Sesamia congoensis, 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 : 254-255

SESAMIA CONGOENSIS LE RU SP. NOV.

( FIGS 4E–H; 7B,H; 8B; 9B; 10)

Type material examined. Holotype male: DRC: Kona Itimbiri , Equateur province, 02°02.424′N, 22°47.270′E, 352 m a.s.l., V 2010, ex larva, in stem of Echinochloa pyramidalis (Lam.) Hitchc. & Chase, B. Le Ru leg., gen. prep. LERU Bruno/G244, MNHN, Paris . Paratypes: DRC: 1 female gen. prep. LERU Bruno /G243 , 1 male gen. prep. LERU Bruno /G437 , 1 female gen. prep. LERU Bruno /G245 , 2 males, 2 females, same data as holotype ; 1 male and 1 female from Lieki , Lomami River, Orientale province, 00°40.756′N, 24°14.034′E, 371 m a.s.l., VI 2010, ex larva, in stem of Vossia cuspidata Griff., B. Le Ru leg., MNHN, Paris; R. Congo : 2 males, 2 females, Rivière Mpama , Plateaux department, 02°28.079′S, 14°36.897′E, 446 m a.s.l., IV 2013, ex light trap, B. Le Ru leg., MNHN, Paris ; 2 males, Rivière de la Léfini , Plateaux department, 02°54.501′S, 15°37.776′E, 320 m a.s.l., IV 2013, ex light trap, B. Le Ru leg., MNHN, Paris .

DESCRIPTION ( FIG. 4E–H)

Antennae short, bipectinate, serrate at apex in the male, filiform in the female, flagellum adorned dorsally with grey buff scales. Palpus chestnut; body colour and wing pattern similar in both sexes, slightly darker in male. Head and thorax chestnut covered with long hairs. Abdomen light chestnut suffused with buff. Legs grey, fore femur and tibia slightly infuscated on their inner surfaces. Forewings chestnut suffused with black scales. Some black markings, variable in extent and intensity; an antemedial black spot below the cell; a longitudinal grey fascia from base along lower margin of cell, partly within, partly without cell limited to the first two-thirds of the wing. A curved dentated postmedial fascia split into two postmedial rows of spots, each plots located on the veins; fringe chamoisee with a narrow basal ochre line, infuscated medially and fuscous-white at tips. Hindwings white, veins with brown scales; fringe chestnut iridescent. Underside of forewings tan at the base, camel on costa; apex and terminal area suffused with fuscous, with ochreous scales along the veins. Underside of hindwings white, costa and apex lightly suffused with fuscous scales; fringe chestnut with a basal tan line.

Wingspan 31–32 mm (males) (n = 6); 35–43 mm (females) (n = 10).

Male (31, 32, 32, 33, 33, 32)

Female (36, 36, 43, 37, 43, 39, 36, 35, 37, 35)

Male genitalia ( Fig. 7B,H) Uncus very small, narrow, pointed apically. Tegumen with large peniculi. Vinculum with a large and almost quadrangular saccus. Extension of sacculus narrow slightly curved inwards with several rows of short stout spines on the tip. Long slightly spatulated cucullus and short coastal spine bifid with the inner tooth longer and stronger. Juxta oblong pearshaped with a short wide neck, shortly bifid. Aedeagus ( Fig. 7H) long, slightly dilated basally and curved in the middle, presence of sclerotized elongate carina crest. Female genitalia ( Fig. 8B) Corpus bursae elongate without signa; ductus bursae short, strongly sclerotized near the ostium; lateral plates of ostial segment large, sclerotized and rounded, 1.5 times longer than wide. Ovipositor lobes 2.5 times longer than wide.

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

Etymology: epithet of Congo where it is distributed ( Democratic Republic of Congo and Republic of Congo).