Afroromieuxia aarviki Bassi 2021, sp. n.
Creators: name: Bassi, Graziano
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Crambidae
Afroromieuxia
Afroromieuxia aarviki

description: Afroromieuxia aarviki sp. n.
Figs 3, 23
Material examined
Holotype: Female; Tanzania, Mufindi Distr [ict], Mufindi, 1960 m, 16.i.1993, leg[it] Leif Aarvik, GS 6660 GB, NHMO.
Etymology: The species is named after the collector of the type Leif Aarvik (MNHO), well known Tortricidae specialist, in acknowledgment of his friendship.
Diagnosis: The three species described here are closely similar in wing pattern, but the forewing apex is more pointed, with termen oblique in A. ustjuzhanini, rounded with termen slightly oblique in A. aarviki and rounded with termen almost straight in A. bernardlandryi; the costa is almost straight in A. bernardlandryi, gently arched in A. aarviki and more definitely arched in A. ustjuzhanini; the white streak on the costa is shorter and intermediate in width in A. aarviki, narrower and almost reaching the base in A. bernardlandryi and wider and almost reaching the base in A. ustjuzhanini; the subterminal area is narrow with inner margin almost straight in A. bernardlandryi, slightly wider and with inner margin slightly concave in A. aarviki, and wider still with inner margin straight but oblique in A. ustjuzhanini. The hindwing is pale ivory yellow in A. aarviki, off-white with scattered brown suffusion and with terminal line brown in A. bernardlandryi, and pure white in ustjuzhanini.
The female genitalia are similar in the three species, but A. aarviki has the ninth abdominal segment moderately bulged dorsally, the ostium bursae large and the ductus bursae half sclerotized, as opposed to the papillae anales dorsally produced, the ninth abdominal segment moderately sclerotized dorsally, ostium bursae small and ductus bursae sclerotized only basally in A. bernardlandryi. A. ustjuzhanini has the ninth abdominal segment strongly bulged dorsally, the ostium bursae small and the ductus bursae sclerotized only basally.
Description (Fig. 3): Wingspan 28 mm. Labial palpus 3.5 x eye diameter, brown with upper and inner side white. Maxillary palpus basally brown, then white. Antenna brown, basally simple, distally lightly dentate. Frons rounded, produced, pale brown. Vertex white with brown line medially. Patagia white, dark brown laterally. Tegulae dark brown with thin outer border white. Thorax white. Forewing subrectangular, with rounded apex and termen almost straight; ground colour bronze brown sprinkled with black; costa shape basally bronze brown, then white sprinkled with black; dorsum white sprinkled with black; medial stripe white ending under cell; postmedial interveins silvery white; subterminal area reaching apex, white intensely sprinkled with black; terminal line brown; fringes bronze brown with medial line white; underside brown, off-white distally and with costa and dorsum white; terminal line brown; fringes white tipped bronze brown. Hindwing pale ivory yellow; fringes white; underside white with costa and veins suffused with brown. Legs bronze brown with inner side white; tibial spurs long and thin, the outer one shorter. Abdomen with first tergite bright white, second to forth bronze brown suffused with white, then white suffused with bronze brown; sternites white suffused with reddish brown; anal tuft yellow.
Female genitalia (Fig. 23). Papillae anales slightly concave, densely covered with setae; lower edge hardly traceable, fused with ninth abdominal segment. Ninth abdominal segment strongly sclerotized, bulged dorsally. Apophyses posteriores basally only recognizable by a comma-like sclerotization, ending shortly pointed close to apophyses anteriores. Abdominal segment VIII sclerotized. Apophyses anteriores as long as apophyses posteriores. Ostium bursae large, rounded, slightly produced. Ductus bursae 1.2 the length of corpus bursae, funnel-shaped for 2/3, then cylindrical. Ductus seminalis branching off at 2/3 of ductus bursae. Corpus bursae suboval, wrinkled.
Male unknown.
Biology: Unknown.
Distribution: Presently known from the Iringa Region in Southern Tanzania only.
description: Published as part of Bassi, Graziano, 2021, New genera and species of Afrotropical Ancylolomiini Ragonot, 1889 (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae sensu lato: Crambinae), pp. 477-486 in Revue suisse de Zoologie 128 (2) on page 483, DOI: 10.35929/RSZ.0058, http://zenodo.org/record/5640160