Revue suisse de Zoologie 113 (2): 287-290; juin 2006

A new species of Diathrausta Lederer, 1863 from Africa (, Pyraloidea, , )

Koen MAES Present address: Royal Museum for Central Africa, Leuvensesteenweg 13, B-1380 Tervuren, Belgium.

Address: AgroBioSys Intl., Kl.Smetledestraat 192, B-9230 Wetteren, Belgium. Email: [email protected]

A new species of Diathrausta Lederer, 1863 from Africa (Lepidoptera,

Pyraloidea, Crambidae, Spilomelinae). - Diathrausta semilunalis sp. n. is described from Southern Africa. The adult, genitalia, and tympanal organs are illustrated. Its placement in Diathrausta is discussed. Cangettafulviceps (Hampson, 1917) comb. n. is excluded from the Diathrausta.

Keywords: Diathrausta semilunalis sp. n., Africa

INTRODUCTION

Lederer (1863) erected the genus Diathrausta for his new species Diathrausta profundalis from "Amboina" [Indonesia]. Nine species were later added by Hampson (1903, 1917), Dyar (1913) and Druce (1899) mostly from the Old and New World tropics. Munroe (1956) reviewed the North American species of Diathrausta, reco- gnizing two species and three subspecies. He is the first to illustrate the male genitalia of some species in this genus. In total there are now 18 species in this genus (personal database). Only one species, Diatrausta fulviceps Hampson, 1917 (Malawi), has been described from Africa. Presumably, it was placed in Diathrausta based on external similarities. I dissected specimens of D. fulviceps from Kenya, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo and compared the genitalia with those of Diathrausta reconditalis (Walker, 1859) and D. harlequinalis amaura Munroe, 1956 as illustrated in Munroe (I.e.). The male genitalia of D. fulviceps have a simple uncus broadly fused with the tegumen and dorsally with some simple setae, this is in sharp contrast with the narrow slender uncus of true Diathrausta species. The valva of D. fulviceps are broad at their base with the tegumen and narrowing near the apex, not ear-shaped as in true Diathrausta species. D. fulviceps has also a large fibula in the median part of the valva.

The saccus is very large in D. fulviceps and almost absent in the true Diathrausta species. D. fulviceps does not belong in Diathrausta and is tentatively placed in the genus Cangetta because of the resemblance in structure of the fibula in the male geni- talia. It differs with true Cangetta species in the structure of the uncus, which is simple

Manuscript accepted 27.07.2005 288 K. MAES

in Cangetta fulviceps comb, n., but strongly modified, bilobed and carrying long setae in most true Cangetta species. During the curation of collections in various museums a striking undescribed species from southern Africa came to my attention. The male genitalia have the same basic structure (simple slender uncus, ear-shaped valva, fibula near base of valva) as

found in Diathrausta species as illustrated by Munroe (1956). This new species is therefore placed in the genus Diathrausta. Pictures of the male and female genitalia are

given, this is the first time the female genitalia of this genus is illustrated.

Abbreviations used: ABSRC AgroBioSys Reference Collection, Wetteren, Belgium. MHNG Muséum d'histoire naturelle, Genève, Switzerland. RMCA Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium. TMP Transvaal Museum, Pretoria, South Africa.

Diathrausta semilunalis sp. n. PI. 1,2 A-D

Type material: Holotype S: [SOUTH AFRICA] Karkloof, Natal, 15Jan.[19]17 AJ.T.Janse, K.Maes Gen.prep.nr. 0*207 19 (TMP); 10 Paratypes: 19: [SOUTH AFRICA] Marieps Mnt., Dec.1925, G.van Son, K.Maes Gen.prep.nr. $ 20738 (TMP); 19: [SOUTH AFRICA] Mahuba's Klf., 1050m, 14.i.[19]25, AJ.T.Janse (abdomen lost) (TMP); lo*: [SOUTH AFRICA] Mahuba's Klf., 1050m, 16.i.[19]25, AJ.T.Janse (ABSRC); 19: [SOUTH AFRICA]

Barberton, 25.Ì.1911, AJ.T.Janse (TMP); 1 9 : [SOUTH AFRICA] Karkloof, Natal , 21.i.[19]17 (ABSRC); 19: [SOUTH AFRICA] Rietvlei,1.4.[19]18, Coll.Janse (TMP); lo*: [SOUTH AFRICA] Sabie, Tvl., 30.iv.-5.v.l977, J.H.Potgieter,c.s. (TMP); le?: [DEMOCRATIC

REPUBLIC OF CONGO] Elisabethville, iv-v.1952, Ch.Seydel (RMCA); 1 9 : [DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO] Elisabethville, xii.1936, Ch.Seydel, K.Maes Gen.prep.nr. 9 14305 (RMCA); 10*: [DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO] Ht.Katanga, Midingi, l.vii.[19]30, J.Romieux (MHNG).

Distribution: South Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Etymology: The name refers to the half-moon shaped white spot between the upper angle of the cell in the fore wing and the costa.

Diagnosis: Fore wings triangular with a half-moon shaped white or cream- white spot between the upper angle of the cell and the costa.

Description:

Head: frons rounded; labial palps porrect, length about twice diameter of compound eye, basal part of first segment white or creamy-white, otherwise brown; maxillary palps long, brown. Thorax and abdomen: dark brown like ground colour of fore wings; legs brown, spurs 0,2,4; abdomen dark brown. Wings: fore wings triangular; ante- and post-medial lines black, almost conti- nuous for entire length, orbicular and reniform stigma dark; costa black near wing ba-

se; half-moon shaped white or creamy-white spot near upper angle of cell, on outer si- de delimited by black postmedial line; apex brown as rest of wing, fringe on fore and hind wings with black and white or creamy-white parts; hind wings lighter brown or

black as fore wings with narrow white or creamy-white postmedial line; wing pattern A NEW SPECIES OF D1ATHRAUSTA 289

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Plate 1

Adult : Diathrausta semilunalis sp.n. Holotype (black bar = 1 cm)

Plate 2

Genitalia and tympanal organs Diathrausta semilunalis sp.n. A: male genitalia. B: aedeagus of male genitalia. C: female genitalia. D: tympanal organs. 290 K - MAES

more or less evident or largely reduced in dark specimens; frenulum simple in males, double in females; retinaculum a series of elongated scales near Cu-stem of fore wing; wingspan: 13- 16mm. Tympanal organs (PI. 2 D): partly invaginated with broad fornix tympani. Male genitalia (PL 2 A B): uncus a single large lobe, dorsally covered with short setae; tegumen almost rectangular, vinculum U-shaped, saccus very small; valva with strong costa, more membranous near apex and with a few short setae; spatula-shaped fibula medially at base of valva; juxta shield-shaped; tubular aedeagus with a single spine-shaped cornutus. Female genitalia (PI. 2 C): papillae anales with short and long setae; apophyses posteriores and anteriores of about same length; sinus vaginalis invaginated at Vllth sternite, forming circular membranous area; calyx-shaped, well-sclerotized ostium bursae; ductus bursae membranous and rather short; corpus bursae bulbous with plate- shaped signum carrying straight transversal ridge; appendix bursae lacking.

Life cycle: unknown.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wish to thank Dr. M. Kruger and Mrs. B. Dombrowsky from the Transvaal Museum in Pretoria, Dr. Bernard Landry from the Muséum d'histoire naturelle in Geneva, and Dr. Marc De Meyer and Dr. Ugo Dall'Asta from the Royal Museum for Central Africa for putting material of their collections at my disposal. This paper results from research finalized during a project funded by DWTC (Federale Diensten voor Wetenschappelijke, Technische en Culturele Aangelegen- heden), Belgium.

LITERATURE

Druce, H. 1899. Biologia Centrali-Americana Insecta. Lepidoptera-Heterocera vol.ii :537-569. Dyar, H. G. 1913. A note on Diathrausta nerinalis Walker (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae). Insecutor Inscitiae Menstruus 1: 100-102.

Hampson, G. F. 1903. The of India. Supplementary Papers to the Volumes in " The Fauna

of Bristish India." Series ii. Part x. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society xv(2):

206-226, 1 pi. Hampson, G. F 1917. Descriptions of New Pyralidae of the Subfamilies Hydrocampinae, Scoparianae &. The Annals and Magazine of Natural History (8)20: 201-216.

Lederer, J. 1863. Beitrag zur Kenntniss der Pyralidinen. Wiener Entomologische Monatschrift 7(8): 243-280; (10): 331-378; (11): 379-506, 18pl. Munroe, E. 1956. The North American species of Diathrausta Lederer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). The Canadian Entomologist 88: 579-583, 7 figs.