Sesamia kalale Le Ru, 2024

Hévin, Noémie M. C., Kergoat, Gael J., Zilli, Alberto, Capdevielle-Dulac, Claire, Musyoka, Boaz K., Sezonlin, Michel, Conlong, Desmond, Van Den Berg, Johnnie, Ndemah, Rose, Le Gall, Philippe, Cugala, Domingos, Nyamukondiwa, Casper, Pallangyo, Beatrice, Njaku, Mohamedi, Goftishu, Muluken, Assefa, Yoseph, Kandonda, Onésime Mubenga, Bani, Grégoire, Molo, Richard, Chipabika, Gilson, Ong’amo, George, Clamens, Anne-Laure, Barbut, Jérôme & Le Ru, Bruno, 2024, Revisiting the taxonomy and molecular systematics of Sesamia stemborers (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Apameini: Sesamiina): updated classification and comparative evaluation of species delimitation methods, Arthropod Systematics & amp; Phylogeny 82, pp. 447-501 : 447-501

Sesamia kalale Le Ru sp. nov.

Figures 2 I – J ; 3 C, J ; 6

Type material.

Holotype ♂, ZAMBIA, Occidental Province , Kaoma, Kalale, 14 ° 47 ′ 55 ″ S, 25 ° 19 ′ 16 ″ E, 1154 m a. s. l., III. 2012, ex light trap., gen. prep. LE RU Bruno / 114 , (B. Le Ru leg.) ( MNHN).

Diagnosis.

(See also the identification key of calamistis species subgroup, section 3.32). This species can be distinguished from the other known members of the calamistis subgroup by the combination of the following characters of the male genitalia: vinculum v-shaped at the outer margin, w-shaped at the inner margin without indentation, with a medium large saccus; apical extension of the sacculus as long as the cucullus, tapered and pointed at apex; juxta large and trapezoidal, the inferior plate v-shaped, the sides pointed, the superior plate wide and short, with blunted ends; phallus short and thick; vesica with a small flat triangular cornutus.

Description.

(Fig. 2 I, J ). Antenna ochraceous, shortly bipectinate at base and serrate at apex, flagellum adorned dorsally with ochraceous scales; palpus ochraceous; eyes brown. Head and thorax covered with light buff hairs. Forelegs of male ochraceous, otherwise light buff suffused with fuscous scales. Forewing light ochraceous heavily suffused with dark ochraceous and fuscous scales; three dark brown spots, one antemedial and one postmedial below the cell, one at apex of cell; a longitudinal fuscous fascia along lower margin of cell, partly within, partly without cell from base of cell to the subterminal line; outer margin adorned with brown spots between the veins, fringe light buff. Hindwing white, fringe concolor (white), basal line of fringe buff. Underside of forewing light buff, heavily suffused with ochraceous and fuscous scales, fringe buff suffused with fuscous scales; underside of hindwing white suffused with ochraceous and fuscous scales in costal area, fringe concolor (white). — Forewing length: male 22 mm (N = 1). — Male genitalia (Fig. 3 C, J ). Tegumen with large peniculi; vinculum v-shaped at the outer margin, w-shaped at the inner margin without indentation, with a medium large saccus. Valve with sacculus and cucullus separate; costa short and narrow, heavily sclerotized, ending with a long curved spine, with an apical tooth; sacculus heavily sclerotized rounded at base, a narrow and elongated apical extension as long as the cucullus, slightly curved inwards, adorned outwards with rows of short stout spines, pointed at apex; cucullus long, weakly sclerotized, very clavate at apex, with scattered and papillated hairs; juxta large and trapezoidal, the inferior plate v-shaped, the sides pointed, the superior plate wide and short, with blunted ends; uncus angled and stout at base, narrowed in distal part, pointed at apex, tufted with long hairs on upper side; phallus short and thick, dilated at base; lamina ventralis with an elongate carinal crest; vesica with a small flat triangular cornutus.

Etymology.

Named after Kalale a small village in the Occidental Province of Zambia; treated as a noun in apposition.

Distribution.

Zambia. Known from one locality only in ‘ wetter Zambezian miombo woodland (dominated by Brachystegia Benth. , Julbernardia Pellegr. and Isoberlinia Craib & Stapf ) ’ (Mosaic # 25) vegetation mosaic ( White 1983) (Fig. 6 ) belonging to the Zambezian bioregion (sensu Linder et al. 2012).

Ecology.

Unknown; the only known specimen was caught with a light trap along the banks of a small river.

Figures

Figure 2. Adults of the calamistis subgroup (S. calamistis, S. kabirara sp. nov., S. kalale sp. nov., S. madagascariensis, S. mapalense sp. nov., S. monodi, S. oriaula and S. teke sp. nov.). S. calamistis: A male upper side; B male underside; C female upper side; D female underside; S. kabirara sp. nov.: E male upper side; F male underside, G female upper side; H female underside; S. kalale sp. nov.: I male upper side; J male underside; S. madagascariensis: K male upper side; L male underside, M female upper side; N female underside; S. mapalense sp. nov.: O male upper side; P male underside, Q female upper side; R female underside; S. monodi: S male upper side; T male underside; U original label type from MNHN; S. oriaula: V male upper side; W male underside; X female upper side; Y female underside; S. teke sp. nov.: Z female upper side; AA female underside. Scale bar = 10 mm.

Figure 3. Male genitalia of members of the calamistis subgroup, with the vesica inside the phallus. S. calamistis: A apparatus; H phallus; S. kabirara sp. nov.: B apparatus; I phallus; S. kalale sp. nov.: C apparatus; J phallus; S. madagascariensis: D apparatus; K phallus; S. mapalense: E apparatus; L phallus; S. monodi: F apparatus; M phallus (poorly prepared, damaged); S. oriaula: G apparatus; N phallus. Scale bar = 1 mm for apparatus and 0.5 mm for phalli.

Figure 6. Distribution map of sampled specimens of the calamistis subgroup, with the exception of S. calamistis specimens.