Afrasura emma Durante

Durante, Antonio, 2009, Revision of the Afrotropical species of Asura Walker, 1854 (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae, Lithosiinae), with the description of a new genus, Zootaxa 2280, pp. 27-52 : 43

Afrasura emma Durante sp. n.

(Figs. 14, 49)

Holotype. 3. Nigeria, Port Harcourt, 31-1-1996. Durante legit. Genitalia prep. n. 400 AD. In coll. MSNS.

Paratype: 3. Nigeria, Port Harcourt, 31-1-1996. Durante legit. In coll. AD.

Diagnosis. The only described species of Afrasura lacking a cornutus.

Description. 3 wingspan 16 mm. Forewing upperside ground colour yellow; pattern deep brown in colour. Two well marked dots at base, one on costa, and on anterior cell vein; two basal bands formed by small dots and shifted distally to antemedian area; median band thin; sub-marginal series formed by eight dots, numbers 1–3 and 5 more pronounced; marginal dots absent; discal dot inside concavity of postmedian band well marked; costa yellow with its distal fifth brown. Hindwing upperside ground colour straw yellow; termen and anal margin darker. There are four apical dots: two costal and two marginal, not always well discernible. Forewing underside ground colour as in upperside, with the discal region suffused with red; bands as in upperside, but faded except for postmedian band and submarginal dots. Costa yellow with its proximal fourth and its distal fifth brown. Hindwing underside as in upperside, but with larger deep yellow border to the costal, outer and inner margins. The four apical dots well marked, the inner costal one is Z-shaped. Forewing fringes deep brown; hindwing fringes yellow. Head yellow with one brown dot on vertex; labial palpi porrect, not extending beyond frons (in the paratype the third element has a brown dot). Antennae ciliated yellow. Patagia yellow with brown dot; tegulae yellow with brown dot. Thorax and abdomen yellow, mesoscutum with two brown dots, mesoscutellum with one brown dot. Forelegs yellow with distal and proximal ends of femur and tibia brown; midlegs yellow with tibial endings brown, hindlegs yellow with tibial distal end brown. In all legs the last (i.e., distal) two tarsomeres are brown. Spurs 0, 2, 4. Coremata between A7 and A8 sterna large, double-sac shaped with two large tufts of androconial hairs; held ventrally by a filiform thickening that arises from the anterior margin of tergum eight. Eighth sternum and tergum membranous, the latter with anterior edge with two small apodemes directed cephalad. Female unknown. 3 lacking a cornutus; uncus slender with pointed end; tegumen slender; vinculum forming a quite deep saccus. The two basis valvae join ventrally to form a pseudosaccus. Dorsally the plica centripetalis of one valva meets the other to form a W-shaped transtilla. Valvae joined to the vinculum except at the costal margin. Supravalva with characteristic costal undulation and finger-like distal ending; ala valvae with slender distal ending, sclerotized, pointed and turned inside. Aedeagus with vesica with three clusters of small thorns

Etymology. Dedicated to the author’s daughter, Emma .