Acrapex miscantha 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 : 19-21

Acrapex miscantha Le Ru sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A4657886-D162-4D14-BCD4-46C7A02CC426

Figs 3E , 7F–G

Diagnosis

Female easily separated from females of other species of the group by the strongly curved and toothshaped ovipositor lobes ( Fig. 3E ).

Etymology

Named after the host-plant Miscanthus violaceus (K.Schum.) Pilg. in Uganda.

Material examined

Holotype

UGANDA: ♀, Occidental Province, Kyenjojo, Kazizi, 00°33.865' N, 30°49.117' E, 1251 m a.s.l., 24 May 2014, ex larva (in stems of Miscanthus violaceus ), B. Le Ru leg. (MNHN, gen. prep. LERU Bruno/G734).

Description ( Fig. 7F–G )

Antennae fuscous dorsally and ochreous ventrally, fliform; fagellum adorned dorsally with black scales, palpus fuscous, eyes black. Head and base of thorax black, thorax ochreous; legs fuscous suffused with white scales, ringed with white; abdomen fuscous, dorsally suffused with grey scales, black ventrally, suffused with grey scales.

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

HIND WING. Ground colour white, strongly suffused with fuscous scales; veins slightly irrorated with fuscous scales, costa and apex more heavily suffused 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. 22 mm (1 ♀).

FEMALE GENITALIA ( Fig. 3E ). Corpus bursae elongated ovoid and globular, without signa; ductus seminalis from base of bursae; ductus bursae about one third length of corpus bursae, not sclerotised on bursa side, widening and sclerotised on ostial side; antrum narrow, band-like, slightly sclerotised, leaning on back and adorned with very narrow and strongly sclerotised plate divided in two in the middle. Ovipositor lobes relatively short (2 times as long as wide), with dorsal surface bearing numerous short and stout setae, apex of each lobe strongly curved and tooth-shaped.

Bionomics

Larvae were collected at the bottom of stems of M.violaceus growing in grasslands near marshes ( Table 3 ); as many Acrapex species, A. miscantha sp. nov. is a markedly hygrophilous species. Unfortunately, no pictures were taken before pupation.

Distribution

Uganda. Only known from the holotype locality in Occidental Province close to Kyenjojo. This species was found in a mosaic of East African evergreen bushland and secondary Acacia wooded grassland (Mosaic #45) ( 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. 7. Adults of species of Acrapex. – A – E. A. mediopuncta (Bowden, 1956). A. ♂, upper side. B. ♂, under side. C. ♀, upper side. D. ♀, under side. E. ♀, original labels from BMNH. – F – G. A. miscantha le Ru sp. nov. F. ♀, upper side. G. ♀, under side. Scale bars = 10 mm.