Felderiola candescens ( Felder & Felder, 1874 )

Bartsch, Daniel, 2013, Revisionary checklist of the Southern African Sesiini (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) with description of new species, Zootaxa 3741 (1), pp. 1-54 : 19-20

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-FFDD-4419-FF4F-FBE7FEBEDA36
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Felderiola candescens ( Felder & Felder, 1874 )
status

Treatment

Felderiola candescens ( Felder & Felder, 1874) View in CoL rev. comb. ( Trochilina )

Figs 43–48 View FIGURES 37–48 , 88 View FIGURES 84–91 , 96 View FIGURES 92–98 , 117 View FIGURES 117–118 , 127 View FIGURES 127–128 .

Literature. Felder & Felder 1874: 9, pl. 82; Boisduval 1875 [imprint “1874”]: 462 ( Sesia ); Hampson 1919: 58 ( Monopetalotaxis ); Dalla Torre & Strand 1925: 7 ( Monopetalotaxis ); Gaede 1929: 520 ( Monopetalotaxis ); Heppner & Duckworth 1981: 42 ( Monopetalotaxis ); Vári, Kroon & Krüger 2002: 67 ( Monopetalotaxis ); Pühringer & Kallies 2004: 44 ( Monopetalotaxis ).

Specimens examined. Syntype: 1 ♀ ( Fig. 45 View FIGURES 37–48 ) Africa mer. Knysna, Trimen leg. ( BMNH) .

Additional specimens examined: 1 ♂, W-Cape, Uitsig-farm near Clanwilliam, 31°58.3’S, 19°07.2E, 380 m, larva reared 29.Nov.1996, adult 1.–3.Jan.1997, Neser, Oberprieler & Stiller, emerged from stems [...] of rooibos tea [...] GoogleMaps ; 1 ♀, Willow More Brauns , 10.Feb.1921, Janse ; 1 ♂ ( Figs 43–44 View FIGURES 37–48 ; wing venation Fig. 88 View FIGURES 84–91 ), 1 ♀ ( Figs 46–47 View FIGURES 37–48 ), South Africa, Orange Free State, Bethlehem , 450 m, ex larva, imago emerged 17.Sep.1996, leg. P.S. Roos (gen. prep. Bartsch 2009 –27; 2009–28, Figs 117 View FIGURES 117–118 , 127 View FIGURES 127–128 ) ( CRH) .

Similar as in Austrosetia semirufa no information to the number of specimens was given in the original description. Thus, the only single female, which was found in the BMNH is here regarded a syntype. It is demaged, the thorax is broken, the legs and the tip of the right antenna are missing.

Description of the male ( Figs 43–44 View FIGURES 37–48 ). Wingspan 27–35 mm, forewing length 12–15 mm, antenna 8–9 mm, body 16–18 mm. Head with labial palpus white, second palpomere mesally and laterally with narrow black stripe, interspersed with some pinkish-red scales; frons bright white, upper part with some dark grey scales medially and a few pinkish-red scales near base of antenna; scales of vertex and pericephalic scales interspersed with black and brown, the latter laterally white; male antenna ( Fig. 96 View FIGURES 92–98 ) with rami short, extremely compact, nearly as broad as segment, covered with minute ciliae, causing the impression of a broad somewhat flattened ventrally velvety antenna. Thorax black, densely mixed with white and pinkish-red scales; pro- and mesothorax laterally with narrow, white patch, which extends from patagia to forewing base; dorso-lateral scale tufts of metathorax mixed black, white and pinkish-red, lateral scale tufts pale whitish-brown. Abdomen black, tergites 2, 4–7 and sternites scarcely interspersed with white and pinkish-red, partially hair-like scales; tergite 2 with broad white anterior margin; tergites 2 and 4–7 with narrow white posterior margin; anal tuft black. Legs black, sparsely mixed with white and pinkish-red scales; dorsal edge of femur of all legs as well as fore coxa laterally and hind tibia dorsomedially white; hind tibia with tufts of dark grey, hair-like scales; spurs grey. Wings brownish-black; forewing with veins, margins of transparent areas and distal part of apical area between the veins more or less suffused with pinkish-red; wing base distally with narrow, pinkish-red spot; longitudinal transparent area very short and narrow or absent, anterior transparent area short, exterior transparent area 4-partite, higher than broad, somewhat parallelogram-shaped. Hindwing with margins and discal spot broad, wing base and dorsum black.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 117 View FIGURES 117–118 ). As stated in the genus description. Gnathos laterally with strongly pointed projections; valva ovoid, somewhat upturned, ventral margin medially roundly enlarged, dorso-distal part of inner surface sparsely covered with short, bristle-like setae.

Redescription of the female ( Figs 46–48 View FIGURES 37–48 ). Larger and much stronger than the male. Two differently coloured forms are known, a bright yellow banded one with extensively pinkish-red suffused wings and an almost black one with more or less reduced markings; intermediate forms may exist. The yellow form has labial palpus yellow, distally interspersed with pinkish-red, a black stripe laterally; frons yellow, medially dark grey, laterally white; vertex yellow with some dark grey scales; antenna black, some yellow proximally and pinkish-red ventrally. Thorax black subdorsally with two yellow lines; mesal margin of tegula yellow; prothorax laterally as well as scale tufts of metathorax yellow. Abdomen with tergites 1 and 3 black; tergite 1 laterally with yellow patch; margins of tergites 2 and 4 anteriorly broad yellow and posteriorly fine black; tergites 3 and 5 each medially with a large yellow patch; tergites 5 and 6 with pale yellow posterior margins; sternites 1 and 2 black; sternite 2 medially, other sternites yellow throughout; anal tuft black, dorso-medially broad and laterally narrow orange-yellow. Legs black; fore coxa pale yellow; fore tibia orange-yellow; mid tibia with proximal half and distally yellow; hind tibia mediolaterally yellow and distally with narrow yellow ring; tarsomeres of all legs dorso-distally pinkish-red. The pinkishred colouration of the wings is much more extensive than in male. The black form has legs and abdomen black, anal tuft dorso-medially yellow; pinkish-red colouration of the wings reduced, except for apical area.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 118 View FIGURES 117–118 ). As specified in the genus description. Ostium rather narrow; ductus bursae wide; ductus seminalis diverges near bursa copulatrix.

Diagnosis. See F. karooensis .

Bionomics and habitat. Felderiola candescens is well known as a pest of Rooibos ( Aspalathus linearis , Fabaceae ). Often several larvae together bore in a single root, causing dry stems or the death of the host. Infestation is indicated by pale yellow expelled dust, adhering to the root. Fully grown larvae construct a short exit tube from frass and silk. Pupation takes place inside the gallery. Before hatching, the pupa emerges between the stem bases of the host, where the exhuvia can be found later ( Pretorius 2008; Hatting, Brand & Damavandian 2011; Toševski pers. com.).