Acrapex simillima Le Ru, 2017

Bruno Le Ru, Claire Capdevielle-Dulac, Boaz K. Musyoka, Beatrice Pallangyo, Mohamedi Njaku & Onésime Mubenga, 2017, Phylogenetic analysis and systematics of the Acrapex unicolora Hampson species complex (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Noctuinae, Apameini), with the description of Fve new species from the Afrotropics, European Journal of Taxonomy 270, pp. 1-36 : 24-25

Acrapex simillima Le Ru sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:336CE140-8928-451F-A33F-CC74CBBEF930

Figs 3G , 8E–F , 9A

Diagnosis

Female easily separated from females of other species of the group by the sclerotized, band-like ventral plate, strongly concave on the front ( Fig. 3G ).

Etymology

The species epithet refers to the close similarity of the wing pattern with that of A. mediopuncta ( Bowden, 1956) .

Material examined

Holotype

UGANDA: ♀, Southern Region, Kayanga Forest, 00°22.027' S, 30°06.722' E, 1447 m a.s.l., 6 Apr. 2006, ex larva (in stem of Setaria megaphylla (Steud) Dur. & Schinz. ), B. Le Ru leg. (MNHN, gen. prep. LERU Bruno/G69).

Paratypes

KENYA: 2 ♀♀, Western Province, Kakamega Forest, 00°22.530' N, 34°53.660' E, 1430 m a.s.l., May 2007, ex larva (in stem of Setaria megaphylla ), B. Le Ru leg. (MNHN, gen. prep. LERU Bruno/G31).

UGANDA: 3 ♀♀, same date and locality as holotype, ex light trap, B. Le Ru leg. (MNHN, gen. prep. LERU Bruno/G32, G770).

Description ( Fig. 8E–F )

Antennae ochreous, fliform; fagellum ochreous, palpus ochreous, eyes black. Head and base of thorax brown, thorax ochreous; legs brown, suffused with ochreous scales, ringed with ochreous; abdomen ochreous, suffused with fuscous scales.

FORE WING. Ground colour bright ochreous, suffused with dark ochreous and fuscous scales, more heavily between veins and on costal area; reniform indicated by few white scales, surrounded by some black scales; longitudinal brown median fascia along lower external margin of cell, ending obliquely at apex, adorned with two black elongated spots between veins; row of black elongated spots between veins on margin; fringe ochreous, suffused with brown. Underside of fore wing with ground colour ochreous, heavily suffused with fuscous and brown scales.

HIND WING. Ground colour grey white, strongly suffused with fuscous scales, more heavily on costa and apex; veins slightly irrorated, with fuscous scales; fringe grey white, suffused with fuscous. Underside of hind wing grey white, suffused with fuscous scales, but much more heavily on costa and apex; veins slightly irrorated, with fuscous scales.

WINGSPAN. 26–32 mm (7 ♀♀).

LARVAL L5 INSTAR ( Fig. 9A ). Length 20–25mm, width 2.5 mm; head smooth, black, prothoracic shield brown; body with ground colour dark pink, pinacula and caudal plate black. Young larvae very similar to mature ones.

FEMALE GENITALIA ( Fig. 3G ). Corpus bursae elongated, ovoid and globular, without signa; ductus seminalis from base of bursae; ductus bursae about less than half length of corpus bursae, not sclerotised on bursa side, widening and slightly sclerotised on ostial side; antrum ovoid, with sclerotized, band-like ventral plate, strongly concave on front; ovipositor lobes relatively short (2 times as long as wide), with bluntly pointed apex, dorsal surface bearing numerous short and stout setae.

Bionomics

Acrapex simillima sp. nov. is a markedly forest species, inhabiting open patches of grasses along forest roads. Larvae were all collected at the bottom of young stems of S. megaphylla ( Table 3 ) and were always solitary. Typically, plants exhibiting signs of infestation by A. simillima sp. nov. larvae have a curled, brown central leaf. One pupa was found in a stem; however, as in most species of Acrapex , most larvae probably pupate in the soil near exit holes.

Distribution

Kenya and Uganda. The records are from Guineo-Congolian rain forests (Mosaic #1) ( White 1983) ( Fig. 4 ), belonging to the Congolian bioregion ( Linder et al. 2012) ( Fig. 5 ).

Figures

Fig. 3. Female genitalia of species of Acrapex. A. A. cuprescens (Hampson, 1910). B. A. kafula le Ru sp. nov. C. A. kiakouama le Ru sp. nov. D. A. mediopuncta (Bowden, 1956). E. A. miscantha le Ru sp. nov. F. A. parvaclara Berio, 1973. G. A. simillima le Ru sp. nov. H. A. unicolora (Hampson, 1910). Scale bars = 1 mm.

Fig. 4. Distribution map of sampled specimens of Acrapex Hampson, 1891.

Fig. 5. Major bioregions, modifed after Linder et al. (2012).

Fig. 8. Adults of species of Acrapex. – A – D. A. parvaclara Berio, 1973. A. ♂, upper side. B. ♂, under side. C. ♀, upper side. D. ♀, under side. – E – F. A. simillima le Ru sp. nov. E. ♀, upper side. F. ♀, under side. – G – J. A. unicolora (Hampson, 1910). G. ♂, upper side. H. ♂, under side. I. ♀, upper side. J. ♀, under side. Scale bars = 10 mm.

Fig. 9. Last instar larva. A. Acrapex simillima le Ru sp. nov. B. A. unicolora (Hampson, 1910). Scale bar = 10 mm.