Alonina rygchiiformis Walker, 1856

Bartsch, Daniel, 2013, Revisionary checklist of the Southern African Sesiini (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) with description of new species, Zootaxa 3741 (1), pp. 1-54 : 8-9

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.3741.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6B2E0F80-73A2-4F66-B1A6-2D9481EAAB74
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03E587E7-FFC8-4402-FF4F-F9B4FEE7D96B
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Alonina rygchiiformis Walker, 1856
status

Treatment

Alonina rygchiiformis Walker, 1856 View in CoL

Figs 7–12 View FIGURES 1–12 , 85 View FIGURES 84–91 , 93 View FIGURES 92–98 , 100 View FIGURES 99–106 , 109 View FIGURES 109–110 .

= Alonina difformis Hampson, 1919 View in CoL new syn.

Literature. Boisduval 1875 [imprint “1874”]: 464 (as A. rygchiformis [sic]); Hampson 1919: 78 (as A. rhynchiiformis View in CoL [sic]); Dalla Torre & Strand 1925: 120 (as A. rhynchiformis View in CoL [sic]); Fletcher 1929: 10 (as A. rhynchiiformis View in CoL [sic]); Gaede 1929: 527; Heppner & Duckworth 1981: 42; Vári, Kroon & Krüger 2002: 67; Pühringer & Kallies 2004: 43.

Specimens examined. Type specimens. Alonina rygchiiformis . Holotype: ♂ ( Fig. 7 View FIGURES 1–12 ) “Port Natal” [ South Africa, Durban ] ( BMNH).

Alonina difformis . Syntypes: 2 ♂ ( Fig. 8 View FIGURES 1–12 ), 1 ♀ ( Fig. 9 View FIGURES 1–12 ) “Natal, Durban” ( BMNH) .

The holotype of Alonina rygchiiformis is a male and not a female as originally denoted.

Alonina difformis is here considered a variation of A. rygchiiformis . Only minute differences in the coloration of the hind tibia could be found: it is entirely black in the type specimens of A. difformis but marked by an orange lateral patch in the holotype of A. rygchiiformis and in the specimens from Kenya.

Additional specimens: 1 ♂, South Africa, Port Elisabeth, Zwartkop. , Dec.1921, Brauns leg., coll. Janse (gen. prep. Bartsch 2008 –08, Fig. 109 View FIGURES 109–110 ) ( TMPS) . 1 ♀ ( Fig. 12 View FIGURES 1–12 ), ex. coll. Akerman ( TMPS) ; 1 ♂ ( Figs 10–11 View FIGURES 1–12 ): Kenya, Eastern Province, road Meru to Nyambeni Hills , 10 km N/E Meru, 1540 m, 0°06’10.2N, 37°39’55.8’’E, 2.Dec.2002, at pheromone, D. Bartsch leg. (gen. prep. Bartsch 2007–09, not figured; wing venation Fig. 85 View FIGURES 84–91 ) ( SMNS) GoogleMaps ; 2 ♂, Kenya, Coast Province , Malindi, Dec.1992, Dr. Schwedler leg. ( CRH) .

Redescription of the male ( Figs 7–8, 10–11 View FIGURES 1–12 ). Wingspan 32–40 mm, forewing length 14–18 mm, antenna 10.0–11.5 mm, body 15–23 mm. Head with labial palpus orange-brown, ventro-laterally sparsely interspersed with black; frons grey with orange tinge; vertex and pericephalic scales auburn, vertex medially and pericephalic scales dorsally mixed with black; antenna orange-brown, scapus dorsally black, ventrally light orange-brown, proximal third of dorsal rami elongated ( Figs 93 View FIGURES 92–98 , 100 View FIGURES 99–106 ). Abdomen spindle-shaped, caudally tapering; thorax and abdomen black, dorsally auburn, occasionally interspersed with black scales, except for patagia; thorax as well as first abdominal segment densely mottled with long hair-like scales; anal tuft mixed auburn and black. Legs black; fore- and mid tibia orange; hind leg with tibia and first tarsomere elongated, exceeding abdomen, dorsally and mesally covered with long and rough, hair-like, distad pointing scales; hind tibia black, dorso-proximally usually with a large and latero-distally with a small orange patch; all tarsi orange-yellow; spurs whitish. Wings with membrane partially darkened yellowish, except for distal parts; apical area of forewing very small; margins, veins and discal spots auburn, occasionally interspersed with black scales, blackish towards wing base; fringes black.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 109 View FIGURES 109–110 ). As stated in the genus description. Valva broad, rectangular; dorsal margin straight, apically somewhat humped; distal margin concave; ventral margin straight, forming a unique, semicircular, well sclerotized, dorsad folded, sparsely with short and spine-like setae covered lobe, dorso-proximal part of the lobe with sclerotized thorn-like setae.

Redescription of the female ( Figs 9, 12 View FIGURES 1–12 ). Wingspan 44–46 mm, forewing length 19–20 mm, antenna 12 mm, body 23–24 mm. Head rather similar to that of the male, but labial palpus ventro-laterally more strongly interspersed with black; vertex darker, black with some auburn scales. Abdomen broad cylindrical, caudally truncated; thorax and abdomen almost black; patagia with reddish tinge; abdomen posteriorly interspersed with reddish scales; anal tuft smallish, black, dorso-medially orange-red. Legs black; tibiae and hind tarsus densely covered with rough, orange-red scales; hind tibia entirely covered with long and rough, black scales. Transparent areas of forewing covered with semi-transparent, orange scales; towards wing base increasingly covered with black scales; wing base, margins and broad apical area black; veins and discal spot auburn. Hindwing with base and margins black, medio-costal part orange-red; other wing parts sparsely covered with black scales (probably lost during flight). Genitalia not examined.

Diagnosis. Due to its imposing dimensions and unique colouration, Alonina rygchiiformis , especially the female, is rather unmistakable. The male has the shape of the wings and colouration somewhat similar to A. fusca new sp., but differs by the partially yellowish darkened wing membrane (crystal clear in A. fusca ) and the orange marked legs and antennae (black in A. fusca ). The male genitalia of A. rygchiiformis ( Fig. 109 View FIGURES 109–110 ) can be distinguished from all congeners by the shape of the valva, in particular by the unique, semicircular lobe of the ventral margin.