Sesamia firmata Moyal, 2011

Figures 5 E; 7 E – H; 8 B, M; 9 B; 11

Sesamia firmata – Moyal (2011: 424).

Type material.

Holotype ♂, KENYA, Eastern, Kitui 1, 01 ° 24 ′ 07 ″ S, 37 ° 48 ′ 03 ″ E, 1160 m a. s. l., II. 2004, ex larvae in stems of Cenchrus purpureus (Schumach.) Morrone, gen. prep. MP 27, (B. Le Ru leg.) (MNHN); Paratypes: KENYA: one ♀, same locality, date and host plants as holotype, gen. prep. MP 28, (B. Le Ru leg.) (MNHN); one ♀, same locality, date and host plants as holotype, gen. prep. MP 28, (B. Le Ru leg.) (NMK); two ♂, one ♀, Central, Makutano, Tana River Bridge, 00 ° 47 ′ 21 ″ S, 37 ° 15 ′ 55 ″ E, 1080 m a. s. l., V. 2007, ex larvae in stems of Cenchrus purpureus (Schumach.) Morrone, (B. Le Ru leg.) (MNHN); one ♂, Coast, Ukunda, Muhaka, 04 ° 19 ′ 12 ″ S, 39 ° 32 ′ 28 ″ E, 43 m a. s. l., X. 2002, ex larvae in stems of Cenchrus purpureus (Schumach.) Morrone, (B. Le Ru leg.) (MNHN); TANZANIA: one ♂, Pwani, Mkuranga, Kisele, 07 ° 11 ′ 22 ″ S, 39 ° 10 ′ 13 ″ E, 66 m a. s. l., III. 2007, ex larvae in stems of Cenchrus purpureus (Schumach.) Morrone, (B. Le Ru leg.) (MNHN); one ♂, Zanzibar, Mahonda, 05 ° 59 ′ 17 ″ S, 39 ° 14 ′ 24 ″ E, 42 m a. s. l., V. 2004, ex larvae in stems of Cenchrus purpureus (Schumach.) Morrone, (B. Le Ru leg.) (MNHN).

Other material.

KENYA: 18 ♂, five ♀, Central, Makutano, Tana River Bridge, 00 ° 47 ′ 21 ″ S, 37 ° 15 ′ 55 ″ E, 1080 m a. s. l., V. 2007 / III. 2012, ex larvae in stems of Cenchrus purpureus (Schumach.) Morrone, (B. Le Ru leg.) (MNHN); six ♂, five ♀, Coast, Muhaka, 04 ° 19 ′ 12 ″ S, 39 ° 32 ′ 28 ″ E, 43 m a. s. l., X. 2002, ex larvae in stems of Cenchrus purpureus (Schumach.) Morrone, (B. Le Ru leg.) (MNHN); two ♀, Eastern, Kitui 1, 01 ° 24 ′ 07 ″ S, 37 ° 48 ′ 03 ″ E, 1160 m a. s. l., III. 2007, ex larvae in stems of Cenchrus purpureus (Schumach.) Morrone, (B. Le Ru leg.) (MNHN); TANZANIA: one ♂, one ♀, Zanzibar, Mwera, 06 ° 09 ′ 11 ″ S, 39 ° 16 ′ 23 ″ E, 20 m a. s. l., V. 2004, ex larvae in stems of Cenchrus purpureus (Schumach.) Morrone, (B. Le Ru leg.) (MNHN); four ♂, Zanzibar, Kizimbani, 06 ° 05 ′ 10 ″ S, 39 ° 15 ′ 26 ″ E, 28 m a. s. l., V. 2004, ex larvae in stems of Cenchrus purpureus (Schumach.) Morrone, (B. Le Ru leg.) (MNHN); four ♂, one ♀, Zanzibar, Mahonda, 05 ° 59 ′ 17 ″ S, 39 ° 14 ′ 24 ″ E, 42 m a. s. l., V. 2004, ex larvae in stems of Cenchrus purpureus (Schumach.) Morrone, (B. Le Ru leg.) (MNHN); one ♂, two ♀, Morogoro, Mzombe, 07 ° 29 ′ 24 ″ S, 37 ° 01 ′ 53 ″ E, 371 m a. s. l., III. 2008, ex larvae in stems of Cenchrus purpureus (Schumach.) Morrone, (B. Le Ru leg.) (MNHN); eight ♂, three ♀, Morogoro, Uluguru Mountains, Mbangazina, 06 ° 55 ′ 36 ″ S, 37 ° 46 ′ 13 ″ E, 479 m a. s. l., VI. 2004, ex larvae in stems of Cenchrus purpureus (Schumach.) Morrone, (B. Le Ru leg.) (MNHN); five ♂, two ♀, Morogoro, Uluguru Mountains, Kalundwa, 06 ° 55 ′ 39 ″ S, 37 ° 46 ′ 39 ″ E, 496 m a. s. l., VI. 2004, ex larvae in stems of Cenchrus purpureus (Schumach.) Morrone, (B. Le Ru leg.) (MNHN); 21 ♂, seven ♀, Morogoro, Kibwaya, 06 ° 55 ′ 49 ″ S, 37 ° 48 ′ 31 ″ E, 400 m a. s. l., II. 2010, ex larvae in stems of Cenchrus purpureus (Schumach.) Morrone, (B. Le Ru leg.) [MNHN]; one ♂, two ♀, Morogoro, Kisele, 07 ° 11 ′ 22 ″ S, 39 ° 10 ′ 13 ″ E, 66 m a. s. l., III. 2007, ex larvae in stems of Cenchrus purpureus (Schumach.) Morrone, (B. Le Ru leg.) (MNHN).

Diagnosis.

(See also the identification key of incerta subgroup, section 3.4. 2.). This species can be distinguished from the other known members of the incerta subgroup by the combination of the following characters of the male and female genitalia: tegumen with large, ear-shaped peniculi; vinculum v-shaped at the outer margin with a large sized saccus; sacculus with an elongated very sharp apical extension, its inner margin slightly toothed but without short and stout spines; cucullus as long as the sacculus, widened in a triangle towards the apex; juxta large, the inferior plate part as a triangle with a large conical base, the superior plate broad and long, with long bifid termination; phallus short and thick; vesica without cornutus; ventrolateral plates of female segment A 8 large, almost trapezoidal, sclerotized, widened inwards, the anterior side straight; ostium bursae large, sclerotized, the posterior side slightly convex with blunt tip on each side; posterior section of ductus bursae very large and ovoid, strongly sclerotized.

Redescription.

(Fig. 7 E – H). The species was described from nine specimens in Moyal et al. (2011). We redescribe the species with additional material (90 males and females) collected in Kenya and Tanzania. The general forewing shape of the female is more elongated than that of the male; wing patterns similar in both sexes, but males are generally darker. Antenna ochraceous, serrate in the male, filiform in the female, flagellum adorned dorsally with ochraceous scales in both sexes; palpus brown; eyes dark brown. Head and thorax covered with long ochraceous hairs. Abdomen light buff suffused with fuscous scales. Forelegs light brown, otherwise ochraceous suffused with fuscous scales. Forewing dark ochraceous suffused with brown and fuscous scales, much more in males; three more or less distinct dark brown spots, one antemedial, one at apex of cell and one postmedial; a more or less distinct longitudinal fuscous fascia along lower margin of cell, partly within, partly without cell from base of cell to the subterminal line; one subterminal transverse zigzagging line, more visible in males, with brown markings on the veins and between the veins; outer margin adorned with brown spots between the veins, fringe concolor (dark ochraceous). Hindwing light buff extensively suffused with brown scales over its entire area, particularly in males, veins suffused with brown scales, four brown elongated markings on the veins, fringe concolor (light buff), basal line of fringe buff. Underside of forewing buff, heavily suffused with brown scales particularly in the medial area, fringe buff suffused with fuscous scales, in males; underside of forewing pale ochre slightly suffused with fuscous scales, in costa and termen, fringe concolor (pale ochre), in females. Underside of hindwing buff extensively suffused with fuscous scales, particularly in costa, apex and termen, veins suffused with brown scales, fringe buff suffused with brown scales, in males; underside of hindwing pale ochre slightly suffused with fuscous scales, in costa, fringe concolor (pale ochre), in females. — Forewing length: male 26–35 mm (x ̅ = 30.6 mm, N = 13); female 32–40 mm (x ̅ = 36.3 mm, N = 10). — Male genitalia (Fig. 8 B, M). Tegumen with large, ear-shaped peniculi; vinculum v-shaped at the outer margin and w-shaped at the inner margin without indentation, with a large saccus. Valve with sacculus and cucullus separate; costa short and narrow, heavily sclerotized, ending with a stout and straight spine, with two apical teeth; sacculus heavily sclerotized with an elongated very sharp apical extension, its inner margin slightly toothed but without short and stout spines; cucullus as long as the sacculus, weakly sclerotized, widened in a triangle towards the apex, with scattered and papillated hairs; juxta large, the inferior plate part as a triangle with a large conical base, the superior plate broad and long, with long bifid termination; uncus angled and stout at base, narrowed in distal part, pointed at apex, tufted with long hairs on upper side; phallus short and thick, a bit curved in the middle; lamina ventralis with an elongate carinal crest; vesica without cornutus. — Female genitalia (Fig. 9 B). Apophyses anteriores with spatulate tips; ventrolateral plates of female segment A 8 large, almost trapezoidal, sclerotized, widened inwards, the anterior side straight, at least 1.2 times longer than wide; ostium bursae large, sclerotized, the posterior side slightly convex with blunt tip on each side; ductus bursae long and narrow, its posterior section large and ovoid, strongly sclerotized; corpus bursae medium sized, 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 E). Length 35–40 mm, width 4.0 mm; head smooth, dark brown, almost black, prothoracic shield brown, body with ground colour ebony with brown spots on each segment, pinacula and caudal plate dark brown. Young larvae are similar in appearance to mature ones.

Distribution.

Kenya and Tanzania. Known from many localities in different vegetation mosaics (‘ East African coastal Zanzibar-Ihambane’ (Mosaic # 16 a), ‘ Somalia-Masai acacia- Commiphora Jacq. deciduous bushland and thicket’ (Mosaic # 42) and mosaic of ‘ East African evergreen bushland and secondary acacia wooded grassland’ (Mosaic # 45)) (White 1983) (Fig. 11) belonging to the Zambezian bioregion (sensu Linder et al. 2012).

Ecology.

Larvae were only collected from young stems and shoots of Cenchrus purpureus (Schumach.) Morrone, growing along rivers or in wetlands inhabited by various Poales belonging to the following genera: Echinochloa P. Beauv., Megathyrsus, Panicum and Setaria (L.) P. Beauv.

Remarks.

The record from Pennisetum trachyphyllum Pilg. (synonym of Cenchrus trachyphyllus (Pilg.) Morrone) by Moyal et al. (2011) is a mistake due to a mislabelling in the icipe Mbita Point grass collection.