Alonina fusca, Bartsch, 2013

Bartsch, Daniel, 2013, Revisionary checklist of the Southern African Sesiini (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) with description of new species, Zootaxa 3741 (1), pp. 1-54 : 12

Alonina fusca new sp.

Figs 25–27 , 112

Specimens examined. Holotype: ♂ ( Figs 25–26 ) Eastern Cape, Beacon Bay , 25.Mar.1989, A. Duke leg. (gen. prep. Bartsch 2010–18, Fig. 112 ) ( TMPS).

Paratype: ♀ ( Fig. 27 ) Cape, East London, Buffalo Pass , 7.May.1985, N.J. Duke leg. ( TMPS) .

Etymology. Latin fuscus (= brown).

Description of the male ( Fig. 25–26 ). Wingspan 27 mm, forewing length 12 mm, antenna 7 mm, body 17 mm. Head with labial palpus smooth, dorsally whitish-grey, ventrally pale yellow, first and second palpomere laterally brownish-black, third dorsally grey; frons grey; vertex brownish-grey, occipitally somewhat paler; pericephalic scales grey; antenna rather short, yellowish-brown, dorsally interspersed with black, scapus ventrally and tip of flagellum dorsally black. Thorax and abdomen dark brownish-grey, thorax and tergites 1–4 in particular dorsally densely interspersed with black scales; tegula anteriorly and posteriorly and posterior margin of metathorax narrow auburn; scapular spot brown, anteriorly yellow; metathorax laterally with a narrow, yellow spot; scale tufts of mesothorax dorsally brown, laterally yellow; tergite 1 black, tergite 2 dorso-laterally with oblique, yellow, black framed stripe of rough scales; tergite 3 dorso-laterally auburn; tergites 5–7 interspersed with auburn scales; posterior margin of segment 4 entirely and of sternites 2 and 3 medially fine, pale yellow. Anal tuft brown, ventroproximally mixed with auburn. Legs brownish-black; fore leg with coxa laterally and distally mixed with yellow, femur dorsally orange-red; mid leg with dorsal edge of femur orange-yellow, tibia laterally mixed with auburn, distally with narrow white ring; hind tibia tufted with distad pointing, hair-like scales, mesally dark brownish black, laterally auburn, medially a narrow white spot; mid- and hind tarsus laterally brown, distally some auburn scales, mesally orange-yellow throughout; spurs of all legs pale grey. Wings hyaline; veins, margins, discal spots and fringes merely brownish-black; forewing with narrow proximally orange-red, distally black basal spot; subcosta fine orange-red marked; anal margin auburn, except for dark brown basal part; discal spot distally fine auburn bordered; apical area very narrow, cubitus branches strongly approximated with auburn scaled interspaces; hindwing with discal spot reduced; underside of both wings somewhat paler, auburn coloration of forewing discal spot more extensive; fringes brownish-black, at hindwing dorsum distally yellow.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 112 ). As stated in the genus description. Valva broad, rectangular, dorso-distally slightly pointed, ventro-distally somewhat angled with almost straight margins.

Description of the female ( Fig. 27 ). Somewhat larger than the male with wingspan 29 mm, pattern similar, but slightly paler; labial palpus whitish; first palpomere ventrally auburn, second and third about equal in length; frons, vertex and pericephalic scales pale grey; antenna orange-brown. Patagia laterally auburn; pro-thorax laterally with a narrow auburn stripe cranial of wing base; dorso-lateral scale tufts of mesothorax laterally white, tergites 5 and 6 as well as anal tuft brownish-grey, the latter very small. Fore leg with coxa laterally auburn, distally white; all tibiae and tarsi ventrally orange-yellow; hind tibia mesally pale brown; spurs of all legs whitish. Genitalia not dissected.

Variation. Unknown.

Diagnosis. Alonina fusca is a dark coloured, unmistakable species. The superficially somewhat similar Felderiola xanthogaster is easy to differentiate by the lack of a functional haustellum, the pale yellow anterior half of tergite 4 and the orange-yellow coloured sternites. The structure of the male genitalia of A. fusca is very similar to that of A. luteopunctata , A. rufa and A. pyrocraspis , but differs by the more rectangular valva with almost straight margins, which is ventro-distally somewhat angled, not regularly curved. A. rufa differs further by the semitransparent orange hindwing dorsum.

Figures

FIGURES 25–36. Specimens of Alonina Walker, 1856; Anaudia Wallengren, 1863 and Austrosetia Felder & Felder, 1874: 25– 27. Alonina fusca new sp. (25–26) ♂ holotype; (27) ♀ paratype. 28–32. Anaudia felderi Wallengren, 1863, (28–29) ♂, pale specimen, Northern Cape, Kalahari, ca. 50 km E Hotazel, Tswalu Resort; (30) ♂, dark specimen, ibid.; (31) ♀ syntype; (32) ♀, Tswalu Resort. 33. Anaudia thyranthrena new sp., ♂ holotype. 34 Alonina rufa new sp., ♀, paratype, Knysna (paralectotype of Austrosetia semirufa Felder & Felder, 1874). 35–36. Austrosetia semirufa Felder & Felder, 1874: (35) ♀ lectotype; (36) ♀, original figure.

FIGURES 111–112. Male genitalia of Alonina Walker, 1856: (111) A. rufa new sp., paratype; (112) A. fusca new sp., paratype.