Sesamia msowero Le Ru, 2024

Hévin, Noémie M. C., Kergoat, Gael J., Zilli, Alberto, Capdevielle-Dulac, Claire, Musyoka, Boaz K., Sezonlin, Michel, Conlong, Desmond, Van Den Berg, Johnnie, Ndemah, Rose, Le Gall, Philippe, Cugala, Domingos, Nyamukondiwa, Casper, Pallangyo, Beatrice, Njaku, Mohamedi, Goftishu, Muluken, Assefa, Yoseph, Kandonda, Onésime Mubenga, Bani, Grégoire, Molo, Richard, Chipabika, Gilson, Ong’amo, George, Clamens, Anne-Laure, Barbut, Jérôme & Le Ru, Bruno, 2024, Revisiting the taxonomy and molecular systematics of Sesamia stemborers (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Apameini: Sesamiina): updated classification and comparative evaluation of species delimitation methods, Arthropod Systematics & amp; Phylogeny 82, pp. 447-501 : 447-501

Sesamia msowero Le Ru sp. nov.

Figures 8 G, R ; 9 E ; 10 ; 12 E – H

Type material.

Holotype ♂, TANZANIA, Coast, Msowero , 07 ° 33 ′ 21 ″ S, 37 ° 01 ′ 25 ″ E, 340 m a. s. l., II. 2010, ex larvae in stems of Cenchrus unisetus (Nees) Morrone , male gen. prep. LE RU Bruno / 3, (B. Le Ru leg.) ( MNHN) . — Paratypes: TANZANIA: two ♂, one ♀, same locality, date and host plant as the holotype, (B. Le Ru leg.) ( MNHN) ; two ♀, Morogoro, Chilombola , 08 ° 56 ′ 01 ″ S, 36 ° 46 ′ 37 ″ E, 370 m a. s. l., II. 2010, ex larvae in stems of Cenchrus purpureus , gen. prep. LE RU Bruno / 4, (B. Le Ru leg.) ( MNHN) ; one ♂, one ♀, Coast, Mwaya , 08 ° 55 ′ 01 ″ S, 36 ° 49 ′ 01 ″ E, 360 m a. s. l., I. 2010, ex larvae in stems of Cenchrus purpureus , male gen. prep. JB 728, female gen. prep. JB 727, (B. Le Ru leg.) ( MNHN) ; two ♀, Morogoro, Mahenge forest , 08 ° 55 ′ 30 ″ S, 36 ° 43 ′ 12 ″ E, 410 m a. s. l., V. 2010, ex larvae in stems of Cenchrus purpureus , (B. Le Ru leg.) ( MNHN) ; one ♂, Morogoro, Sumbukulu , 07 ° 45 ′ 28 ″ S, 36 ° 55 ′ 17 ″ E, 320 m a. s. l., II. 2010, ex larvae in stems of Cenchrus purpureus , (B. Le Ru leg.) ( MNHN) ; two ♀, Coast, Ilima , 09 ° 27 ′ 28 ″ S, 33 ° 41 ′ 31 ″ E, 895 m a. s. l., III. 2007, ex larvae in stems of Cenchrus purpureus , (B. Le Ru leg.) ( MNHN) .

Diagnosis.

(See also the identification key of incerta subgroup, section 3.4. 2.). This species can be distinguished from the other known members of the incerta subgroup by the combination of the following characters of the male and female genitalia: tegumen with large erect peniculi; vinculum u-shaped at the outer margin and w-shaped at the inner margin with an indentation, with a large sized saccus, rounded; juxta large, the inferior plate triangle-shaped, almost isosceles, with a marked bulge at the bottom, the two lateral sides slightly rounded, ending with a long and narrow, shortly bifid superior plate at least twice as short than the inferior one; phallus strongly curved in the middle; ventrolateral plates of female segment A 8 large, sclerotized, slightly trapezoidal, the posterior side swollen inwards, at least twice as long than wide; ostium bursae large, funnel-shaped, sclerotized, with rounded tip on each side; ductus bursae with two posterior sclerotized areas at least seven times longer than wide; ovipositor lobes at least 2.5 times longer than wide.

Description.

(Fig. 12 E – H ). Wing patterns and colours similar in both sexes. Antenna ochraceous, shortly pectinate in the male, filiform in the female, flagellum adorned dorsally with ochraceous scales in both sexes; palpus ochraceous; eyes brown. Head and thorax covered with long ochraceous hairs. Abdomen light buff suffused with fuscous and brown scales. Legs dark ochraceous suffused with fuscous scales. Forewing ochraceous, slightly suffused with fuscous scales; a more or less distinct dark brown spot at base of the cell; a longitudinal dark ochraceous fascia along lower margin of cell, partly within, partly without cell from base of cell to the subterminal line; outer margin adorned with more or less visible brown spots between the veins, fringe light ochraceous suffused with brown and fuscous scales, basal line of fringe light ochraceous. Hindwing white, very slightly suffused with brown scales in costal and apical areas, fringe concolor (white), suffused with fuscous scales in apex. Underside of forewing light ochraceous, heavily suffused with fuscous scales in costal and apical areas and below the cell, fringe light ochraceous suffused with fuscous scales, basal line light ochraceous. Underside of hindwing white suffused with brown and fuscous scales in costal and apical areas, fringe concolor (white), suffused with fuscous scales in apex. — Forewing length: male 30–33 mm (x ̅ = 31.2 mm, N = 5); female 31–37 mm (x ̅ = 34.3 mm, N = 8). — Male genitalia (Fig. 8 G, R ). Tegumen with large erected peniculi; vinculum u-shaped at the outer margin and w-shaped at the inner margin with an indentation, with a large saccus, rounded. Valve with sacculus and cucullus separate; costa short and narrow, heavily sclerotized, ending with a stout and long straight spine, with two apical teeth; sacculus heavily sclerotized rounded at base, a broad and short apical extension, curved inwards, strongly club-shaped, bearing numerous short and stout spines; cucullus weakly sclerotized, slightly clavate at apex, with scattered and papillated hairs; juxta large, the inferior plate triangle-shaped, almost isosceles, with a marked bulge at the bottom, the two lateral sides slightly rounded, ending with a long and narrow, shortly bifid superior plate at least twice as short than the inferior one; uncus angled and stout at base, narrowed in distal part, pointed at apex, tufted with long hairs on upper side; phallus short and thin, slightly curved in the middle; lamina ventralis with an elongate carinal crest, produced into paired lateral lobes; vesica with a small flat semi-circular flat cornutus. — Female genitalia (Fig. 9 E ). Apophyses anteriores with spatulate tips; ventrolateral plates of female segment A 8 large, sclerotized, slightly trapezoidal, the posterior side with a strong cup-shaped bulge, at least twice as long than wide; ostium bursae large, funnel-shaped, sclerotized, with rounded tip on each side; ductus bursae long and narrow, very slightly sclerotized posteriorly, with two posterior sclerotized areas at least seven times longer than wide; corpus bursae pyriform, without signa; ovipositor lobes at least 2.5 times longer than wide with dorsal surface bearing numerous short and stout setae, the ventral side of each lobe slightly curved; apophyses posteriores more slender than apophyses anteriores.

Etymology.

Named after Msowero, a small village in Coastal region in Republic of Tanzania; treated as a noun in apposition.

Distribution.

Tanzania. Known from localities in ‘ drier Zambezian miombo woodland (dominated by Brachystegia and Julbernardia ) ’ (Mosaic # 26) vegetation mosaic ( White 1983) (Fig. 10 ) belonging to the Zambezian bioregion (sensu Linder et al. 2012).

Ecology.

Larvae were collected from young stems and shoots of Cenchrus purpureus and Cenchrus unisetus (Nees) Morrone growing along rivers or in wetlands inhabited by various Poaceae species belonging to the following genera: Echinochloa , Megathyrsus , Panicum and Setaria .

Remarks.

This species is morphologically very close to S. lalaci sp. nov., S. lusese sp. nov. and S. pennipuncta , and its identification is impossible without a thorough examination of the genitalia.

Figures

Figure 8. Male genitalia of members of the incerta subgroup (dorsal view for apparatus and lateral view for phalli). S. epunctifera: A apparatus; L phallus; S. firmata: B apparatus; M phallus; S. incerta: C apparatus; N phallus; S. kamba sp. nov.: D apparatus; O phallus; S. lalaci sp. nov.: E apparatus; P phallus; S. lusese sp. nov.: F apparatus; Q phallus; S. msowero sp. nov.: G apparatus; R phallus; S. pennipuncta: H apparatus; S phallus; S. penniseti: I apparatus; T phallus; S. poephaga: J apparatus; U phallus; S. simplaria: K apparatus; V phallus. Scale bar = 1 mm for apparatus and 0.5 for phalli.

Figure 9. Female genitalia from members of the incerta subgroup (ventral view). A S. epunctifera; B S. firmata; C S. incerta; D S. kamba sp. nov.; E S. msowero sp. nov.; F S. pennipuncta; G S. penniseti; H S. poephaga; I S. simplaria. Scale bar = 1 mm.

Figure 10. Distribution map of sampled specimens of the incerta subgroup: S. epunctifera, S. incerta, S. kamba sp. nov., S. lusese sp. nov., S. msowero sp. nov.

Figure 12. Adults of the incerta subgroup (S. lalaci sp. nov., S. lusese sp. nov., S. msowero sp. nov., S. pennipuncta, S. penniseti, S. poephaga and S. simplaria). S. lalaci sp. nov.: A male upper side; B male underside; S. lusese sp. nov.: C male upper side; D male underside; S. msowero sp. nov.: E male upper side; F male underside; G female upper side; H female underside; S. pennipuncta: I male upper side; J male underside; K female upper side; L female underside; S. penniseti: M male upper side; N male underside; O female upper side; P female underside; S. poephaga: Q male upper side; R male underside; S female upper side; T female underside; S. simplaria: U male upper side; V male underside; W female upper side; X female underside. Scale bar = 10 mm.