Aurotalis cristata Bassi, 2016, sp. n.
Creators: name: Graziano Bassi
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Crambidae
Aurotalis
Aurotalis cristata

description: Aurotalis cristata sp. n.
Figs 1, 12, 17, 24, 26, 27
Holotype: ♀, Zimbabwe, Bulawayo, Matopo Nat[ional] Park [20°33’S, 28°30’E] 28.30.XI.1993, leg. Mey & Ebert, GS 4060.– GB; Holotypus Aurotalis cristata n. sp. G. Bassi det. 2002. Deposited in MFNB.
Paratypes: Zimbabwe: 2♀, 4♂, same data as holotype, GS 3840 GB; 1♀, S[outhern] Africa, Manicaland Prov[ince], Vukutu, 18°21’S32°36’E, h 1900 m, 1-3. XII.2010, Ustjuzhanin P. & Kovtunovich V. ‒ 1♀, Zimbabwe, 15.III.1951, G. C. Clarke. ‒ 1♀, Emangeni, Rhod[esia], 19.I. [19]’18, A. J. T. Janse. ‒ 1♂, Lundi, Rhod[esia], Nuanetsi Dist[rict], 13.III.1976, M. J. Scoble; 1♀, Darwendale, 17-19.I.1955, D. W. Rorke. ‒ RSA: 1♂, Messina, T[rans]v[aa]l, 20 m. South, II.1950, N. Mitton. ‒ 2♂, Midw[est] L[ouis] Trichardt, Wilie’s [Wyllie’s] Poort, 28 and 31.I.[19]25, A. J. T. Janse. ‒ 1♀, 5♂, Blauwkop, 30.I.[19]25, A. J. T. Janse, GS 4671 GB. ‒ 1♀, 1♂, Nelspruit, 2.1910, H. G. Breijer. ‒ 1♀, Skukuza, 2.XII.1974, L. Vari, GS 4661 GB. ‒ 1♀, Buffelspoort, 15.XII.[19]24, A. J. T. Janse. Deposited in CGB, MHNG, MFNB and TMSA.
Diagnosis: At least in Zimbabwe, A. cristata (Fig. 1) co-occurs with A. similis Bassi (Fig. 6), but it is clearly smaller (14-20 mm versus 22-26 mm respectively), it has a double subterminal fascia and no longitudinal white lines. It shares a wingspan similar to males of A. delicatalis (Hampson), but it is darker, with the forewing narrower and with the ground colour white. Male genitalia of A. cristata (Fig. 26) can be distinguished from those of congeners by the narrow, tapering and pointed uncus, the presence of a saccular process on the valva and the juxta subcylindrical and with a finger-like projection. The female genitalia (Figs 12, 27) are small and with a sclerotized ductus bursae, in comparison to the larger and membranous ductus bursae of A. delicatalis (Fig. 21).
Etymology: The name derives from the Latin cristatus-a, crested, and refers to the shape of the gnathos in the male genitalia.
Description (Fig. 1): Wingspan 14-20 mm. Labial palpi 3× longer than widest diameter of eye, black and white. Frons rounded, clearly produced, black with outer margin white. Antennae serrate, narrower in female, brown; costa with narrow band of scales white and black. Ocelli and chetosemata poorly developed. Head with raised scales, medially black, laterally white. Patagia white with basal scales black. Tegulae white with black spot in middle. Thorax white with black scales. Abdomen yellowish white with anal tuft pure white. Forewing ground colour white with black markings over all surface and brown patches along costa; median fascia wavy, brown with some additional black scales; subterminal fascia broad, wavy, with margins brown, silvery white in middle; postmedian spot silvery white bordered with brown and black; five black submarginal spots; outer margin black from apex to mid-termen; fringe tricolored with basis white, middle black and outer margin silvery white except at termen, completely silvery white. Hindwing grey to white suffused grey in some ♀♀; fringe white. Male sclerotizations of abdominal segment VIII as in Fig. 17. Female abdominal segment VIII with sternite unsclerotized and tergite narrow and laterally more sclerotized.
Male genitalia (Fig. 26): Uncus shorter than gnathos, narrow, with pointed tip. Gnathos broad, straight, with rounded apex and dorsal crest-like sclerotization. Tegumen dorsally fused with uncus, broad membranous area at base of uncus, gnathos and tegumen. Tegumen subtriangular, narrowing toward vinculum. Vinculum narrow, with moderate v-shaped dorsal projection. Juxta subcylindrical, well sclerotized, with finger-like dorsal process. Valva 1.2× length of phallus, with large membranous basal area; cucullus rounded; costa simple, slightly bent; single saccular process small and rounded; harpe with wrinkled sclerotization. Phallus simple, with dorsal bulge in postmedian area; vesica with several thin scobinations.
Female genitalia (Figs 12, 27): Papillae anales broad and well sclerotized, dorsally bulged. Apophyses posteriores 1/3 longer than apophyses anteriores, well sclerotized. Apophyses anteriores thin. Ductus bursae short and sclerotized. Corpus bursae suboval, broad and spinulate in first half. Ductus seminalis opening in first third of corpus bursae.
Distribution: RSA, Zimbabwe.
description: Published as part of Graziano Bassi, 2016, Studies on Afrotropical Crambinae (Lepidoptera, Pyraloidea, Crambidae): Notes on the genus Aurotalis Błeszyński, 1970, pp. 11-20 in Revue suisse de Zoologie 123 (1) on pages 14-18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.46283