Acteniopsis gambronensis, Alipanah & Asselbergs, 2018

Alipanah, Helen & Asselbergs, Jan, 2018, Acteniopsis gambronensis sp. n. (Pyralidae: Pyralinae), a new species from Iran, with a revision of the genus Acteniopsis Amsel, 1959, Nota Lepidopterologica 41 (1), pp. 87-97 : 88-91

Acteniopsis gambronensis sp. n.

Material examined.

Holotype ♂, Iran, Hormozgān Prov.: Isin, Geno , 750 m a.s.l., 25.IV.1986, Mirzāyāns, Borumand leg. ; Paratypes 2 ♂♂ 3 ♀♀, same data as the Holotype. Deposited at HMIM, IRIPP, Tehran, Iran (GS: HA-2151, HA-2307, HA-2309) .

Diagnosis.

Both Acteniopsis gambronensis and A. kurdistanella are similar to each other in wing venation and shape of the maxillary palpi and labial palpi; however their wing pattern is slightly different. In A. gambronensis , the antemedian and postmedian lines are clearly visible, while in A. kurdistanella the antemedian line is very weak and sometimes hardly distinguishable. In A. kurdistanella the two transverse lines are reddish-brown, but these lines are white in A. gambronensis . The forewing of A. kurdistanella is pale clay-coloured, while in A. gambronensis the ground colour is pale-ochreous to yellowish-ochre (Figs 1C, D ).

Although these two species are similar in the shape of the male genitalia, there are some differences:

1) In A. gambronensis the phallus is straight and cleaver-shaped (its width in the proximal half is half length of its width in the distal part) (Fig. 2A ), while in A. kurdistanella it is slightly curved and is equally wide throughout its length (Fig. 2B ).

2) In A. gambronensis the gnathos does not extend to the distal margin of the uncus and is almost straight apically (Fig. 2A ), but in A. kurdistanella it reaches the distal margin or is slightly exceeding it with a small hook at the apex (Figs 2B, C ).

3) Although as stated by Amsel (1959), in A. kurdistanella the uncus has parallel margins, in all the examined Iranian A. kurdistanella specimens, it was slightly constricted basally (Fig. 2B ); while in A. gambronensis the width of both proximal and distal ends were the same (Fig. 2A ).

4) The longer arm of anchor-shaped cornutus in A. gambronensis is almost finger-shaped (Figs 2A, D ), but in A. kurdistanella is tapering to a point (Figs 2B, E ).

Examination of the female genitalia of A. gambronensis and the newly described genitalia of A. kurdistanella reveals that the latter species is very close to A. gambronensis in this regard. The only differences of these two species are as below:

1) In A. gambronensis the ductus bursae is relatively wide and bulbous near the junction with the antrum, with an almost knee-shaped bend (Figs 3A, C ), whilst in A. kurdistanella it is slightly narrowed posteriorly at the junction with the antrum, with an upturned bend (Figs 3B, D ).

2) In A. gambronensis the folded area of the antrum is clearly extended to the posterior end of ductus bursae (Figs 3A, C ), whereas in A. kurdistanella this area is slightly extended to the posterior end of the ductus bursae (Figs 3B, D ).

Description. Female slightly larger than the male. Forewing length, males x¯ = 6.5 mm ± 0.5 (n = 3), females x¯ = 7.1 mm ± 0.56 (n = 3), Holotype, 6.5 mm.

Head (Figs 1A, B ). Chaetosemata and ocelli present; frons smooth; frons and vertex covered with relatively wide, white smooth scales (sometimes tinged with pale yellow scales); occipital area roofed with relatively narrow and slightly appressed white scales; collar covered with relatively wide uniformly yellowish-cream scales; labial palpi porrect with slightly drooping apex, its length 1.45-1.70 times the horizontal diameter of compound eye (n = 6), second segment the longest, first segment almost two-thirds of the second one and apical segment very short, slightly more than one-fifth of the second segment. Labial palpi covered with light-ochreous scales tinged with slightly to much darker scales latero-ventrally, except for distal one-fifth (or slightly less than this) which is white dorso-laterally (Fig. 1B ), all the segments white internally except for darker ventro-marginal sides; maxillary palpi short (slightly more than one-fifth of the length of labial palpi), covered with pale-ochreous scales laterally; proboscis covered with light ochre to ochreous-creamy scales basally; antennae annulated with alternative light brown and creamy scales dorsally, and ciliated ventrally. In male, each flagellum with a transverse row of at least ten long ciliae ventrally, the lateral ciliae the longest, length of the longest cilia almost two times the width of shaft (Figs 4C, E ); in female each with a row of several short ventral ciliae (length of cilia less that the width of the shaft). Length of the antennae slightly more than half length of the forewing. Thorax, tegulae, and abdomen covered with yellowish-creamy and creamy scales, respectively.

Forewing (Fig. 1C ) an elongated triangle, ground colour pale-ochreous to yellowish-ochre with two white antemedian and postmedian transverse lines, the antemedian line from the base at slightly beyond one-fifth of the forewing length, edged with darker scales externally, and straight to slightly convex medially, postmedian line from the base to slightly behind four-fifth of the forewing length, edged with darker scales internally, slightly convexed near to costal margin and then slightly concaved at two-thirds of its length from costal margin. The area between the two transverse lines slightly darker than the ground colour, and without discocellular stigma. Costal margin from the base to postmedian line with nine narrow, brown longitudinal stripes with different length at the upper as well as at the underside, alternating with short white stripes. Fringes creamy-white with some scattered pale-ochreous scales. Hindwing (Fig. 1C ) creamy-white with some scattered light-brown scales concentrated in the middle part and absent both at costal and internal margins, and some scattered light-brown scales at the internal margin of termen. In some species these scales are hardly visible. Fringes in the same colour as the hindwing. Underside of the both fore- and hindwing yellowish-creamy, but in the forewing with scattered pale-ochreous scales and some pale-ochreous ones at the area of postmedian line, close to the costal margin.

Male genitalia (Figs 2A, D ) (n = 1). Uncus rectangular and apically rounded, with the same width throughout the length; free end of gnathos lanceolate, apically without clear hook; tegumen relatively wide, its width two times the width of uncus; valva nearly straight, slightly narrowed distally, proximal end of valva at costal margin with a small semicircular plate; sacculus prominent; width of juxta slightly decreasing distally; vinculum almost triangular with pointed tip; phallus cleaver-shaped, width of the basal half nearly half length of distal half, slightly shorter than the length of valva, with orifice of vesica positioned mid-ventrally, cornutus as an asymmetrical anchor-shaped sclerotized structure, and some minute spines arranged distally.

Female genitalia (Figs 3A, C ) (n = 2). Papillae anales almost semi-ovoid with rounded tip, covered with both short and relatively long hairs; apophyses posteriores very long, 2.77-2.85 times the length of apophyses anteriores, and slightly narrowed posteriorly, apophyses anteriores slightly thicker than apophyses posteriores and slightly curved posteriorly; ostium bursae very small and rounded, positioned at the bottom of a cavity produced by membranous area between eighth and seventh abdominal sternite; antrum membranous, short and tube-shaped, surrounded by folded walls on lateral sides. The folded area clearly extended to the posterior end of ductus bursae; colliculum absent; ductus bursae relatively wide, bulbous near the junction with antrum, with an almost knee-shaped bend at this area; ductus seminalis originates from the bulbous area of ductus bursae in the back (Figs 3A, C ); border of ductus bursae and corpus bursae more or less indistinguishable; corpus bursae pear-shaped and without signum; eighth abdominal tergite with a distinct triangular plate in the middle; length of the seventh abdominal segment almost twice the eighth segment.

Distribution.

Iran: Hormozgan Province (Isin).

Etymology.

Isin (the type locality of the new species) is a rural district in the central district of Bandar Abbas County, Hormozgan Province, and this species is named according to the old name of Bandar Abbas, i.e. “Gambron”.

Biology.

Unknown.

Figures

Figure 1. Acteniopsis gambronensis sp. n. head and adult male (A-C), and A. kurdistanella Amsel, adult female (D). A) head in frontal view, B) head in lateral view, C) adult male (Holotype, Iran, Hormozgan Prov., Isin). Scale bars: 1 cm.

Figure 2. Male genitalia in A. gambronensis sp. n. (A, D) and A. kurdistanella Amsel (B, C, E), and phallus in S. robustus (F). A, B) main armature and phallus, C) distal part of uncus and gnathos in lateral view, D, E) distal part of phallus in lateral view, showing cornutus.

Figure 3. Female genitalia in A. gambronensis sp. n. (A, C) and A. kurdistanella Amsel (B, D). A, B) genitalia in ventral view, C, D) middle part of genitalia. Upper and lower arrows in figure C indicate the folded area at the anterior end of ductus bursae and locus of origin of the ductus seminalis, respectively and in figure D indicates the locus of origin of the ductus seminalis.

Figure 4. Wings venation (A, B) in A. kurdistanella (A) and S. brunnealis (B), and stylized drawings of ventral ciliae of the antennae (C-E) in A. gambronensis sp. n. (C) and S. brunnealis (D, E). C, D) in ventral view, E) in lateral view, showing ciliae of the left part.