Asuroides similis Durante, new species

Asuroides similis Durante, new species

(Figs. 14, 15, 17, 22, 30)

Material analyzed: Ψ holotype, Kibwezi [Republic of Kenya], 15-5-1917, g. sl. Arct. 5859 BMNH, in BMNH; Ψ paratype, Mlanje [Republic of Malawi], g.sl. Arct. 4657 BMNH, in BMNH; 3 ΨΨ, Kibwezi [Republic of Kenya], 11-1-1917 (g. sl. Arct. 5858 BMNH), 18-5-1917 (g. sl. Arct. 5857 BMNH), and 5-1917, all in BMNH; ɗ, Zomba, Nyassaland [Republic of Malawi], g. sl. Arct. 4656 BMNH, in BMNH.

Forewing: wingspan 22–29 mm; upperside ground color straw-yellow; pattern brown-grey; wing pattern differs from type species as follows: average size of bands more slender, median band at its origin proximally directed, submarginal streaks never linked by transverse line, first (subcostal) streak divided in two and rising streak number in submarginal band to nine; underside same color as upperside, pattern limited to anterior portions of median and postmedian bands and submarginal streaks, of which the anterior are more evident; pink dusting in median area (notably g. sl. Arct. 5858 BMNH); fringes brown-grey.

Hindwing: upperside same color as forewing ground color, with two to four lightly demarked marginal streaks; underside same color as upperside; fringes brown-grey around apex, otherwise yellow.

Body: head, thorax, and abdomen same color as forewing ground color; brown-grey dot on vertex of head; female antennae filiform, male unknown; labial palpi porrect, not extending beyond frons; tegulae with one dark dot; two dots on mesonotum, one on mesoscutellum; legs pale yellow with dark marking as in A. sagenaria, but distal portion of tarsus yellow; tibial spurs 0-2-2; male pregenital segments not examined;

VII female sternum slightly longer than VI, with small pleural pouches at cephalic edge; VII tergum trapezoidal, two times as long as VI; VIII abdominal segment half as long as VI; dorsal pheromone gland bilobate, long, almost two times posterior apophyses; ventral pheromone gland bilobate, bag-shaped, half the length of posterior apophyses.

Genitalia: ɗ: similar to those of A. sagenaria but with ala valvae more slender, its swelling ending in a more proximal position, waves of distal and dorsal edges of supravalva with three or four small finger-like processes, and vesica lobes lacking spines; Ψ: ostium circular with edges slightly bell-shaped; VIII sternum with large quadrangular lamella postvaginalis; ductus bursae cylindrical, short and narrow, well sclerotized; bursa copulatrix linked to ductus almost at right angle, with membranous sub-cylindrical cervix, from the proximal end of which arises ductus seminalis; corpus small, membranous; signa absent.

Etymology: the name similis reflects the similarity of this species to Asuroides sagenaria.

Remarks: this species is separable from the others by ground color, and the nine streaks of the marginal band that are not joined by a line (the marginal streaks are also free in A. rosea, but that species only has seven), and the genitalia.