct distal end; valva apex lobe-like with valvella not protruding beyond its ventral margin. Editum short, thin, not extending into tendon. Diaphragmal part of transtilla membranous. Annelifer broad with medial fold fused with lateral wall of anellus. Lamella centralis well-developed, more or less triangular and ventrally tapered, and with setose swollen protrusion proximally. Sacculus relatively narrow, with setose dorsal margin and short, narrow spike-like distal process not protruding beyond the valva apex. Juxta weakly sclerotised, pentagonal with shallow ventral medial depression. Phallus straight, cylindrical, heavily sclerotised and with slightly dilated anterior end. Vesica broad, more or less globular, curved latero-dorsad, with narrow cluster of fine graniculi proximally, broad triangular cluster of robust graniculi medially, and two diverticula dorsally, of which inner one short and globular while dorsal one conical or utricular. Vesica ejaculatorius originates from medial part of vesica laterally.

Female genitalia ( Figs 12–14 ). Papilla analis weakly sclerotised and setose, trapezoidal with rounded corners. Gonapophyses elongate and thin, anterior one shorter than posterior one. Glandula short, trapezoidal with short lateral arms. Postvaginal area membranous and weakly setose. Postvaginal plate more or less shield-like and with medio-posterior protrusion or incision. Ductus bursae elongate, heavily sclerotised, dorso-ventrally flattened. Corpus bursae broad, globular, membranous with gelatinous and rugose posterior end, bearing two oblique longitudinal ribbon-like signa dorsally and ventrally. Appendix bursae originating postero-laterally on the right side, narrow and helicoid, with weakly gelatinous and rugose proximal section and membranous distal section.

Distribution. Species of the genus are widely distributed in East and eastern-Central Africa, and two of them ( A. cyanogramma and A. smithi sp. n.) have ranges extensively overlapping in Zambia. Both species are typical of Miombo woodland ( Fig. 22 ) but based on personal observations by the senior author, in areas of sympatric occurrence, A. smithi sp. n. tends to inhabit slopes at higher altitudes ( Figs 20 , 21 ) while A. cyanogramma prefers more lowland habitats ( Fig. 22 ).

Figures

Figure 20. Habitat of Anaphosia smithi sp. n.: NE Zambia, Muchinga Prov., Makutu Mountains, eastern slope, 1750–1800m, ca. 10°27'29''S, 33°12'21''E, 03.xii.2023 (Photo by A.V. Volynkin).

Figure 21. Habitat of Anaphosia smithi sp. n.: NE Zambia, Muchinga Prov., Makutu Mountains, ridge, 2030m, 10°27'26''S, 33°11'55''E, 03.xii.2023 (Photo by A.V. Volynkin).

Figure 22. Habitat of Anaphosia cyanogramma and A. smithi sp. n.: NE Zambia, Muchinga Prov., Mutinondo Wilderness Area, 1460m, 12°27'06''S, 31°17'30''E, 16.xii.2023 (Photo by A.V. Volynkin).

Figures 1–8. Anaphosia spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 1 and 5 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 2–4 and 6–8 in ANHRT.

Figures 15–18. The type species of Carcinopodia, Carcinopodia furcifasciata (Butler, 1895): adults (15, 16), male (17) and female genitalia (18). The specimens are deposited in ANHRT.

Figures 9–11. Anaphosia spp.: male genitalia. The specimens dissected are deposited in ANHRT.

Figures 12–14. Anaphosia spp.: female genitalia and their postvaginal plates magnified (below). The specimens dissected are deposited in ANHRT.