Prionapteryx albimaculalis ( Hampson, 1919 )

Bassi, Graziano, 2013, Notes on some Old World Prionapterygini Landry, 1995 (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea, Crambidae, Crambinae), with descriptions of new species, Revue suisse de Zoologie 120 (1), pp. 131-160 : 148-150

Prionapteryx albimaculalis ( Hampson, 1919) Figs 5, 28, 45

Prosmixis albimaculalis Hampson, 1919: 148 .

Loxophantis pretoriella Błeszynski, 1970: 21 . Syn. n.

Prosmixis albipicta Janse , nomen nudum.

MATERIAL EXAMINED: NAMIBIA. – CB; 3♀♀; Waterberg National Park , 10.IV.2009, lux, G. Bassi legit ; GS 5158 GB . – CB; 1♀; about 50 km. N. Grootfontein, Roy’s Rest Camp, 1226 m, 05. XII.2010, lux, 19°14’S 18°30’E, G. Bassi legit . – MFNB; 1♀; Popa Falls , Okavango river, 23. 24.XI.1993, Mey & Ebert legit ; GS 3897 GB . – MFNB; 1♀; Exp [edition] MFNB 1992 , Kavango, Kavdoni Camp , 18°31' S 20°43' E, lux, 22-25.II.92, W. Mey legit . – MFNB; 13, Sandveld , 60 Km. N. Gobabis, 22-26.I.2007, LF, Mey & Ebert legit , GS 5387 GB. RSA . – BMNH; 1♀; (Holotype of P. albimaculalis ); Enkeld [not traced,?Dunkeld, Gauteng, 26°08’S 28°03’E], 12.I.[19]07 - Transvaal 1907-249 - Talis albimaculalis Type ♀ H[a]mps[on] - GS 7113 BM. – TMSA; 1 3; Pretoria , 22.II.1914, A.J . T. Janse legit; Type 1592 ; GS 3067 GB and 1♀; Pretoria , 16.III.[19]’15, A.J . T. Janse legit; Type 1593 ; GS 3066 GB (manuscript types of albipicta ) . – BMNH; 13 (holotype of pretoriella ); Pretoria , 9.I.[19]13, A. J . T. Janse legit; 1919-17; BM Slide 7593 . – BMNH; 333 3♀♀ (paratypes of pretoriella ); Pretoria , XII, I and II; 1911-1913. – TMSA; 1♀; ( T [rans]v[aa]l), Nylstroom , 4. 5.III.1954, AJT Janse legit ; GS 3301 GB . – CB; 13, Manzi , 16.VIII.1985, B. Balinsky legit , GS 3111 GB . – CB; 1♀; Limpopo, dint. Nylstroom, Abba Game Lodge , 16-17.III.1999, 1350 m, lux, G. Bassi legit . – ZIMBABWE. – BMNH; 1♀ (paratype of pretoriella ); Rhodesia, Sawmills , 4.II.1918, A.J . T. Janse legit.

DIAGNOSIS: Prionapteryx albimaculalis (Fig. 5) is most similar in facies to P. plumbealis (Hampson) , but the ground color of P. albimaculalis is darker and without the well-defined medial fascia in the forewings present in P. plumbealis (Fig. 6). The male genitalia are close to those of P. plumbealis (Fig. 29), particularly with regard to the blunt uncus tip, but the male genitalia of P. albimaculalis (Fig. 28) are distinct in possessing a simple sacculus compared to the well-developed saccular process of P. plumbealis . In the female genitalia (Fig. 45) the corpus bursae is membranous as opposed to strongly sclerotized in P. plumbealis (Fig. 46).

REDESCRIPTION (Fig. 5): Wingspan: males 18-23 mm, females 22-26 mm. Labial palpi 3.5 x longer than widest diameter of compound eye, greyish white to brownish white. Maxillary palpi greyish brown to chestnut brown, always spotted white. Frons subconical, clearly produced with small apical corneous point, greyish to brownish, always spotted white. Antennae bipectinate with long blackish rami in males, thickened in females, with antennomeres annulated with greyish brown to black Ocelli and chaetosemata well developed. Head greyish brown, spotted white. Patagium brown, spotted white. Tegulae brown. Thorax white, medially brown. Abdomen pale greyish brown, with first tergite dirty white and second tergite orange yellowish. Legs white, spotted brown; tarsomeres white, lightly annulated with black tibial spurs moderately long. Forewings ground color variable from spotted white, black, yellow, brown and grey to uniformly yellowish and greyish brown; common characters are costal area greyish brown with costal line with some white; white dot in cell; medial stripe yellowish, ending under cell; subterminal area ill-defined, but with inner margin white; 7 black terminal dots; terminal line silvery grey (when present); fringes white with tips of both short and long scales silvery, to bronze brown, to spotted white and silvery grey. Hindwings light brown to yellowish grey; fringes white with short scales FIGS 32-38

Prionapterygini spp., female genitalia and sclerotizations of abdominal segment VIII, scale bar 0.5 mm. (32) Zovax venus sp. n., paratype GS 3540 GB. (33) Z. venus sp. n., paratype GS 5310 GB. (34) Surattha luteola Bassi & Mey , paratype GS 5192 GB. (35) Prionapteryx splendida Bassi & Mey , paratype GS 5204 GB. (36) P. amathusia Bassi & Mey , paratype GS 5196 GB. (37) Mesolia meyi sp. n., paratype GS 5324 GB. (38) M. uniformella Janse, holotype, Umvuma, XII.1918, Carnegie legit, type 1590 TMSA, GS 3015 GB.

yellowish with brown tip. Sclerotizations of male abdominal segment VIII as shown in figure 28.

MALE GENITALIA (Fig. 28): Uncus slightly longer than gnathos, with truncated apex, ventrally curved and with row of setae mid-ventrally. Gnathos ring shaped. Tegumen broad, subtriangular, with more strongly sclerotized margins. Vinculum with arms broader distally and dorsal projection moderately long with rounded tip. Pseudosaccus well developed, subrectangular. Juxta ring shaped, with ventral upcurved tip. Valva elongated, with broadly rounded cucullus; costal margin more strongly sclerotized till two thirds of length; basal costal process narrow, with row of small teeth at tip; sacculus simple, moderately sclerotized. Phallus 0.84 x as long as valva, narrow and moderately sclerotized.

FEMALE GENITALIA (Fig. 45): Papillae anales subtriangular, almost fused dorsally, ventrally membranous and with dorsal sclerite narrow; setae mainly short and strong dorsally and mainly fine and of moderate length ventrally. Apophyses posteriores long and narrow. Abdominal segment VIII 0.71 length of apophyses posteriores, with tergal proximal border slightly biconcave; ventrally membranous. Apophyses anteriores 1.2 x length of apophyses posteriores. Ostium bursae subconical, membranous. Ductus bursae 0.53 as long as corpus bursae, moderately sclerotized in proximal third; entering corpus bursae laterally at about 0.25 of its length. Corpus bursae suboval, wrinkled above ductus bursae insertion. Ductus seminalis opening in proximal third of corpus bursae, under ductus bursae insertion.

DISTRIBUTION: P. albimaculalis is known from Namibia, RSA and Zimbabwe;

P. plumbealis is known from Namibia and Zimbabwe (type locality: Mashonaland) .