Amerila roseomarginata (Rothschild)
12 roseomarginata.JPG (7777 Byte) roseomarginata 95-0007.GIF (6310 Byte)
Description
Male. Fw length 22-26 mm; fw at base, outer and inner margins pale ochre, darker at the apex and along the outer margin; the fw central area largely transparent, sharply delimited towards the apex; fw veins finely lined by brown scales, a broader streak along the discal vein; hw weakly scaled, centrally transparent, pale pinkish cream-coloured towards the inner and outer margins. Head, thorax and dorsal base of abdomen pale greyish brown; tegulae with a single black spot basally; outer sides of fore and mid femora, tibiae, and tarsi dark brown; inner sides and hind legs pinkish red. Abdomen dorsally pinkish red, ventrally pale greyish brown, sometimes with a reddish tint; two long brush-like androconial organs of pale-coloured haires placed ventro-laterally in the intersegmental membrane anteriorly of the genital apparatus.
Female. As male.
Male genitalia
roseomarginata a.GIF (2670 Byte) roseomarginata b.GIF (5739 Byte) roseomarginata c.GIF (1858 Byte) roseomarginata d.GIF (7011 Byte)
view on leftside of vinculum and valva, lateral view inner side of right valva tegumen/uncus, dorsal view aedeagus with vesica everted
Uncus short, broad triangular, with a small tip. Valvae short, roundish to oval-shaped, and posteriorly rounded, outer surface with long extrusible, hirsute, tube-like coremata; inner sclerotized process short and smooth, strongly curved and apically pointed. Vesica distally with two strong, straight, parallel cornuti of unequal length fused at their base.
Distribution
West, Central and East Africa; from Côte d'Ivoire to Nigeria, Gabon, and Zaire; from Eritrea to Tanzania.
Comments
In male genitalia, this species is very similar to A. fennia which can be told apart by differences in the inner sclerotized process of the valva and the membraneous papillae of the vesica (see above). With regard to the external appearance, A. roseomarginata is more similar to A. castanea, A. puella, and A. vidua. A reliable diagnostic feature against those species is the well delimited transparent fw area in A. roseomarginata, particularly the sharp border towards the apex.
Material
Rhodogastria roseomarginata Rothschild, 1910: 183. Lectotype male (here designated): Ogruga, River Niger / Rothschild Bequest B.M.1939-1. / Rhodogastria roseomarginata Rothsch. Type / Type / Arctiidae genitalia slide No. 4398 [BMNH; abdomen dissected]. Type locality: NIGERIA: Ogruga.
Additional material examined. Côte d'Ivoire: Tai Nationalpark, 16.iv.1982 (1 male, ZSSM); Comoe N.P., 19.xii.1982 (1 male, RS); Mankono, Marahoue Ranch, 8.22N 6.23W, 330-400 m, 15.xi.-15.xii.1981 (1 male, RS), 24.vi.1986 (1 male, ZFMK). GHANA: N.Territories, Kete-Krachi, 1925 (1 male, BMNH); Anfoega, 1956 (1 male, AMES). TOGO: Bismarckburg, 28.v.-17.vi.1893 (4 males, MNHU); Togoland, 1892-93 (1 male, BMNH). BENIN: nr. Bohicon, xii.1990 (2 males, SMNS, MB), Lama Forest nr. Bohicon. NIGERIA: Kaduna, 13.ix.1970 (1 female, ZSSM); Niger, Ogruga (1 male, 1 female, BMNH); Ibadan, i.-vi.1954 (1 female, ZMUC). GABON: Gabun, 1895 (1 male, SMNS). ZAIRE: Zaire Central: Banana, 6.v.1885 (1 male, SMFM); Kivu: Massif Ruwenzori, 1900 m, 7.i.1958 (1 male, MRAC). ERITREA: Asmara, 18.+24.ix.1968 (3 males, 2 females, MCSN). KENYA: Western: Kakamega: Kakamega Forest, 5.vii.1980 (1 male, MB), 1.ix.1983 (1 male, MB), 16.vi.1991 (1 male, MB); Coast: Kwale: Shimba Hills, 27.-29.vi.1980 (5 males, MB), 3.viii.1983 (1 male, MB), 10.ix.1983 (2 males, 1 female, MB). TANZANIA: West Lake: Bukoba, Minziro For., 1180 m, 1.i.1995 (1 male, BJ), Bukoba: Minziro For., 1180 m, 1.i.1995 (1 female, BJ); Tanga: Usambara, Amani, 1000 m, 28.vi.1970 (2 females, ZMUC).