Agrotera genuflexa Chen, Horak & Zhang, 2017

Chen, Kai, Horak, Marianne, Du, Xicui & Zhang, Dandan, 2017, Revision of the Australian species of Agrotera Schrank (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea: Crambidae: Spilomelinae), Zootaxa 4362 (2), pp. 213-224 : 216-218

Agrotera genuflexa Chen, Horak & Zhang , sp. nov.

Figs 1 , 2, 4 , 7, 9

Diagnosis. Agrotera genuflexa resembles the Oriental-Palaearctic A. nemoralis and the Australian A. longitabulata sp. nov. in the sinuate termen and the simple, continuous and dark brown postmedial line of the forewing, and in the long, slender, sclerotized fibula-like process emerging from near the valva base in the male genitalia. With A. nemoralis it also shares a deeply divided valva. However, it can be distinguished from A. nemoralis by the smaller wingspan (12–15 mm), a conspicuous dark brown costal spot in the basal field of the forewing, a yellow hindwing base, and the shorter, much less strongly curved sclerotized fibula-like process in the male genitalia. Its differences with A. longitabulata are given in the diagnosis of that species.

Description. Vertex and thorax yellow with orange scales, frons grey, labial palpus laterally grey with ventrally projecting tufts; legs in male unmodified. Abdomen in male long, slender, pale yellow touched with orange and with blackish distal margin on segments 3–8, segment 6 and sometimes 7 grey. Wingspan 12–15 mm. Forewing subtriangular, termen moderately sinuate; purplish grey ground colour darker towards termen and suffused with orange along distal half of costa; basal third yellow and sprinkled with orange scales, edged by scalloped, brown, lightly curved antemedial line, with conspicuous dark grey spot at 1/10 of costa; reniform stigma a round orange spot edged with intermittent brown scales; postmedial line sinuate, brown but darker on costa, from 3/4 of costa to 2/3 of posterior margin; fringe grey-brown and yellow with dark basal scales, with narrow yellow triangle below apex closely followed by yellow rectangle before middle and yellow patch before tornus. Hindwing fan-shaped with convex termen; basal 2/5 yellow and sprinkled with few orange scales, extending along anal margin, remainder purplish grey; postmedial line sinuate, reduced in pale apical area; terminal margin dark brown; fringe grey and yellow as forewing. Male genitalia ( Fig. 7 ). Uncus short and wide, triangular, distally rounded, with few hair-like setae at apex. Tegumen short, ovate. Vinculum V-shaped. Saccus slender, rodlike, widest in middle. Transtilla two subtriangular lobes from base of costa, their points slightly downcurved, meeting in the middle. Valva deeply divided, dorsal part with wide base, then slightly bent ventrally and ending in a long, narrowly triangular process bearing a tuft of persistent scales at base; ventral part gradually narrowing into a slender, tongueshaped process with a distal tuft of bristles; a long, slender, curved, sclerotized fibula-like process from base of costa to inner margin of divided valva. Juxta shield-shaped, distal third divided. Phallus slender, distally abruptly widened, with three groups of spinules. Female genitalia ( Fig. 9 ). Antrum large and wide, funnel-shaped, membranous, with two large serrate, strongly sclerotized spikes extending from its base, no distinct colliculum, and ductus bursae very short, slightly dilated, with longitudinal, sclerotized wrinkles; corpus bursae long and very slender in posterior half, anterior part spinulose; ductus seminalis originating from posterior end of corpus bursae.

Material examined. Holotype: ♂, Australia, Queensland: 13.44°S 143.20°E, Golden Nugget Ck. Camp Site, Mcllwraith Ra., 520 m, 8.vii.1989, Nielsen, Edwards & Horak, genital slide no. ANIC 8835 . Paratypes: Australia, Northern Territory: 1♀, 11.09°S 132.09°E, Black Point Cobourg Pen., 28.i.1977, E. D. Edwards; 1♂, Mandorah Rd . 42 km SSE of Darwin , 11.vi.1973, E. D. Edwards; 1♂, 12.22°S 133.01°E , 6 km SSW of Oenpelli , 30.v.1973, E. D. Edwards & M. S. Upton; 1♀, 12.31°S 132.58°E , 9 km NE of Mudginbarry H. S., 26.v.1973, E. D. Edwards & M. S. Upton ; 1♀, 12.35°S 132.52°E, Magela Ck. , 2 km N of Mudginbarry H. S., 25.v.1973, E. D. Edwards & M. S. Upton; 1♂, 13.21°S 131.08°E, Robin Falls , 8.vi.1993, E. D. Edwards . Queensland: 1♀, Silver Plains, Cape York Pen., 14.iv.1959, J. L. Wassell; 1♀, 11.58°S 142.55°E, Harmer Creek , 22.v.1993, at light, riverine forest, P. Zborowski & A. Roach; 1♀, 12.42°S 141.55°E, Beening Creek , 16.ii.1994, at light, P. Zborowski; 1♂, 13.43°S 143.19°E, Weather Stn. Mcllwraith Ra., 420 m , 29.vi.1989, Nielsen, Edwards & Horak; 3♂, 13.44°S 143.20°E, Golden Nugget Ck. Camp Site, Mcllwraith Ra., 520 m, 28, 30.vi., 2.vii. 1989, Nielsen, Edwards & Horak (ANIC, QMBQ, NHMUK); 1♀, 13.44°S 143.20°E, Golden Nugget Ck. Camp Site, Mcllwraith Ra., 520 m, 7.vii.1989, Nielsen, Edwards & Horak; 1♀, 13.45°S 143.22°E, Mango Tree, Mcllwraith Ra., 500 m, 11.vii.1989, Nielsen, Edwards & Horak, genital slide no. ANIC 8849; 1♂, 15.12°S 143.52°E, Hann River Crossing, 520 m, 2.vi.1989, Nielsen, Edwards & Horak ; 1♂, Cooran, 12.ii.1955, V. J. Robinson; 1♂, Brisbane, v.[19]34, [Turner]; 1♀, Brisbane, 17. iv. [19]34, [Turner]; 1♀, Brisbane, [19]34, [Turner]; 1♀, Stradbroke, 14.viii. [19]10; 1♀, Coolangatta, 9.iii. [19]13 . New South Wales: 1♂, Tweed R., 25.i. [19]22; 1♂, Rous, Richmond River , 16.ii.1923, V. J. Robinson.

Distribution. Australia (Northern Territory; Queensland; New South Wales). Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin word genuflexus = geniculate, referring to the valva with its dorsal part bent ventrally.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution of the Australian Agrotera spp.

FIGURES2–6. 2–3.Inverted, triangularlyscaled third segment of labial palpus of Agrotera spp.. 2. A.genuflexasp. nov.. 3. A. longitabulata sp. nov.. 4–5. Adults of Agrotera spp. 4. A. genuflexa sp. nov., paratype, ♂, 6 km SSW of Oenpelli. 5. A. longitabulatasp. nov., paratype, ♂,Iron Range.6. Venation of A. nemoralis. Scale bars = 2.0 mm.

FIGURES 7–10. Genitalia of Agrotera spp. 7–8. Male genitalia of Agrotera spp. 7. A. genuflexa sp. nov., genitalia slide no. ANIC 8835. 8. A. longitabulata sp. nov., genitalia slide no. ANIC 8903. 9–10. Female genitalia of Agrotera spp. 9. A. genuflexasp. nov., genitalia slide no.ANIC 8849.10.A.longitabulatasp. nov., genitalia slide no.ANIC 8840.Scale bars = 0.5 mm.