Felderiola xanthogaster, 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 : 22

Felderiola xanthogaster new sp.

Figs 52–54 , 129

Specimens examined. Holotype: ♀ ( Figs 52–53 ), Bronkhorstspruit, Renosterpoort [ South Africa, Gauteng Province, 10 km E of Bronkhorstspruit, Farm 498; 25°51 S, 28°51 E], 8.May.1975 ( TMPS).

Paratypes: ♀ ( Fig. 54 ) S.Rhodesia, Lomagundi [ Zimbabwe, Makonde District], 1.Dec.1938, R.H.R. Stevenson leg. (gen. prep. Bartsch 2012–01, Fig. 129 ) ( TMPS) ; ♀ “Pta.north, Tvl. S.Afr. ” [ South Africa, Transvaal , Pretoria north], 1.–8.Sept.1971, Malaise-trap, E. Holm ( SANC) .

The male is unknown. The type specimens are partly damaged and lack parts of their bodies, and the wing apexes are rubbed off. The holotype lacks the labial palpi and the fore legs except for the coxae. The paratype from TMPS lacks the antennae and the mid- and hind legs, the one from SANC lacks the right labial palpus, the left antenna and the mid legs. The pale yellow markings on head, thorax, legs and tergite 4 of the paratype specimens are bleached to creamy white.

Etymology. Ancient Greek: xanthos (= yellow); gaster (= belly).

Description of the female ( Figs 52–54 , 129 ). Wingspan 32–35 mm, forewing length 14–15 mm, antenna 7–8 mm, body 17–21 mm. Head with labial palpus smooth, pale yellow, terminal palpomere interspersed with brown, second and third palpomere of equal length; frons brownish-grey with pearly shine, laterally pale yellow; vertex dark brownish-grey, pericephalic scales white; antenna reddish-brown, covered with black scales. Thorax and abdomen dark brownish-grey; patagia laterally with pale yellow posterior margin; mesothorax with a pale yellow lateral stripe extending from cranial part of tegula below wing base to hindcoxa; tegula posteriorly and on fine inner margin as well as dorso-lateral scale tufts of metathorax pale yellow; anterior two-thirds of tergite 4 pale yellow; of tergites 4–6 with fine yellow posterior margins; sternites orange-yellow throughout; anal tuft very short, orange. Legs dark brownish-grey; tibia and first tarsomere of hind leg tufted with distad pointing, hair-like scales; hind coxa mixed with pale yellow; ventral edge of mid- and hind femur with pale yellow hair-like scales; hind tibia proximally with a pale yellow, patch at mesal side; hind tarsomeres except for first joint dorsally white. Wings almost hyaline with veins, margins, discal spot as well as costal- and apical area of forewing black, the latter rather narrow, apically broadest; forewing discal spot medially angled.

Genitalia. Ostium and antrum broad, the later enlarged and irregularly folded.

Variation. The paratype from Pretoria has the abdominal sternites only medially orange-yellow.

Diagnosis. F. xanthogaster is well characterized by the very long terminal palpomere of the labial palpus, the unmistakable orange-yellow sternites, the large transparent areas of the wings and the narrow, medially angled forewing discal spot. A. fusca is superficially somewhat similar, but easy to differentiate by the narrow yellow posterior margin of tergite 4 and the dark brownish-grey sternites (tergite 4 anteriorly broad white or yellow, sternites orange-yellow in F. xanthogaster ). The female genitalia differ from those of its congeners by the shorter and broader, irregularly folded antrum. The classification of F. xanthogaster is based on the lack of a haustellum and the structure of the female genitalia, especially the same length of anterior and posterior apophyses, the membranous antrum und the shape of the lamella postvaginalis. However, this must be considered provisionally without the knowledge of the male.

Figures

FIGURE 129. Female genitalia of Felderiola xanthogaster, paratype.

FIGURES 49–60. Specimens of Felderiola Naumann, 1971 and Monopetalotaxis Wallengren, 1859: 49–51. Felderiola karooensis new sp., Namibia, 15–16 km E Helmeringshausen, Lovedale guest farm, (49) ♂ holotype; (50–51) ♀ Paratype. 52– 54. Felderiola xanthogaster new sp., (52–53) ♀ holotype; (54) ♀, paratype. 55–60. Monopetalotaxis doleriformis (Walker, 1856), (55) ♂ holotype; (56) ♂ holotype of Aegeria taylori Druce, 1899; (57) ♂ holotype of Monopetalotaxis wahlbergi Wallengren, 1859; (58–59) ♂, Pretoria; (60) ♀, Johannesburg.