Aurotalis delicatalis (Hampson, 1919)

Graziano Bassi, 2016, Studies on Afrotropical Crambinae (Lepidoptera, Pyraloidea, Crambidae): Notes on the genus Aurotalis Błeszyński, 1970, Revue suisse de Zoologie 123 (1), pp. 11-20 : 18

Aurotalis delicatalis (Hampson, 1919)

Figs 2 , 15, 16 , 21

Ommatopteryx delicatalis Hampson, 1919a: 535 . Euchromius delicatalis (Hampson, 1919) . – Błeszyński & Col- lins, 1962: 305.

Aurotalis delicatalis (Hampson, 1919) . – Schouten, 1992: 197.

Type locality: Malawi.

Diagnosis: The male is similar to A. cristata ( Fig. 1 ) in wingspan, but the forewing ground colour is yellow. The metallic silver discoidal lunule, bicolored median fascia in forewings and terminal spots beneath vein 5 distinguish A. delicatalis from the other congeners. The male genitalia are most similar to those of A. similis (Bassi, 1999: 16-19), but the phallus is without cornutus. The female genitalia are distinguished from those of other Aurotalis by the membranous sterigma and the narrow and membranous ductus bursae.

Additions to original description: Wingspan from 18 to 26 mm, with males smaller. Male sclerotizations of abdominal segment VIII as in Fig. 16 . Female abdominal segment VIII lightly sclerotized.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 15 ): Uncus slightly longer than gnathos, apically downcured, apex blunt. Gnathos tapered. Tegumen subtriangular. Vinculum narrow, without dorsal projection. Juxta flat. Peudosaccus small. Valva simple, narrowing apically. Phallus stout; vesica with several scobinations.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 21 ): Papillae anales with apical margin straight, ventrally blunt. Both apophyses well developed. Sterigma membranous. Ductus bursae wrinkled, 0.2x length of corpus bursae. Corpus bursae large, suboval, wrinkled and weakly spinulate basally. Ductus ejaculatorius opening in lateral expansion of corpus bursae, proximally at 0.2.

Distribution: Malawi, RSA.

Figures

Figs 1 - 6. Adults of Aurotalis spp. (1) A. cristata sp. n., male paratype, Zimbabwe, wingspan 20 mm. (2) A. delicatalis (Hampson), female, RSA, wingspan 26 mm. (3) A. dicksoni sp. n., holotype, wingspan 28 mm. (4) A. nigrisquamalis (Hampson), male, RSA, wingspan 28 mm. (5) A. dionisa Błeszyński, female, Namibia, wingspan 28 mm. (6) A. similis Bassi, male, Zimbabwe, wingspan 28 mm.

Figs 13 - 20. Aurotalis spp., genitalia and male abdominal segment VIII. (13) A. dionisa Błeszyński, male genitalia, Namibia. (14) The same, phallus. (15) A. delicatalis (Hampson), RSA, phallus extracted on the right. (16) A. delicatalis, sclerotizations of abdominal segment VIII. (17) A. cristata sp. n., Zimbabwe, sclerotizations of abdominal segment VIII. (18) A. dionisa Błeszyński, Namibia, sclerotizations of abdominal segment VIII. (19) A. nigrisquamalis (Hampson), Swaziland, sclerotizations of abdominal segment VIII. (20) The same, female genitalia, RSA.

Figs 21 - 25. Aurotalis spp., female genitalia and tympanal organs. (21) A. delicatalis (Hampson), female, RSA. (22) A. dionisa Błeszyński, female, Namibia. (23) A. dionisa Błeszyński, male, Namibia. (24) A. cristata sp. n., female paratype, RSA. (25) A. dicksoni sp. n., male paratype.