Crambus varii, Bassi & I- & To, 2012

Bassi, Graziano, 2012, New Afrotropical species of the genus Crambus Fabricius, 1798 (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae, Crambinae), Revue suisse de Zoologie 119 (3), pp. 269-286 : 284-286

Crambus varii n.sp. Figs 10, 24, 26

HOLOTYPE: TMSA, without registration number; ♀; [RSA, Western Cape, 33°57’S, 22°32’E] Saasveld George, C [ape] P[rovince], South Africa, H. Geertsema; 26.8.1964 ; Holotype Crambus varii n. sp. G. Bassi det. 1995, TMSA, (not dissected) .

PARATYPES (all from RSA): TMSA, without registration number; 1♀; same data as holotype. - TMSA, without registration number; 1♀; idem, 2.2.[19]65 - TMSA, without registration number; 1♀; idem, 1-10.II.1965. - TMSA, without registration number; 1♀; idem, 5.I.1965. - TMSA, without registration number; 13; idem, 26.XII.1964. - TMSA, without registration number; 13; idem, 1.1.1965. - TMSA, without registration number; 1♀; idem, 16.9.1964, De Fin. - TMSA, without registration number; 13; Kogelberg C [ape] P[rovince], Nature Reserve; 6-13.III.1983; Kroon & Molekane, GS 3330 GB. - TMSA, without registration number; 13; Cape Prov[ince], Kogelberg (34 18 BD), 23 Mar[ch] 1981, D.M. Kroon, GS 4193 GB. - TMSA, without registration number; 13; Stellenbosch; 3.3.’[19]21; Ch. K. Brain. - TMSA, without registration number; 13; 1♀, Vyeboom, Caledon Distr[ict]; 10.II.1954; L. Vári, GS 3300 GB. - TMSA, without registration number; 1♀; Saasveld; 5.I.[19]65. - MFNB, without registration number; 2♀♀; RSA, Bontebok NP, Swellendam; 14. 16.XI.1993; leg. Mey & Ebert. - CB, without registration number; 13; Saasveld, C.P.; 23.XII.1964; H. Geertsema, GS 5235 GB. - CB, without registration number; 1♀; Algeria Forestry, Clanwilliam Distr. ; 4-10.III.1969; Potgieter & Strydom, GS 5240 GB. - MHNG, without registration number; 1♀, Worcester, Amandel spruit; 18.X.1966; Vári & Potgieter. – TMSA and CB (13), without registration number; 233; 2♀♀, Tsitsikam[m]a Goesabos Forestry; 13-22.III.1979; Potgieter & Scoble. - TMSA, without registration number; 1♀; Cape Prov[ince], Tsitsikam[m]a forest, Goesabos, 33 23 DD; 13-22 Mar 1979; J. Potgieter & M. Scoble, GS 3850 GB. - TMSA, without registration number; 1♀; Tsitsikam [m]a, Ou-brug; 17.III.1979; Potgieter & Scoble .

ETYMOLOGY: The species is dedicated to Lajos Vári of the TMSA, author of very valuable entomological collections in Southern Africa.

DIAGNOSIS: The combination of forewings without separated submarginal area, male genitalia with fully developed uncus, phallus with dorsoapical tooth and strong cornuti, and female genitalia with very large and strongly sclerotized ostium characterize this species among African Crambus .

DESCRIPTION (Fig. 10): Wingspan: male 20-21 mm, female 25-27 mm. Labial palpi 4 X longer than widest diameter of eye, with inner side white and outer side brown with upper margin and tip white. Maxillary palpi white with brown basis. Frons clearly produced, rounded, white. Antennae brown, with silvery costa, serrate in male, simple in female. Ocelli and chaetosemata moderately developed. Head white, with few chestnut brown scales in middle. Patagium laterally brown, white medially. Tegulae dark brown. Thorax white. Abdomen bronze brown to whitish, suffused brown. Forewings ground color bronze brown, lighter in dorsal area; costal area white, wide, and white suffused with chestnut brown toward apex; female with more pointed apex; medial stripe wide, white, reaching outer margin; veins marked by white scales toward outer margin; outer margin with seven subterminal dots, more developed in female; fringes with both short and long scales white with silvery bronzed tip, thus appearing white with medial and terminal lines silvery bronzed. Hindwings white with brown suffusion; fringes white. Fore and midlegs bronze brown; hindlegs whitish, suffused bronze brown.

MALE GENITALIA (Fig. 26): Uncus long, sinuous, pointed, moderately bent downward and sclerotized. Two large and spatulate socii cover up to two thirds of length of uncus. Gnathos one third longer than uncus, with apex rounded and bent downward. Tegumen with large base, partially fused with vinculum. Vinculum stout, with large subtriangular dorsal extension. Pseudosaccus small. Valva wide, with membranous cucullus, with well developed and pointed costal and saccular processes and small medial process lamellar. Phallus slightly shorter than whole apparatus, with large subapical tooth; vesica with 5 subtriangular cornuti.

FEMALE GENITALIA (Fig. 24): Papillae anales divided into two lobes and apophyses posteriores of medium size. Apophyses anteriores absent. Abdominal segment VIII with narrow tergite and strong and complex sternite. Ostium bursae very large and sclerotized. Ductus bursae longer than corpus bursae, sinuous, sclerotized in proximal two thirds, then fibrous. Ostium and ductus bursae spiculate. Ductus seminalis opening in distal third of ductus bursae. Corpus bursae with two well developed signa.

DISTRIBUTION: RSA, Western Cape and Eastern Cape at Tsitsikamma .

REMARKS: The presence of socii and both costal and saccular processes relates this species to C. pascuella ; female genitalia are also reminiscent of some other Crambus , such as heringiellus Herrich-Schäffer.