I lepidotteri del delta del Niger (settimo contributo). Genus Thumatha walzer (arctiidae, lithosiinae), con descrizione della nuova specie Thumatha Lunaris
Abstract
It
Si illustra la distribuzione africana del genere Thumatha Walker, 1866; si rivede lo status di Nudaria infantula Saalmüller, 1879 e la si ridescrive includendola nel genere Thumatha Walker; si descrive come nuova per la scienza Thumatha lunaris n. sp.; si dimostra che Thumatha fuscescens Walker, nella concezione precedente, rappresenta un complesso di specie, per il cui gruppo australiano si conserva il nome specifico di fuscescens Walker e al cui gruppo africano si assegna quello di infantula Saalmüller.
En
The African distribution of the genus Thumatha Walker, 1866 is illustrated. Thanks to some differences in the genitalia of the African group of Thumatha fuscescens Walker, 1866 compared to the genitalia of the holotype (Australia), the status of Nudaria infantula Saalmüller, 1879 is revised, the species is redescribed and included in the genus Thumatha Walker; the species Thumatha lunaris n. sp. is described as new. It is shown that Thumatha fuscescens Walker as treated heretofore constitutes a species complex, the specific name fuscescens Walker referring to the Australian populations, whereas the name infantula Saalmüller is assigned to the African group.In the discussion, Thumatha fuscescens (Saalmüller, 1879) stat. rev. et comb. n. is included in the tribus Nudariini, even if the morphology of its female pheromone glands seems to be not similar to the morphology of the glands in the other genera of the tribus. This leads to suppose that character could follow convergent evolutionary trends in the subfamilies of Arctiidae. Finally, the differential characters between Thumatha infantula (Saalmüller, 1879) stat. rev. et comb. n. and Thumatha fuscescens Walker, 1866 are given. They essentially are based on genitalia: in the Australian specimens the processus distalis plicae and the distal processus of ala valvae are longer and more pointed, the number of cornuti is between five and six, whereas African specimens have got only two big cornuti. In the female, the most evident differences regard antrum, ductus bursae and cervix bursae. The most remarkable feature in the general appearance is the darker colour on the hind wings of the Australian specimens compared to the African ones.The morphologic and systematic features of some oriental specimens of the fuscescens group will be shown in a forthcoming paper.
Si illustra la distribuzione africana del genere Thumatha Walker, 1866; si rivede lo status di Nudaria infantula Saalmüller, 1879 e la si ridescrive includendola nel genere Thumatha Walker; si descrive come nuova per la scienza Thumatha lunaris n. sp.; si dimostra che Thumatha fuscescens Walker, nella concezione precedente, rappresenta un complesso di specie, per il cui gruppo australiano si conserva il nome specifico di fuscescens Walker e al cui gruppo africano si assegna quello di infantula Saalmüller.
En
The African distribution of the genus Thumatha Walker, 1866 is illustrated. Thanks to some differences in the genitalia of the African group of Thumatha fuscescens Walker, 1866 compared to the genitalia of the holotype (Australia), the status of Nudaria infantula Saalmüller, 1879 is revised, the species is redescribed and included in the genus Thumatha Walker; the species Thumatha lunaris n. sp. is described as new. It is shown that Thumatha fuscescens Walker as treated heretofore constitutes a species complex, the specific name fuscescens Walker referring to the Australian populations, whereas the name infantula Saalmüller is assigned to the African group.In the discussion, Thumatha fuscescens (Saalmüller, 1879) stat. rev. et comb. n. is included in the tribus Nudariini, even if the morphology of its female pheromone glands seems to be not similar to the morphology of the glands in the other genera of the tribus. This leads to suppose that character could follow convergent evolutionary trends in the subfamilies of Arctiidae. Finally, the differential characters between Thumatha infantula (Saalmüller, 1879) stat. rev. et comb. n. and Thumatha fuscescens Walker, 1866 are given. They essentially are based on genitalia: in the Australian specimens the processus distalis plicae and the distal processus of ala valvae are longer and more pointed, the number of cornuti is between five and six, whereas African specimens have got only two big cornuti. In the female, the most evident differences regard antrum, ductus bursae and cervix bursae. The most remarkable feature in the general appearance is the darker colour on the hind wings of the Australian specimens compared to the African ones.The morphologic and systematic features of some oriental specimens of the fuscescens group will be shown in a forthcoming paper.
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