Sesamia capensis, Le Ru, 2015

Kergoat, Gael J., Toussaint, Emmanuel F. A., Capdevielle-Dulac, Claire, Clamens, Anne-Laure, Ong, George, Amo, Conlong, Desmond, Berg, Johnnie Van Den, Cugala, Domingos, Pallangyo, Beatrice, Mubenga, Onesime, Chipabika, Gilson, Ndemah, Rose, Sezonlin, Michel, Bani, Gregoire, Molo, Richard, Ali, Abdalla, Calatayud, Paul-Andre, Kaiser, Laure, Silvain, Jean-Francois & Ru, Bruno Le, 2015, Integrative taxonomy reveals six new species related to the Mediterranean corn stalk borer Sesamia nonagrioides (Lefèbvre) (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Sesamiina), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 175 (2), pp. 244-270 : 252-254

SESAMIA CAPENSIS LE RU SP. NOV.

( FIGS 4A–D; 7A,G; 8A; 9A; 10)

Type material examined. Holotype male: South Africa: Phamton Pass, Nkysna , Western Cape, 34°01.704′S, 22°59.150′E, 6 m a.s.l., XII 2013, ex larva, in stem of Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. , gen. prep. LERU Bruno /G615, B. Le Ru leg., MNHN, Paris . Paratypes: South Africa: 2 females gen. prep. LERU Bruno /G616-G619 , 1 male gen. prep. LERU Bruno / G617-G618 ; 2 males and 2 females, same data as holotype ; 1 male, gen. prep. LERU Bruno /G9 , 1 male and 2 females, Swartberg , Western Cape, 34°09.038′S, 19°28.662′E, 283 m a.s.l., XII 2009, in stem of P. australis, B. Le Ru leg., MNHN, Paris ; 1 male and 1 female, Kwanonqubela , Eastern Cape, 33°39.188′S, 26°25.066′E, 158 m a.s.l., XII 2009, in stem of P. australis, B. Le Ru leg., MNHN, Paris ; 2 males and 2 females same data as holotype , B. Le Ru leg., DMSA, Pretoria .

DESCRIPTION ( FIG. 4A–D)

Antennae short, bipectinate, serrate at apex in the male, filiform in the female, flagellum adorned dorsally with ochraceous scales. Body colour and wing pattern similar in both sexes, but slightly darker in male. Palpus ochreous irrorated with fuscous. Head and thorax ochraceous, covered with long hairs. Abdomen ochreous irrorated with fuscous. Legs ochreous, fore femur and tibia strongly infuscated on their inner surfaces. Forewings ochreous suffused with fuscous scales; an antemedial black spot below the cell rather indistinct; an indistinct longitudinal grey fascia from the base along the lower margin of cell, partly within, partly without cell limited to the first two-thirds of the wing and an indistinct postmedial row of spots; in some specimens not distinct at all. Fringe ochreous with a basal fuscous line. Hindwings white, veins with cartridge scales; fringe white iridescent. Underside of forewings pale ochreous at the base, cartridge-buff on costa; apex and terminal area heavily suffused with fuscous, with cartridge-buff scales along the veins. Underside of hindwings white, costa and apex suffused with fuscous scales; fringe white iridescent, infuscate at the apex, with a basal cartridge-buff line.

Wingspan 27–32 mm (males) (n = 12); 32–36 mm (females) (n = 12).

Male (32, 29, 29, 28, 28, 27, 28, 29, 30, 29, 29, 31)

Female (34, 36, 33, 36, 34, 35, 33, 33, 32, 32, 32, 35)

Male genitalia ( Fig. 7A,G) Uncus small, wide, narrowing sharply at about halfway. Tegumen with large peniculi. Vinculum with a large saccus, v-shaped at the bottom margin, w-shaped at the top margin without indentation. Extension of sacculus wide, slightly curved inwards with several rows of short stout spines on the tip. Long slightly spatulated cucullus and long coastal spine, curved inwards, bifid with the inner tooth longer and stronger, slightly dentated at the base. Juxta lampshade-shaped with a short wide neck, shortly bifid. Aedeagus ( Fig. 7G) long, slightly dilated basally and curved in the middle, presence of sclerotized elongate carina crest. Female genitalia ( Fig. 8A) Corpus bursae elongate without signa; ductus bursae short, strongly sclerotized near the ostium; lateral plates of ostial segment small, sclerotized and slightly rounded, 1.2 times longer than wide. Ovipositor lobes less than 2 times longer than wide.

Larvae L5 instar ( Fig. 9A): length, 40–45 mm, breadth, 4.0 mm; head smooth, red brown, prothoracic shield pale yellow brown; body with ground colour buff, dorsally suffused with pink, pinnacula pale yellow brown and caudal plate pale brown. Young larvae are very similar in appearance to mature ones.

Etymology: epithet of Cape in Western Cape Province of South Africa where it was discovered.