Evergestis africalis ( Guenée, 1854 )

Alipanah, Helen, Khodadad, Masoumeh, Rajaei, Hossein & Haseli, Mohammad, 2018, Taxonomic study of the genus Evergestis Hübner, 1825 (Lepidoptera: Crambidae: Glaphyriinae) in Iran with description of a new species, Zootaxa 4420 (1), pp. 1-33 : 3-7

Evergestis africalis ( Guenée, 1854)

Material examined. HMIM: Iran, Fārs Prov.: 1 ♀, Shirāz, Sivand, 1750 m, 11.ix.1974, Abāi leg. (GS: HA-1854) , 1 ♀, Neyriz- Sirjān Rd. (10 km), 1950 m, 17.–18.x.1999, Barāri, Badii, Mofidi-Neyestānak leg. ; Māzandarān Prov.: 1 ♂, Nur, Baladeh, Kamarbon, 14.–15.ix.1994, Ardeh, Badii, Hāshemi leg. ; Tehrān Prov.: 1 ♂, Fasham, 5.ix.1987, Hāshemi leg. , 2 ♀♀, Tār lake , Palang Darreh, 2000 m, 16.ix.1987, Hāshemi leg. (GS: HA-1739).

Remarks. Evergestis africalis was described by Guenée (1854) based on a male specimen collected in Algeria and since then the female remained undescribed ( Goater 2005). Among the examined specimens in HMIM, there were four females having the same wing pattern as males. Based on the overall similarity, we considered the females to be conspesific with these males.

Diagnosis. This species is close to E. nomadalis in overall structure of the female genitalia; however in E. africalis ground color is paler than E. nomadalis with a distinctly narrower oblique brown line having no scattered distinctive brown scales interiorly. The line is extended from apex to dorsum at two-thirds. Moreover, double discal spots of the forewing in E. nomadalis are faint comparing to E. africalis . These two species are also more similar to each other than the other known Evergestis species in male genitalia. Although the shape of valva in these two species is somewhat different, they have almost similar uncus, gnathos, juxta, and nearly equal clusters of cornuti in the phallus.

Description of the female. Adult ( Figs 3A–C ). Externally similar to the male. Frons covered with smooth pale ochre to buffish-cream scales medially and cream to white scales laterally next to the compound eyes; vertex roofed with slightly erected pale ochre to yellowish-cream scales ( Fig. 3C ); labial palpus porrect, 1.80–2.00 times the horizontal diameter of compound eye (n= 3), pale ochre to yellow laterally and paler to white basally; maxillary palpus nearly porrect, short, and slender, covered with elongated cream scales distally and short pale ochre to yellow scales basally ( Fig. 3C ); proboscis covered with dirty-cream scales basally; antennae roofed with creamy scales dorsally and densely ciliated ventrally, a single long and short setae present on dorsal and ventral surfaces of each segment, respectively which sometimes missing in some segments, ventral seta in each segment slightly longer than the ventral ciliae; collar pale ochre to yellow; thorax and tegula buffish-cream; abdomen shiny cream.

Forewing ( Figs 3A–B ) elongated, with a straight costa convexd near the apex, and a distinctly oblique termen. Length of forewing, x ̅ = 14.5 mm ± 0.5 (n= 3). Forewing pattern like that of the male, with almost shiny strawcolored to buffish-cream and sometimes paler ground color, tiny brown dots on distal part of the veins along the margin of termen which constituting a distinct terminal line, an oblique brown post-median line nearly parallel to the termen extended from near the apex to dorsum at slightly more than four-fifths of its length (when ground color distinctly buffish-cream, the post-median line paler), with scattered tiny brown dots on interior field of post-median line including distal and lower angles of discal cell (at the junction with Cu2 vein) and the middle parts of veins M1, M2, M3, Cu1 and Cu2, and along the A1+2 vein, ante-median line faded away and unclear; fringes dirty-cream subdivided by two fine light brown lines ( Fig. 3A ). Hindwing cream-colored and clearly paler than the forewing, post-median line hardly visible, with minute light brown dots along the termen which are darker and slightly larger at the end of cubital veins; fringes creamy-white and lighter towards the base of wing. Underside of both fore- and hindwing pale gray, nearly with the same pattern as the upperside ( Fig. 3B ).

Female genitalia ( Figs 3D–I ) (n= 2). Papillae anales connected dorsally and setose; apophyses anteriores about 1.6 times the length of apophyses posteriores, with a triangular process at posterior 0.3; antrum large, funnelshaped, narrowed and sometimes slightly sclerotized anteriorly ( Figs 3E, I ); colliculum relatively short (its length nearly 0.4 times the length of antrum or slightly less) and sclerotized; ductus bursae relatively long, slightly more than two times the lengths of corpus bursae, slightly narrowed towards colliculum and somewhat dilated towards corpus bursae, with a lightly granulated surface, ductus bursae deeply folded posteriorly next to the colliculum and sometimes being angled at the junction with colliculum ( Figs 3E, F, I ); ductus seminalis arising from the posterior folded end of ductus bursae ( Figs 3E, F, I ); corpus bursae nearly globular, with sparsely granulated surface and a dome-shaped area posteriorly ( Fig. 3D ) and a clear invagination at signum which is visible before preparing a permanent slide ( Figs 3D, G ); signum moderate, nearly one-third of the longitudinal length of corpus bursae or slightly more, with numerous triangular sclerites surrounded by needle-like sclerotized structures ( Figs 3G, H ); length of the sternite VII 2.6 times the length of sternite VIII.

Variation. In the examined females, ground color variation was observed in the forewing, being buffish-cream to dirty-cream, and the post-median line was paler in the buffish-cream ground color.

Distribution. Sicily, North and South Africa, Iran ( Amsel 1961; Goater 2005).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Evergestis africalis. A–C) Adult female. A: upperside. B: underside. C: head, in lateral view. D–I) Female genitalia. D: corpus bursae and anterior end of ductus bursae dorso-ventrally. E: main body in lateral view. F, I: colliculum and posterior end of ductus bursae. G, H: signum in lateral (G) and ventral (H) views. The arrows indicate the arising point of ductus seminalis.