Crambus rossinii, Bassi & I- & To, 2012

Bassi, Graziano, 2012, New Afrotropical species of the genus Crambus Fabricius, 1798 (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae, Crambinae), Revue suisse de Zoologie 119 (3), pp. 269-286 : 274-276

Crambus rossinii n. sp. Figs 2, 12-13

HOLOTYPE: TMSA, without registration number; 13; [ Zimbabwe, 20°54’S, 30°47’E] Lundi, S. [outh] Rh.[odesia]; 13-16.III.1964; Vári & Van Son , Holotype Crambus rossini n. sp. G. Bassi det. 1997, GS 3818 GB.

PARATYPES, (all from ZIMBABWE): TMSA, without registration number; 1♀; Lundi; 25.III.1964; Vári & Van Son, GS 3769 GB. - CB, without registration number; 13; Lundi, Nuanetsi Dist. ; 13.III.1973; D.M. Kroon, GS 4375 GB .

ETYMOLOGY: The species is named after the Italian composer Gioacchino

Rossini (1792-1868).

DIAGNOSIS: Forewings ground color is similar to that of C. attis , with medial brown stripe less developed, postmedial band not complete in upper area toward apex and terminal dots smaller. In male genitalia the valva is more elongate in C. rossinii and the costal process of the valva is narrower and less strongly curved. In female genitalia the lateral processes of the sterigma are narrower.

DESCRIPTION (Fig. 2): Wingspan: 3 13.5 mm., ♀ 15 mm. Labial palpi 3 X longer than widest diameter of eye, bronze brown with upper margin white. Frons clearly produced, rounded, white. Antennae: in male serrate, brown; in female thickened, brown with slightly paler costa. Ocelli and chaetosemata moderately developed. Head white, with bronze brown edge around chaetosemata. Patagium white in middle, bronze brown laterally. Tegulae bronze brown. Thorax white. Forewings ground color white, with medial brown stripe poorly developed, postmedial band not complete in upper area toward apex and terminal dots small; fringes whitish. Hindwings white with brownish suffusion; fringes white. Sclerotizations of abdominal segment VIII peculiar, as shown in Figure 12.

MALE GENITALIA (Fig. 12): Uncus thin, with rounded apex. Gnathos much longer than uncus, thin, with apex bent downward and moderately rounded. Vinculum large, with pronounced dorsal extension. Valva elongate, with costal process short and slightly curved. Phallus as long as valva, with pointed tip.

FEMALE GENITALIA (Fig. 13): Papillae anales divided into two lobes and apophyses posteriores of medium size. Apophyses anteriores reduced to cuticular thickening. Ostium bursae everted, with very complex and sclerotized sterigma, with FIGS 11-15

Male and female genitalia of Crambus spp. , scale bars 0.5 mm. (11) C. attis sp. n., paratype, GS 2860 GB. (12) C. rossinii sp. n., holotype, GS 3818 GB and single left valva more pressed, uncus and juxta from the paratype GS 3769 GB. (13) C. rossinii sp. n., paratype GS 3769 GB. (14) C. attis sp. n., paratype GS 3466 GB. (15) C. attis sp. n., paratype GS 5049 GB, lateral view.

lamella postvaginalis laterally covered with small teeth. Corpus bursae with two signa and completely covered with sclerotized scobination.

DISTRIBUTION: The new species is only known from the type locality in South

Western Zimbabwe.