Sesamia roumeti Laporte, 1991

Figures 5 I; 13 E – H, 14 B, E, H; 15

Sesamia roumeti – Laporte 1991: 419.

Type material.

Holotype ♂, ETHIOPIA, Amhara Region, Bah [i] r-Dar (Gojam), 18. xi. 1981, genitalia prep. B. Laporte n ° 1421, (P. - C. Rougeot) (MNHN).

Other materials.

ETHIOPIA: 35 ♂, 21 ♀, Oromia Province, Ziwai, Lake Ziwai, 07 ° 56 ′ 12 ″ N, 38 ° 43 ′ 32 ″ E, 1644 m a. s. l., ix. 2015, ex larvae in stems of Phragmites australis Trin. ex Steud., males gen. Prep. LE RU Bruno / 895-918, females gen. Prep. LE RU Bruno / 896-919, (B. Le Ru leg.) [MNHN]; one ♀, Oromia Province, Ziwai, Lake Ziwai, 07 ° 56 ′ 12 ″ N, 38 ° 43 ′ 32 ″ E, 1644 m a. s. l., ix. 2015, ex larvae in stems of T. domingensis, (B. Le Ru leg.) [MNHN]; one ♂, Oromia Province, Ziwai, Lake Ziwai, 07 ° 56 ′ 12 ″ N, 38 ° 43 ′ 32 ″ E, 1644 m a. s. l., ix. 2015, ex larvae in stems of P. mapalense, (B. Le Ru leg.) [MNHN].

Diagnosis.

(See also the identification key of nonagrioides subgroup, section 3.5. 2.). This species can be distinguished from the other known members of the nonagrioides subgroup by the combination of the following characters of the male and female genitalia: tegumen with large flat peniculi; vinculum u-shaped at the outer margin with a large sized rectangular saccus; juxta large and conical, the inferior plate produced into a blunted point, the sides rounded, the superior plate narrow and short, very shortly bifid terminally; uncus stout, narrowed towards the apex, apex blunted; phallus short and thin; vesica with a small semi-circular flat cornutus; ventrolateral plates of female segment A 8 small, weakly sclerotized, triangular, the anterior side concave, at least 2.5 times longer than wide; ostium bursae large, funnel-shaped, sclerotized, with tip slightly pointed on each side; ductus bursae long and narrow with two narrow posterior sclerotized areas, the smallest like a thin line, the biggest at least 3.5 times longer than wide.

Redescription.

(Fig. 13 E – H). The description of this species in Rougeot et al. (1991) was very brief, based on males only; thus a complete description of both sexes is provided here. The general shape of the female forewing is more elongated than that of the male; wing patterns similar in both sexes, but males are darker. Antenna ochraceous, bipectinate in the male, filiform in the female, flagellum adorned dorsally with ochraceous scales in both sexes; palpus ochraceous; eyes dark brown. Head and thorax covered with long ochraceous hairs. Abdomen buff suffused with brown fuscous scales. Forelegs brown ochraceous, otherwise ochraceous suffused with fuscous scales. Forewing ochraceous suffused with brown and fuscous scales, much more in males; two more or less distinct dark brown spots, one antemedial, one at apex of cell; a more or less visible longitudinal ochraceous or fuscous brown fascia along lower margin of cell, partly within, partly without cell from base of cell to the subterminal line; one subterminal line with brown markings on the veins; outer margin adorned with brown spots between the veins, fringe ochraceous more or less suffused with brown and fuscous scales, basal line of fringe buff. Hindwing white slightly suffused with fuscous scales in costa, apex and termen, fringe concolor (white), basal line of fringe buff. Underside of forewing light ochraceous, suffused with brown and fuscous scales in costa, apex and termen, much more in the postmedial area, fringe ochraceous suffused with fuscous scales, in males; underside of forewing light ochraceous slightly suffused with brown and fuscous in costa, apex and termen, fringe light ochraceous suffused with fuscous scales, in females. Underside of hindwing white suffused with brown and fuscous scales in costa, apex and termen, fringe concolor (white), with fuscous scales in males. — Forewing length: male 25–31 mm (x ̅ = 28.0 mm, N = 12); female 31–38 mm (x ̅ = 34.2 mm, N = 11). — Male genitalia (Fig. 14 B, E). Tegumen with large flat peniculi; vinculum u-shaped at the outer margin and v-shaped at the inner margin without indentation, with a large rectangular saccus. Valve with sacculus and cucullus separate; costa short and narrow, heavily sclerotized, ending with a stout and short straight spine, with two apical teeth; sacculus heavily sclerotized rounded at base, a broad and short apical extension, curved inwards, club-shaped, bearing numerous short and stout spines; cucullus longer than sacculus, weakly sclerotized, slightly clavate at apex, with scattered and papillated hairs; juxta large and conical, the inferior plate produced into a blunted point, the sides rounded, the superior plate narrow and short, very shortly bifid terminally; uncus angled, stout, narrowed towards the apex, apex blunted, tufted with long hairs on upper side; phallus short and thin, a bit curved in the middle; lamina ventralis with an elongate carinal crest, produced into paired lateral lobes; vesica with a small semi-circular flat cornutus. — Female genitalia (Fig. 14 H). Apophyses anteriores with spatulate tips; ventrolateral plates of female segment A 8 small, weakly sclerotized, triangular, the anterior side concave, at least 2.5 times longer than wide; ostium bursae large, funnel-shaped, sclerotized, with tip slightly pointed on each side; ductus bursae long and narrow with two narrow posterior sclerotized areas, the smallest like a thin line, the biggest at least 3.5 times longer than wide; corpus bursae pyriform, without signa; ovipositor lobes at least 2.7 times longer than wide with dorsal surface bearing numerous short and stout setae, the ventral side of each lobe slightly curved; apophyses posteriores more slender than apophyses anteriores. — L 5 instar larva (Fig. 5 F). Length 35–40 mm, width 4.0 mm; head smooth, dark brown, prothoracic shield light brown, body with ground colour dark salmon, pinacula and caudal plate light brown. Young larvae are similar in appearance to mature ones.

Distribution.

Ethiopia. Known from two localities only in ‘ Somalia-Masai acacia- Commiphora deciduous bushland and thicket’ (Mosaic # 42) and ‘ undifferentiated Ethiopia woodland’ (Mosaic # 29 b) vegetation mosaics (White 1983) (Fig. 15) belonging to the Ethiopian bioregion (sensu Linder et al. 2012).

Ecology.

Larvae were collected on young stems and shoots of Phragmites australis, Eriochloa sp., Panicum mapalense (Poaceae) and Typha domingensis (Typhaceae) growing in wetlands with various Poales belonging to the following genera: Cyperus, Echinochloa, Eriochloa, Phragmites, Sporobolus and Typha.