Surattha Walker, 1863

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 : 155-156

Surattha Walker, 1863

Surattha Walker, 1863 ; type species: Surattha invectalis Walker, 1863: 76 , by monotypy.

DIAGNOSIS: Superficially, Surattha is similar to many other Prionapterygini genera, sharing such characters as light ground color with darker spotting and fasciae. However, general aspect is stocky, the labial palpi short, the ocelli poorly developed, the forewing distal hook always absent. The male genitalia ( Bassi & Mey, 2011: 225, figs 238, 260, 290-292) are very homogeneous, with a tubular and strongly curved uncus, with pointed tip; a stout gnathos, often with spoon-like tip; broad valvae, always with basal costal process; a simple sacculus; and the phallus with pointed tip, often with small external teeth and without cornuti. The female genitalia are clearly distinctive ( Bassi & Mey, 2011: 238, Fig. 293) with relatively short and broad papillae anales basally ringed with long and delicate hair-like setae, a narrow 8th abdominal segment with a strong tergite and generally narrower sternite, and a membranous and delicatey wrinkled corpus bursae. Surattha is most similar to Prionapteryx , but the latter differs in having the phallus without a pointed tip in the male genitalia, and the female genitalia with triangular papillae anales, longer apophyses, and the 8th abdominal segment very long and tubular. Mesolia and Zovax differ from Surattha in having valvae without basal costal process.

The species still placed in Prionapteryx that I studied and that should be regarded as Surattha are as follows:

Surattha albipunctella Marion, 1957: 1207 comb. rev.

Surattha albostigmata W. Rothschild, 1921: 221 comb. rev.

Surattha amselella Błeszyński, 1965a: 442 comb. rev.

Surattha carmensita Błeszyński, 1970: 21 comb. rev.

Surattha diffusilinea Hampson, 1919: 138 comb. rev.

Surattha margherita Błeszyński, 1965a: 442 comb. rev.

Surattha nigrifascialis ( Walker, 1866a: 1472) comb. rev.

Surattha obeliscota Meyrick, 1936: 21 comb. rev.

Surattha rufistrigalis Fawcett, 1918: 247 comb. rev.

Surattha soudanensis Hampson, 1919: 68 comb. rev.

Surattha strioliger W. Rothschild, 1913: 135 comb. rev.

Surattha luteola Bassi & Mey, 2011 Fig. 34 Surattha luteola Bassi & Mey, 2011: 234 , 236, figs 260-262, 290-292, pl. 36, fig. 3.

HOLOTYPE: CB; ♀; Namibia, Usakos , Amieb Farm, 1000 m, 17.II.1999, GS 5169 GB, G. Bassi legit; Coll. Bassi 29237.

PARATYPES: as in the original description.

ETYMOLOGY: This name is derived from luteolus-a (Latin), dirty yellow, referring to the ground color of the forewings of this species.

ADDITIONS TO ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION: Sclerotizations of male abdominal segment VIII as shown in figure 34.

REMARKS: The above represents the correct holotype data and etymology.

Prionapteryx splendida Bassi & Mey, 2011 Fig. 35 Prionapteryx splendida Bassi & Mey, 2011: 236 , 237, figs 287-289, pl. 36, fig. 6.

HOLOTYPE: TMSA; 3; [ RSA, Eastern Cape] Gamtoos, C [ape] P[rovince], 29.X.1949, C.G.C. Dickson legit; GS 3475 GB.

PARATYPES: RSA. – MFNB; 333; [Western Cape, Cape Peninsula] Prom [onturii] B[ona] Sp [es], Grimm legit ; GS 5204 GB . – MFNB; 13; Western Cape, Cape Peninsula, Table Mountain N. P., headquarter, 17-19.XI.2008, K. Ebert, W. Mey & L. Kühne legit . – TMSA and CB; 333, Blue Downs nr. Faure, C.P., 17 . XII.42, C.G.C. Dickson legit; GS 5211 GB . – TMSA; 13; Zoetendals Valley , C.P., X.40, G. van Son legit . – TMSA; 233; Port Elisabeth , XI.1951 e 26.XI.1949, C.G.C. Dickson legit . – TMSA; 233; Strandfontein , C[ape] P[rovince], 6.I.1961, C.G.C. Dickson legit . – TMSA and CB; 633; De Hoop, C.P., Breddsdorp Dist. , 1-3.XI.1967, Vári & Potgieter legit . – TMSA; 13; Wilderness , 1. 2. XII.1951, C.G.C. Dickson legit.

ADDITIONS TO ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION: Sclerotizations of male abdominal segment VIII as shown in figure 35.

REMARKS: The above represents the correct type series. All of the specimens of the type series are males. The female of this species is unknown.