Acanthosoma rufispinum ( Distant, 1887 ), 2015

Acanthosoma rufispinum ( Distant, 1887) View in CoL , new combination

Figs 44–56 View FIGURES 44–46 View FIGURES 47–56 , 160 View FIGURES 157–166

Sastragala rufispina Distant, 1887: 352 View in CoL . Syntype (s): North India; BMNH!

Sastragala minuta View in CoL : Ahmad et al. (1979: 8, 12), Schaefer & Ahmad (1987: 24). Unavailable name.

Sastragala minuta Ahmad & Moizuddin, 1990: 287 View in CoL , 290. Holotype: ♂, Pakistan: Punjab, Murree; NHMUK. New subjective synonym.

Sastragala murreeana View in CoL (non Distant, 1900): Ahmad & Moizuddin (1990: 289). Misidentification.

Sastragala rufispina View in CoL : Atkinson 1889: 29 (reproduction of original description, distribution), Lethierry & Severin 1893: 254 (catalogue, distribution), Distant 1902: 319 (redescription, distribution), Kirkaldy 1909: 173 (catalogue, distribution), Distant 1918: 148 (diagnostic characters, distribution, record), Ahmad & Moizuddin 1990: 287 (in key, distribution).

Sastragala murreeana View in CoL (misidentification): Ahmad et al. 1979: 8 (listed), 12 (record, host plant), Ahmad & Moizuddin 1985: 66 (anatomy, figures), Ahmad & Moizuddin 1986: 169 (figures, host plant, immatures), Schaefer & Ahmad 1987: 23 (host plant), Ahmad & Moizuddin 1990: 287 (in key, distribution), 289 (redescription, figures, record, host plant).

Type material examined. Sastragala rufispina . Lectotype (present designation): ♀, “Type \ H. T.” [pr circle with red border], “Col. \ Buckley” [gray circle, hw], “ Distant coll. \ 1911-383” [pr], “rufispinus \ Dist.” [Distant’s hw]; pinned, both antennae, tibiae and tarsi of left fore, both mid, and right hind leg, tarsus of right fore leg, tarsal segment II of left hind leg lacking; deposited in BMNH ( Figs 44–46 View FIGURES 44–46 ).

Additional specimens examined. PAKISTAN. Punjab: Murree , leg. F. Stoliczka, F.S. 118 (1 ♀ BMNH) ; same locality and collector, coll. Atkinson, B.M. 92-6 (1 ♂ BMNH) ; same locality and collector, coll. W.L. Distant, B.M. 1911-383 (1 ♀ BMNH) ; Azad Kashmir: Tararkhel [= Tarar Khel], from grass, 4.viii.1965, leg. S.M. Khan (1 ♂ BMNH) .— INDIA. Himachal Pradesh: Kulu [= Kullu], 5000 ft., leg. C. Rost (1 ♀ HNHM) , Dalhousie , 21.vi.1961, leg. P.W. Oman (1 ♂ USNM) ; Uttarakhand: Mussoorie [= Masūrī], United Prov. Forest Dept. , Dehra Dun, A.W. Imms, B.M. 1915-228 (1 ♂ BMNH) ; Mussoorie, Inoti, United Prov. Forest Dept., Dehra Dun, 16.x.1910, A.W. Imms, B.M. 1915-228 (1 ♀ BMNH) ; Dehra Dun , leg. Ollenbach, Pusa coll. (1 ♂ BMNH) ; Almora Dist., Chaubattia , 6000–7000 ft., leg. S. R. Archer, B.M. 1920-175 (1 ♀ BMNH) ; Naini Tal [= Nainital], 7800 ft., 4.ii.1934, leg. J.A. Graham, B.M. 1934-147 (2 ♂♂ BMNH) , Garhwal, Saklana Tehri, Uniyal Gaon, Jai K. Uniyal , 5500 ft., 22.v.1946, on leaves of Alnus nitida , coll. J.C. Lutz (11 ♂♂ 9♀♀ USNM) .— NEPAL. Jiri , 1900 m, 17– 19.v.1962, leg. G. Ebert (1 ♂ NMPC) , Janakpur, Malipu-Dolakha , 1000–1700 m, 9.viii.1983, unknown collector (1 ♀ SEHU) , Godavari, Napal Valley , 17.vi.1968, leg. T. Kumata (1 ♀ SEHU) .

Diagnosis. Recognized by its distinctly anterolaterally produced and apically rather obtuse humeri ( Figs 44– 45 View FIGURES 44–46 ) and particularly its male genitalia ( Figs 47–55 View FIGURES 47–56 ). Pendergrast’s organ of ventrite VI larger than that of ventrite VII, rounded ( Fig. 56 View FIGURES 47–56 ).

Description of male and female terminalia. Male. Genital capsule ( Figs 47–51 View FIGURES 47–56 ) with a pair of short, broadly rounded lateral projections almost reaching apex of membrane in rest; dorsal rim with a broad, deep, U-shaped incision; apex of lateral projection with a pigmented denticle, dorsal infolding protruding basally, with a pair of pigmented ridges; ventral rim with a broad, rounded medial incision, with a pair of pigmented denticles laterally, and a pair of somewhat elongate, pigmented protuberances subapically. Paramere as in Figs 52–55 View FIGURES 47–56 . Segment X with a dorsoapical protusion (cf. Fig. 47 View FIGURES 47–56 ).

Female ( Fig. 56 View FIGURES 47–56 ). Posterior margin of ventrite VII with a deep, parabolic median incision surrounding valvifers VIII, margined with black, with a pair of black submedian patches submarginally; laterotergites IX obliquely directed and broadly separated along meson; posterior margin of laterotergites VIII shallowly arcuate.

Notes. Sastragala rufispina was described from North India based on an unspecified number of individuals (syntypes) ( Distant 1887). A single female syntype was found in BMNH ( Figs 29–30 View FIGURES 29–33 ) and it is designated as lectotype; several additional specimens of both sexes were examined from various localities of northern India and Nepal. The species is hereby transferred to Acanthosoma based on arguments presented in the Discussion .

Based on several specimens from Murree of Punjab Province, Pakistan, Ahmad & Moizuddin (1990) provided a detailed redescription of a species identified by them as Sastragala murreeana Distant, 1900 . Their text and illustrations, particularly those of the genitalia of the male leave no doubt that they misidentified Acanthosoma murreeanum and their record pertains to A. rufispinum . We have examined specimens of A. rufispinum from the same locality.

Based on a single male also from Murree, Ahmad & Moizuddin (1990) described a new species, Sastragala minuta . According to their diagnosis it only differs from S. murreana sensu Ahmad & Moizuddin (= Acanthosoma rufispinum ) by insignificant characters; its male genitalia, particularly the very characteristic genital capsule (cf. Ahmad & Moizuddin 1990: 299, fig. 24), are identical with those of A. rufispinum . Unfortunately we could not access the holotype, but as the original description and illustrations of S. minuta convincingly indicate that this species does not differ from A. rufispinum , the synonymy of the two species seems justified.

We treat the specific epithet as an adjective (New Latin rufispinus, - a, - um, meaning ‘having red spine’) and therefore we change the ending according to the gender of the genus.

Distribution. Apparently a Himalayan species occurring in the mountainous regions of north Pakistan, India, and Nepal. It is reported from Nepal for the first time in the present paper.— PAKISTAN. Punjab!; Azad Kashmir!— INDIA. Himachal Pradesh!; Uttarakhand!— NEPAL!