Similisynagris, Gorbunov, 2023

Gorbunov, O. G., 2023, A new genus and a new species of the tribe Similipepsini (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) from Afr, Russian Entomological Journal 32 (3), pp. 305-312 : 306

Genus Similisynagris gen.n.

Type species: Similipepsis aureus Gaede, 1929 .

DESCRIPTION. Male. Middle-sized superficially wasplike clearwing moths with alar expanse about 21–24 mm. Head with antenna about half as long as forewing, ciliated, but without cilia on 16–21 apical flagellomeres; frons and vertex smooth-scaled; basal palpomere of labial palpus with broad elongate erect scales, mid and apical palpomeres smooth-scaled; proboscis well-developed, long, light brown, functional. Thorax, including both metepimeron and metameron, smooth-scaled. Legs smooth-scaled, of normal length. Forewing with undeveloped external transparent area, anterior transparent area short and narrow or undeveloped; posterior transparent area short and narrow; veins R 1 arising from R-stem at about 2/3 of cell or at level of cross-vein of hindwing; vein R 3 stalked with R 4+ 5 in middle of vein R 4+5, R 4 and R 5 stalked, vein CuA 2 reduced. Hindwing transparent, but surface between vein CuA 1 and anal margin in distal half sparsely covered with brown scales; discal spot undeveloped or in form of thin line of two rows of scales on cross-vein; veins M 3 and CuA 1 arising slightly basal of lower angle of cell; vein CuP nearly undeveloped, fold-like, vein 1A well-developed, and vein 2A undeveloped. Abdomen waspshaped: segment 1 narrowed slightly, segments 2–4 gradually broadened and segments 5–7 gradually narrowed; tergites 2–7 coloured distinctly different than two basal ones..

Male genitalia. Tegumen-uncus complex well-developed, broad; uncus well-sclerotized, sparsely covered with long and short hair-like setae, slightly widened and rounded apically; tuba analis with scaphium undeveloped, subscaphium narrow weakly sclerotized; tegumen broad with long and narrow gnathos-like projection (Figs 7, 12); valva (Figs 8, 13) upturned in distal half, broad in basal half, slightly narrowed and rounded distally and densely covered with hair-like setae of various lengths on inner surface; saculus short undeveloped or narrowly well-sclerotized; saccus (Figs 8, 13) broad, rounded basally; aedeagus (Figs 9, 14) relatively broad and long, about 1.5 as long as length of valva, gradually narrowing distally and slightly curved in distal third; apically with two narrow beak-shaped processes (Figs 10–11, 15–16); vesica with numerous minute spines.

Female. Unknown.

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS. This new genus can be easily distinguished from all other taxa of the tribe Similipepsini in the character of the coloration of the abdomen (abdominal segments cingulated by whitish, yellow or orange distal rings or strips in all currently known species of the tribe Similipepsini , vs. abdomen without any bright coloured strips or rings, but tergites 2–7 coloured distinctly different than two basal ones in the species of Similisynagris gen.n.) and in the presence of scales on the hindwing between vein CuA 1 and anal margin in distal half. In addition, Similisynagris gen.n. differs from genera Similipepsis and Milisipepsis in the structure of the male genitalia (uncus widened and rounded apically, aedeagus apically with two narrow beak-shaped processes, vesica with numerous minute spines in Similisynagris gen.n. vs. uncus bilobed and pointed apically, aedeagus ringed subapically by a row of strong but small spines or with a strong tooth subdistally, vesica without cornuti in both these genera compared). From Gasterostena , Similisynagris gen.n. is easily separable, apart from the appearance, in the structure of the male genitalia (cf. Figs 7–16 in this article with figs 4 and 5 in Arita, Gorbunov, 2003 or with figs 4 and 5 in Kallies, Arita, 2006).

BIOLOGY. The larval host plant is unknown. Moths on wings in April and October.

COMPOSITION. I currently include only two species in this new genus: Similisynagris aureus ( Gaede, 1929) , comb.n. (the type species) and Similisynagris kapanga sp.n.

RANGE. Known only from western and central parts of the Afrotropical Realm.

ETYMOLOGY. The name of this new genus originates from the Latin simile (to be similar) and the generic name of the Afrotropical large potter wasps Synagris Latreille, 1802 and is formed by analogy with the closest related genus Similipepsis . The gender is masculine.