Afreuclasta, Maes, 2023

Afreuclasta gen. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C12F7287-28C1-4FED-8230-C4D32EA79F6D

type species: Afreuclasta ruwenzoriensis sp. nov.

gender: feminine

Diagnosis: Wings elongated triangular; valva in male genitalia with simple lobe-shaped sella covered by numerous flattened and elongated setae. The genus is different from Euclasta Lederer,1855 by the brown uniform wing pattern and in the male genitalia by the structure of the sella with setae which are lacking in true Euclasta species. It also lacks the extensions of the vinculum as seen on Euclasta species.

Head: frons slightly protruding, flattened; maxillary palps obvious; labial palps porrect, densely scaled; spurs on legs: 0,2,4, inner spurs on mid- and hind legs 1/3 longer than outer spurs; antenna long, arriving at termen of fore wing.

Wings:

Fore wings: elongate triangular; R1 well before R2, about parallel with base of Cu2; R2 and R3+4 from cell angle, well separated at their base, then parallel for about 1/3 of the length of R3+4; R2 and R3 before termen; R 4 in termen; R5 close to R4+5; M1 near the middle of the crossvein of the discal cell, at the base approximating to R5; M2 and M3 from angle of cell, well separated at their base; Cu1 near angle and Cu2 at about 4/5 on the M-stem.

Hind wings: Sc+R1 approximating Rs beyond the cell, not fused; M1 and M2 from one point out of hind corner of cell. ♂ with subcostal retinaculum and simple frenulum; ♀ with some bristles as retinaculum and a double frenulum.

Tympanal organs ( Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ): Praecinctorium simple, giving a bilobed aspect through scaling; tympanal organs completely invaginated; narrow fornix tympani underneath the venula prima; venula secunda well developed; beanshaped bulla tympani parallel to body axis; saccus tympani deep; spinula absent.

Male genitalia ( Figs 2–4 View Figure 2 View Figure 3 View Figure 4 ): Uncus simple, rounded, dorsally with short simple and tune-fork shaped setae; tegumen rather long; subscaphium present; vinculum broad, U-shaped, saccus small but present; juxta shaped as a shield; valva slightly curved upwards, flattened at the end; sella consisting of a dense bush flattened and elongated setae, editum absent; aedeagus with a simple cornutus composed of fused spines.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 5 View Figure 5 ): Papillae anales membranous with long and short setae; apophyses anteriores and posteriores of about equal length; sinus vaginalis membranous; ostium bursae tube-like, slerotized; ductus bursae continuing straight from the ostium, starting at ductus seminalis, first part slightly sclerotized; appendix bursae, membranous, it’s base in a loop of the ductus bursae near the corpus bursae; the latter with a rhomboid signum.

Life cycle: unknown.

Distribution: Uganda, D.R.C., Kenya, and Tanzania.

Systematic placement: The genus is placed in the Pyraustinae , Pyraustini ( Crambidae , Euclastini) for the combination of following characters: sella in male genitalia and rhomboid signum on bursae in female genitalia. It is close to the genus Euclasta for the shape of the labial palps, the presence of the sella and form of uncus in the male genitalia. In the female genitalia it has the ductus bursae curled around the base of the appendix bursae at the base of the corpus bursae. It differs with the genus Euclasta because of the differences in the wing pattern: Euclasta species have a white streak medially over the length of the forewing; the male genitalia lack a sella and editum (some specialised area can be present f. i.: E. warreni and they have a rather clear extension of the ventral part of the vinculum (check the paper of Popescu-Gorj to compare

Maes / Metamorphosis 34: 113–116 115

Kyondolire 1700m. GPKM ♀ 14061 ( RMCA) ; 1♀: [D.R.C.] N. Lac Kivu: Rwankwi , ii.1941 Mme.J.V.Leroy ( RMCA) ; 1♂: [D.R.C.] Congo belge: P.N.A. 19.x.1952 P.Vanschuytbroeck & J.Kekenbosch 1327, Massif Ruwenzori Kyandolire 1700m Camp des Gardes à la lumière ( RMCA)(abdomen lost) ; 1♀: TANZANIA, Arusha, Ngorongoro Crater Rim. 03°12′32″ S; 35°28′47″E. 2267m. Black /MV lights. 28.iv.2000. K. Maes ( ABSRC) GoogleMaps .

Additional material examined: UGANDA: 1♂: Impenetrable For. Kigezi Uganda Mar.1967 R.C. Otieno ( NHM) ; KENYA: 1♂: Kaptagat 22.x.1948 Walker ( NMK) ; KENYA: 1 ♀: Kaptagat March 1948 (abdomen lost) ( NMK) .

the male genitalia). Afreuclasta has a clear brush like sella with elongated, simple setae and no extension of the vinculum.