Binna penicillata Walker, 1865

Haynes, Patrick G., 2011, A review of some of the Binna- like species of Afrotropical Spilosoma Curtis (1825) listed by Goodger & Watson (1995) and including the genus Radiarctia Dubatolov (2006) (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae, Arctiinae), Zootaxa 2811, pp. 22-36 : 23

Binna penicillata Walker, 1865

Figures 3 , 18 .

Binna penicillata Walker, 1865: 319 .

Diacrisia lutescens (Walker, 1855) ; Hampson, 1901: 295.

Diacrisia penicillata (Walker, 1856) ; Rothschild, 1910: 140.

Spilosoma penicillata (Walker, 1856) ; Hampson, 1920: 394; Gaede, In Seitz, 1930: 98. Type locality: Sierra Leone. Range: Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya.

Material examined. Holotype ɗ and genitalia preparation, Binna penicillata Walker , Sierra Leone, J. Foxcroft, 58- 166 / Binna penicillata / Arctiidae genitalia slide 3475 ( BMNH). Additional non-type material examined: Sierra Leone: Port Lokko, 2 ɗɗ ( BMNH). Ivory Coast: unstated locality, 1 ɗ ( BMNH). Ghana: Kete-Krachi, 2 ɗɗ ( BMNH); Ashanti Region, 1 ɗ ( ZSM). Nigeria: Ilesha, 1 ɗ ( BMNH); Jemaa, 1 ɗ; Sept Kaduna, 1 ɗ ( ZSM). Kenya: Suna, 18 ɗɗ, 1 ɗ / Arctiidae genitalia slide 6067 ( BMNH).

Description. Forewing ɗ 16 – 18mm. Male. HEAD: Grey with orange nuchal fringe. Palp brown dorsally, buff ventrally. Male antenna bipectinate, brownish grey, paler dorsally, with narrow flat pectinations and noticeable long sensilla. Longest pectination approximately equal to the diameter of the eye. THORAX: Patagium brownish grey with orange posterior fringe. Tegula brownish grey. Mesonotum brownish grey, becoming paler posteriorly. Metathorax buff-yellow. Legs: Forecoxa wide, short (approximately half the length of the femur). Femur orange dorsally and laterally and grey-brown on inner surface and apex; tibia and tarsus grey-brown. Epiphysis approximately 0.9 length of tibia. Foretibial spine absent; middle tibia with one pair, hind tibia with two pairs of spines. Forewing buff-yellow with pale brown interneural patches in most spaces, but in West African specimens sometimes less distinct between CuA2 and 1A+2A, and R3 and CuA1.The patch between CuA2 and 1A+2A is usually divided longitudinally. Hindwing pale buff-yellow. ABDOMEN: Dull orange dorsally with partial black segmental banding becoming fainter posteriorly; pale grey or dark buff laterally and ventrally. Genitalia: Posterior margin of eighth abdominal tergite narrow, tapered, and with two distinct short lobate terminal processes; eighth sternum with an acute medial sclerite and large lobate lateral sclerites. Coremata present. Saccus shallow, incomplete, and very weak. Juxta long, rounded basally, partially divided apically. Valva long, slender, s-shape and almost tubular section, extending beyond the apex of the uncus and terminating with a rounded setae covered tip. Projecting from the base and ventral edge of the valva is a long partially setose club-like process with a group of stout setae apically. Transtila arms short, robust and closely apposed. Uncus long, narrow, and tapering to a lightly hooked apex. Aedeagus without apical spines; vesica lightly scobinate and without cornuti. Female. Unknown.

Comments. Distinguished from other Afrotropical Spilosoma s.l. with interneural patches of grey-brown by its small size and more rounded forewings. The genitalia of this species appears distinct from other currently known African Arctiidae .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Figs. 1 – 2. Radiarctia screabile. 1. R. screabile displaying orange cervical hairs. 2. R. screabile type 2 sustained static display. Fig. 3. Binna penicillata, ♂, Kenya, Suna (BMNH). Figs. 4 – 6. Radiarctia spp. 4. R. screabile screabile, ♂, Zimbabwe, Harare (PGH). 5. R. screabile screabile, Ψ, Zimbabwe, Harare (PGH). 6. R. screabile nyangana, holotype ♂, Zimbabwe, Nyanga (BMNH). Figs. 7 – 8. Pseudoradiarctia spp. 7. P. rho de s i a na, ♂, Zimbabwe, Nyanga (PGH). 8. P. rhodesiana (Hampson), paralectotype Ψ, Zimbabwe, Harare (BMNH).

FIGURE 17 – 24. Fig. 17. P. scita, Ψ, South Africa, Natal, Umkomaas (BMNH) Fig. 18. Binna penicillata, holotype ♂ genitalia, Sierra Leone, slide 3475 (BMNH). Figs. 19 – 21. Radiarctia spp. genitalia. 19. R. screabile screabile, ♂ genitalia, Zimbabwe, Harare, slide S 113 (PGH). 20. R. screabile screabile, ♂ abdomen, Zimbabwe, Harare, slide S 113 (PGH). 21. R. screabile screabile, Ψ genitalia, Zimbabwe, Harare, slide S 158 (PGH). Figs. 22 – 24. Pseudoradiarctia spp. genitalia. 22. P. rh o d e s i a n a, lectotype ♂ genitalia, Zimbabwe, Harare, slide 136 (BMNH). 23. P. rh o d e s i a n a, ♂ abdomen, Zimbabwe, Nyanga, slide S 266 (PGH). 24. P. lentifasciata, ♂ genitalia, Zimbabwe, Harare, slide S 234 (PGH).