Spodoptera apertura Walker 1865

Spodoptera apertura (Walker)
Figs. 64, 70, 78, 89, 112, 122, 212-216, 314, 344, 376, 408, 440, Prodenia apertura Walker 1865a: 654; Cotes & Swinhoe
1888: 326. Prodenia synstictis Hampson 1896: 511. Prodenia leucophlebia Hampson 1902: 288; [synonymized
by Brown & Dewhurst 1975: 253]. Laphygma leucophlebia; Hampson 1909: 259; Warren in
Seitz 1914a: 322. Laphygma connexa Wileman 1914: 166. New synonym. Spodoptera connexa; Poole 1989: 922. Spodoptera teferii Laporte in Rougeot 1984: 29; Poole
1989: 925. New synonym. Laphygma apertura; Hampson 1909: 260; Warren in Seitz
1914a: 321. Spodoptera apertura; Brown & Dewhurst 1975: 253; Holloway 1989: 135; Poole 1989: 922; Edwards 1996:
324; Kononenko et al. 1998: 235.
Diagnosis. — Spodoptera apertura is most similar in color and pattern to S. malagasy. Male antenna is less serrate in S. apertura than in S. malagasy. Spodoptera apertura has a white hindwing (Figs. 212-216), but it is light brown in S. malagasy (Figs. 217-218). Forewing is dark brown with middle portion of M vein and bases of CuAl and CuA2 outlined in white. In the male genitalia, the uncus base is more slender and the sacculus apex is more pointed in S. apertura (Fig. 314) than in S. malagasy (Fig. 315). In the female genitalia, the ventral plate of ostium bursa and ductus bursae are more slender in S. apertura (Fig. 408) than in S. malagasy (Fig. 409).
Description. Adult Male. — Head: Basal segment of labial palpus dark brown; median segment mixed with black and brown scales in basal half, cream apically (suffused with rufous); apical
segment dark brown. Frons with short scales brown; long scales brown; lateral spots at eye margin absent; vertex brown. Antenna serrate; scape brown; flagellum cream and brown.
Thorax: Patagium brown with a black and light brown median band, light brown apical margin. Tegula brown. Mesothorax brown. Underside of thorax cream. Prothoracic femur fuscous; tibia with lateral scale tufts not extending beyond first tarsal segment, cream and fuscous, subapical spot absent, first tarsal segment cream, tarsal segment 2 fuscous with cream apical ring, tarsal segments 3-4 fuscous, tarsal segment 5 fuscous with cream apical ring. Mesothoracic femur cream and fuscous; tibia fuscous and cream, inner spur more than twice length of outer spur, spurs completely scaled; tarsal segments fuscous with cream apical rings. Meta thoracic femur cream and fuscous; tibia cream and fuscous; tarsal segments fuscous with cream apical rings.
Forewing: Length, 11-14 mm; ground color dark brown; basal line black; R vein not a contrasting color; basal scale patch between R and Cu veins absent; basal half circle scale patch below Cu vein absent; antemedial line black, indistinct; claviform spot absent; basal scale patch absent; gray patch covering anal cell and half of cell CuA2 absent; oblique brown mark from fifth outer marginal spot to vein CuA2 absent; curved white line from antemedial line to postmedial line absent; orbicular spot an oblique trapezoid, cream, with a brown center, bordered by thin black lines; reniform spot cream outlined in black, center light brown to brown; white scales along Cu vein from orbicular spot to junction of veins M3 and CuAl and down vein CuA2 to postmedial line; postmedial line black, indistinct, from just below costa to posterior margin, wavy; postmedian band gray to brown; black scale patches in middle of cells R4 to CuA2, patch in R4 basal to other patches in postmedian area; subterminal line a light brown band bordered by white; apex lacking a white patch; dark brown square spots along outer margin; fringe gray. Underside ground color pale gray; outer margin spots absent; reniform spot gray.
Hindwing: Ground color white; a small patch of gray scales at apex (can be indistinct); fringe white. Underside ground color white; costal cells C and Sc cream speckled with pale gray scales; outer margin with a few faint gray spots in middle of cells Sc to CuAl; no spot on underside.
Abdomen: Dorsum cream; venter gray; distolateral black spots on sternites absent; 8th tergite with spiculate patches absent on caudal margin.
Genitalia: Uncus evenly curved; slender, gradually narrowing toward pointed apex; setae absent or few. Scaphium elongate, weakly developed. Tegumen lacking a pair of projecting arms on upper third. Costa slightly bent at middle
at base of costa on inner edge; perpendicular to costa of valve. Cucullus apex truncate; produced. Anellifer with lightly sclerotized plate bearing setae absent. Ampulla elongate, slightly curved with a pointed, produced apex; extending beyond apex of valve (Figs. 314, 344). Clasper proper absent. Clavus a minute round projection. Sacculus broadest at base, gradually tapering distally; apex pointed. Valvula narrower than valve; well differentiated from valve, apex free; apex pointed; indentation absent. Coremata reduced, closely appressed to sacculus; no distinct lobes. Juxta a narrow rectangular band with ventiolateral-lateral projections, median process as wide as base, ventral margin straight with curved sides. Anellus membranous. Vinculum U-shaped with a narrow base. Aedoeagus straight; coecum smaller in diameter than shaft; patch of spines absent on apex of membranous sheath surrounding aedoeagus. Vesica curving ventially; moderately elongate, 0.75-1.0 length of aedoeagus; apicobasal cornutal patch quadrate; short, extending to just beyond apex of aedoeagus; cornuti in form of minute flat granules; lateral cornutal patch absent; dense cornutal patch subapical on vesica; distal cornutus an ovate plate with large spines at apex.
Adult Female. — Essentially as described for male except:
Forewing: Length, 14.5 mm.
Abdomen: Fine dense scales on 8th segment whitish.
Genitalia: Ventral plate of ostium bursa with height greater than width; distal margin straight; ventrolateral invaginated pocket of 8th sternite absent. Ductus bursae short (length less than twice width); completely sclerotized. Appendix bursae partially sclerotized. Corpus bursae bulbous, length less than twice width; a few striae. Signum in apical half of corpus bursae; elongate, length greater than 1.15 mm; forming greater than a 45 degree angle to vertical axis of corpu bursae.
Larva. — Unknown.
Type material. — Prodenia apertura Walker. The following quote, which is in George Hampson's handwriting, is on the flyleaf of Volume 1-3 of Walker's catalogue in the Macrolepidoptera Sectional Library, Entomology Department, BMNH. It reads: "The species described by Walker in the Catalogue as being in Coll. Layard, from Ceylon were left, Mr. E.L. Layard states, by him with his brother in-law in Lincolnshire when he returned to the East & the collection has disappeared." (Kitching, pers. corr.) The neotype 9 [ANIC, here designated] is labeled: 3 miles S. of; Port Macquarie,; NSW, 26 Mar 1965; I. F. B. Common; & M. S. Upton. SPOD 1656. The neotype is designated and labeled to ensure nomenclatural stability in this confusing group of species and is illustrated in Fig. 212. Type locality: Sri Lanka.
Prodenia synstictis Hampson. The lectotype 8 [BMNH] is labeled: Ceylon; Hambantota; J. Pole; 98-119. Type locality: Hambantota, Sri Lanka. Hampson (1896: 511) described subtermitialis from 3 specimens of unknown sex, 2 specimens from Nilgris, and 1 specimen from Ceylon. Hampson (1909: 260) listed "1 8 type synstictis" from Hambantota, Ceylon. This can be inferred as a lectotype designation and this specimen is the one mentioned above and is illustrated in Fig. 215.
Prodenia leucophlebia Hampson. The 8 lectotype [BMNH, here designated] is labeled: Karkloof, Natal, G.A.K. Marshall, 97-50; Prodenia leucophlebia, type 8 Hmpsn.; Noctuidae genitalia slide No. 3836 8. The lectotype is designated to ensure nomenclatural stability in this confusing group of species and is illustrated in Fig. 214. Type locality: Karkloof, Natal, South Africa. The following syntype becomes a paralectotype: 8, Label data: Natal, Karkloof, G.A.K. Marshall, 97Laphygma connexa Wileman. The lectotype 8 [BMNH] is labeled: Kanshirei, Formosa, 1,000 ft., 10-XI-1908, A. E. Wileman. Type locality: Kanshirei, Taiwan. This specimen is illustrated in Fig. Spodoptera teferii Laporte. The holotype 8 [MNHP] is labeled: 9env. Koffole, 1800-2000 m Ethiopie, 8-XI-1973, PC. Rougeot Leg.; Mission, P.-C Rougeout, XI-XII 1973; TYPE; Spodoptera teferii Laporte, Holotype 8 , P.-C. Rougeout det. 19; 1314. Type locality: Koffole, Ethiopia.
Material Examined. — Specimens were examined from the following countries: Australia, China, India, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, and Zaire.
Distribution (Fig. 527). — This species has an Ethiopian, Oriental, and Australasian distribution. In Africa it is known from Natal, Transvaal, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Cape Province, Zaire, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Madagascar, and the Comoro Islands. From the Oriental region it has been found in China, Taiwan, India, and Sri Lanka. In the Australasian region S. apertura has been found in Queensland, Australia; Borneo (Sarawak), Sulawesi, Sumatra, Indonesia; and Papua New Guinea (Brown & Dewhurst 1975).

Spodoptera apertura is a moth of the family Noctuidae first described by Francis Walker in 1865. It is known from China, India, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Madagascar and Australia.