Introduction

Carpenter moths (Lepidoptera, Cossidae) of Africa are relatively poorly studied. In particular, there are no morphological descriptions for a several genera, such as Alophonotus Schoorl, 1990, which was established for Chalcidica (Duomitus) rauana Strand, 1909. Unfortunately, SCHOORL (1990: 135-136, 140-142) did not provide descriptions of the genitalia for the genus described by him. He identified the following apomorphies of the thorax and wing venation: “Fringes short, R1 proximal to areole”. Having examined the holotype female and additional material from various African localities t, we give a detailed morphological description of male and female of the genus Alophonotus and summarize its distribution.

Material and methods

Material from the following collections were studied:

Genitalia slides were examined with a Zeiss Stemi 2000 C microscope and images were taken with the Olympus XC 50 camera.

Results

Genus Alophonotus Schoorl, 1990

Schoorl, 1990: 135-136.

Type species: Chalcidica (Duomitus) rauana Strand, 1909 (by monotypy)

Male redescription (figs. 1-8): Medium size, wingspan 40-56 mm. Antennae bipectinate in proximal half, simple in distal half, orange. Thorax covered with orange scales with three grey longitudinal lines from above, tegula orange, with two big round grey spots. Abdomen orange, with longitudinal dashed grey band dorsally and segments with round grey spots laterally. Fore wing narrow, grey, with pattern of small round orange spots uniformly distributed over the entire wing surface, apex sharp. Hind wing short, of the same pattern (but orange spots smaller than those on the fore wing).

Male genitalia (fig. 6): Uncus thick at base, sharply narrowing in medium third, distal third thin with sharp, beak like apex; gnathos arms ribbon-like, short, not fused; valves narrow, lanceolate, smoothly narrowing to apices, edges even; juxta robust, saddle-like, with wide leaf-like lateral processes directed dorsally; saccus poorly expressed, semi-circular; phallus robust, equal to valve in length, sharply bent in basal third; big spindle-like cornutus (1/2 of phallus) in vesica.

Female (figs. 1, 2, 5): Slightly bigger than male, wingspan 45-68 mm. Antennae simple, wings slightly wider than those of male, pattern on body and wings the same as in male.

Female genitalia: Papillae analis tapered, apophyses posterior 2,8 longer then apophyses anterior, ostium poorly submerged, bursa bag-like, without signa, small bag-like bulla stretching from bursa on long membranous ductus.

Diagnosis: Alophonotus clearly differs from the other genera of African Zeuzerinae Boisduval [1828] by the specific spotty pattern on the wings, poorly expressed sexual dimorphism, the uncus of the male genitalia sharply narrowing in the medium third, the poorly expressed saccus and the juxta with relatively short leaf-like lateral processes. SCHOORL (1990: 141) included the genus Alophonotus in “Section 2A - part 1” together with several Paleotropical and Neotropical genera: Morpheis Hübner, [1820] (type species - Phalaena pyracmon Cramer, 1782), Xyleutes Hübner, [1820] (type species - Phalaena (Noctua) strix Linnaeus, 1758), Chalcidica Hübner, [1820] (type species - Phalaena (Bombyx) minea Cramer, 1779), Bergaris Schoorl, 1990 (type species - Xyleutes malayica Roepke, 1957), Rapdalus Schoorl, 1990 (type species - Zeuzera pardicolor Moore, 1879); Rugigegat Schoorl, 1990 (type species - Zeuzera nigra Moore, 1877). The legitimacy of this association will be confirmed or refuted after a complete morphological and molecular genetic study of all Zeuzerinae genera.

Taxonomical notes: In the entomological collection of CMNH, we have found one male from Congo, marked as “holotype”. There is no species determination on the labels. Probably, this specimen is one of non-described taxa, marked for the subsequent description by H. Clench. This specimen is not a considered a type and was incorrrectly accepted as the holotype of A. rauana (YAKOVLEV, 2011).

The genus currently is considered monotypic including only, A. rauanus , described from Tanzania (STRAND, 1909) based on the unique female. Later, Holland (1920) described from Congo (also based on a female) Callocossus langi Holland, 1920, which was synonymized by GAEDE (1930).

Alophonotus rauanus (Strand, 1909)

Chalcidica (Duomitus) rauana Strand, 1909: 130.

Type locality: DO Afrika [Tanzania], Kilimanjaro.

Type material (holotype female) in MNKB, examined.

= Callocossus langi Holland, 1920: 318–319.

Type locality: Faradje [Congo].

Type material (holotype female) in AMNH, examined.

Distribution: Angola, Ethiopia (new record), Cameroon (new record), Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria (new record), S. Africa, Ruanda (new record), Senegal, Sierra Leone, Southern Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe (SCHOORL 1990; VÁRI ET AL., 2002; YAKOVLEV, 2011; 2014; YAKOVLEV, LENZ, 2013; YAKOVLEV, MURPHY, 2013; GOFF, 2018) (fig. 8).

Material examined: 1 ♀ (holotype of Chalcidica (Duomitus) rauana), D. O. Africa, Rau Fl., Kilimandjaro, Mitte XI-1904, C. Uhlig S. G. (MNKB); 1 0 (holotype of Callocossus langi), Faradje, Congo, 29o 40’ E; 3o 40’ N, 3-IX-1912, coll. Lang & Chapin (AMNH); 1 ♂ (“holotype”), Congo Belge, Elisabethville, 17-III-1949, Ch. Seydel (CMNH); 1 ♂, Nkhorongo Mzuzu, Mzimba distr., 1375 m, N. Malawi, 8-III-2000, R. J. Murphy leg. (RMM); 1 ♂ lake Kazuni, Vwaza marsh game reserve, Rumphii distr., N. Malawi, 11-III-2010, leg. R. J. Murphy (RMM); 1 ♂, same locality, 5-IV-1997 (RMM); 1 ♂, same locality, 7-IV-1999 (RMM); 1 ♂, Mughese FR, Chitipa distr., N. Malawi, 8-18-VI-2002, leg. R. Murphy (RMM); 1 , Dzalanyama forest, Lilongwe distr., C. Malawi, 21-27-III-2003, leg. R. Murphy (RMM); 7 ♂♂, S. Malawi, Mangochi District, 25 km E Mangochi, Manizimu Forest Reserve, Uzuzu Hill, 14o 24’ 46” S 35o 22’ 42” E, h 1010 m, 17-18-IV-2011, leg. R. Yakovlev (RYB); 1 ♂, Angola, Huila Prov., 10 km SW Cacula, 04-06-XI-2011, leg. P. Schüle (MSW); 3 ♂♂, Uganda, Itwara fst., Kyenjojo, I-2003 (MSW); 1♂, Kivu, Mwera, 3-IV-1957, R. P. de Caters (MRAC); 1 ♂, Elisabethville, III-1912, Miss Agric (MRAC); 1 ♂, Ruanda, Kisenyi, 21-IV-1957, Dr. M. Fontaine (MRAC); 1 ♂, Elisabethville, 17-II-1959, Ch. Seydel (MRAC); 1 ♂, Kivu, Rwankwi, 11-XI-1947, J. V. Leroy (MRAC); 1 ♂, Kibale, Iture, Nioka, 25-IV-1954, J. Hecq (MRAC); 1 ♂, Ruanda, Astrida, 10-X-1961, Allaerts (MRAC); 1 ♂, Kivu, Kagna, 3-V-1958, J. Hecq (MRAC); 2 ♂♂, Cameroun, Eloumden, 27-28- 10-1992, Th. Bouyer (MRAC); 1 ♂, Cameroun, Mt. Kanu, 22-IV-1992, Th. Bouyer (MRAC); 1 ♂, Cameroon, Buea, 12-VI-1992, Rec. K. Maes (MRAC); 1 ♂, Katanga, Zilo, II-1969, Rec. V. Allard (MRAC); 2 ♂♂, Congo Belge, P. N. A., Secteur Nord, Ihumbia, affl.dr. Semliki, 920 m, 6-XI-1956, P. Vanschytbroeck (MRAC); 1 ♂, Lubumbashi, XII-1975, J. Thiry (MRAC); 2 ♂♂, Tanzania, Iringa Prov., Udzungava NP, campsite, 2400 m, 29-I-2005 (MWM); 1 ♂, Tanzania, Nord Mitomoni, South Tanz, 11o 28’ S / 35o 18’ E, 25-V-2010, leg. T. N. Chance & J. Cave (MWM); 1 ♂, N. Nigeria, Kadena, 4-X-1970, leg. Dr. Politzar (MWM); 14 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, South Sudan, East Equatorial State, Akotos province, Lolibai Mts., 1300 m, 15-VIII-10-IX-2010, leg. Vladimir Gurko (MWM); 1 ♂, Kenya, Transmara, Lolgorien, 2000 m, IV-2000 (MWM); 4 ♂♂, Kenya, Transmara, Kilgoris, 1-15-XII-1996, leg. Dr. Politzar (MWM); 1 1, N. Zambia, Mutinodro, 1390 m, Miombe, 26-XII-2010, 12o 23.30’ S, 31o 19.23’ E, leg. J. Lenz (RYB); 1 1, Ethiopia, Godiam Prov., Mangushi vill., H - 900 m, 4-6-VIII- 2017, O. Legezin leg. (RYB).

Acknowledgements

The authors express their gratitude to the colleagues: Didier Van den Spiegel, Alice Buset (Tervuren), Jurate and Willy De Prins for making the Cossidae material of the MRAC available for study. The authors are grateful to Anna Ustjuzhanina (Tomsk) for the help in translation of the paper. The English text was reviewed by Prof. Boris Kondratieff (Fort Collins). We are indebted to H. Sulak (Munich) for the photo, and to O. Bidzilya (Kyev) for the assistance in making genital preparations. The financial support for this study was provided by the grant No. 18-04-00440 À from the Russian Foundation for Basic Research.

References

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SCHOORL, J. W., 1990.- A phylogenetic study on Cossidae (Lepidoptera: Ditrysia) based on external adult morphology.- Zoologische Verhandelingen, 263: 1–295.

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YAKOVLEV, R. V. & LENZ, J., 2013.- On the Fauna of Cossidae (Lepidoptera) of Zimbabwe with description of a new species.- Zootaxa, 3718(4): 387-397.

YAKOVLEV, R. V. & MURPHY, R. J., 2013.- The Cossidae (Lepidoptera) of Malawi with descriptions of two new species.- Zootaxa, 3709 (4): 371–393.

Author notes

yakovlev_asu@mail.ru