Neaspasia Diakonoff, 1989

Aarvik, Leif & Agassiz, David J. L., 2014, Revision of African Neaspasia Diakonoff, 1989 and the related Conaspasia, n. gen. (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae), Zootaxa 3754 (2), pp. 117-132 : 118-119

Genus Neaspasia Diakonoff, 1989

Neaspasia Diakonoff, 1989: 445 . Type species: Neaspasia loxochlamys Diakonoff, 1989: 445 .

Genetancylis Razowski, 1995: 134. Type species: Genetancylis homalota Razowski, 1995: 134 . Syn. n.

Diagnosis. Most species of Neaspasia share a characteristic forewing pattern consisting of a dark, more or less blackish basal area and the rest of the wing surface with a white or beige ground colour, dark suffusion is usually present along the termen. A similar wing pattern is found in Holarctic species of Hedya Hübner, 1825 and Apotomis Hübner, 1825 . In the forewing all veins are present and separate; in the hindwing M2, M3 and Cu1 are trifurcate with their bases close together. The male hindwing has an anal roll. In the hind tibia of males there is a dorsal groove concealing a long hairpencil. Tergum 2 in both sexes has a pair of subdorsal pits ( Fig. 1 ); on tergum 3 there are similar, but indistinct depressions, in some cases not discernible. The male genitalia are of a generalized Olethreutinae structure, with well demarcated sacculus and cucullus of the valva, and a setose uncus and socii. The sacculus has a group of spines between the caudal edge of the sacculus and basal excavation. The phallus lacks cornuti, but has internal sclerotised folds. In the female genitalia the ostium is surrounded by a large sclerite, and the sterigma is species specific in shape. The ductus bursae is tubular, sclerotised posteriorly, widened and membranous before its junction with the corpus bursae. The ductus seminalis arises closer to corpus bursae than to the ostium; the ductus bursae has a sclerite where the ductus seminalis arises. The shape of the paired signa is unique, each a curved, oval plate with a large, rounded opening at the base.

Systematic position. The hindwing venation, the presence of an anal roll, and modifications of the hind tibia in males indicate a position within Olethreutini . Abdominal depressions or ‘dorsal pits’ as found in Neaspasia are present in several genera of Tortricidae . Horak (2006) recognized them as present in the following genera of Olethreutini : Temnolopha Lower, 1901 , Gatesclarkeana Diakonoff, 1966 , Ophiorrhabda Diakonoff, 1966 and Zomariana Diakonoff, 1984 . Dorsal pits are also present in several tribes of Tortricinae , viz. Archipini , Euliini and Sparganothini ( Brown & Miller 1999). The four genera mentioned by Horak (2006) all belong to different genus groups within Olethreutini . The female genitalia of Temnolopha shows similarities with Neaspasia , especially in the ductus bursae which in both genera is a posteriorly sclerotised tube, with a sclerite in the widened anterior part at the junction of the ductus seminalis (compare figure of Temnolopha mosaica Lower, 1901 in Horak (2006)). The next genus in Horak’s (2006) treatment is Diakonoffiana Koçak, 1981 . This genus possesses a pair of signa resembling those found in Neaspasia . Both Temnolopha and Diakonoffiana are placed in the Neopotamia group. From these facts it is concluded that Neaspasia belongs to the Neopotamia group and is related to Temnolopha and Diakonoffiana .

In the description of Neaspasia and its type species, Diakonoff (1989) did not mention the anal roll in the hind wing and the modification of the hind leg tibia. He stated the venation to be “characteristically eucosmine”. It is possible that the characters of the hind wing and hind tibia were overlooked, or that they have been secondarily lost in N. loxochlamys . This is difficult to judge from the photo of the specimen. The genitalia of N. loxochlamys are so similar to those of N. orthacta that it is possible they are synonyms. This similarity is strong evidence that the two species are congeneric, and that Diakonoff’s placement of the genus in Eucosmini is incorrect. We have not examined the holotype of N. loxochlamys .

Razowski (1995) proposed the genus Genetancylis based on a male from Oman which he described as Genetancylis homalota Razowski, 1995 . Based on Razowski’s figure of the male genitalia, we transfer this species to Neaspasia . This leads to the new generic synonymy. Neaspasia homalota ( Razowski, 1995) , comb. n., closely resembles the African congeners in the male genitalia, but appears to be specifically distinct. Razowski (1995) also described Rhopobota cornuta Razowski, 1995 from Oman. This species was described from a female. The genitalia are typical for Neaspasia species, e.g., showing the very characteristic signa. This species is also transferred to Neaspasia , resulting in the new combination Neaspasia cornuta ( Razowski, 1995) , comb. nov.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Anterior part of male abdomen of Neaspasia orthacta (Meyrick) showing pair of circular depressions on tergum 2 (slide NHMO 2247). Scale 1 mm.