Aurotalis nigrisquamalis (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 : 20

Aurotalis nigrisquamalis (Hampson, 1919)

Figs 4 , 9 , 19, 20

Conotalis nigrisquamalis Hampson, 1919b: 151 .

Type locality: RSA.

Diagnosis: This species is similar in size and wing markings to A. dionisa Błeszyński ( Fig. 5 ) and A. similis Bassi ( Fig. 6 ) but the forewing ground colour is yellow with orange medial and subterminal fasciae, and the hindwings are yellow suffused brown with a partial subterminal dark line. In the male genitalia the bifurcate gnathos, the stout valva, and the phallus with two lateral sclerotized bands will readily separate this species from other members of the genus. In the female genitalia, the papillae anales with upturned ventral tip and the ductus bursae short and strongly sclerotized are diagnostic.

Additions to original description: Fresh adult habitus as in Fig. 4 . Sclerotizations of abdominal segment VIII as in Fig. 19 .

Male genitalia. Whole genitalia as in Fig. 9 , with the ventral enlargement close to the uncus tip, bilobed gnathos, and phallus with two lateral and medio-distal sclerotized bands.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 20 ): Papillae anales stout, upturned posteriorly and with globular bottom down bulge. Ductus bursae short, irregularly sclerotized. Corpus bursae suboval, lightly wrinkled. Ductus ejaculatorius opening in small enlargement of proximal third of corpus bursae.

Distribution: Lesotho, RSA, Swaziland, Zimbabwe.

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 7 - 9. Crambinae spp., male genitalia, differences among close genera. (7) Ancylolomia planicosta Martin, RSA. (8) Prionotalis balia (Tams), Tanzania. (9) Aurotalis cristata sp. n., Zimbabwe. Arrow = valva; flash arrow = vinculum; thick bar = tegumen

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.