Paschiodes postmediofusalis ( Seizmair, 2022 ), 2025

Seizmair, Michael, Ishag, Alrabea & Al Dhafer, Hathal Mohammed, 2025, Contribution to the study of the Afrotropical Pyraustinae Meyrick, 1890 (Lepidoptera, Crambidae): Taxonomic and distributional updates on five species with new country records, Biodiversity Data Journal 13, pp. e 161293-e 161293 : e161293-

Paschiodes postmediofusalis ( Seizmair, 2022) comb. n.

Pyrausta mediofusalis Seizmair, 2022 . Seizmair (2022): 37 -39. Type locality: Oman, Dhofar, Jebel Samhan, Viewpoint, 1400 m

Materials

Type status: Other material. Occurrence: catalogNumber: 23 GP 011 ; recordedBy: M. Seizmair; individualCount: 1; sex: male; lifeStage: adult; disposition: CMS; occurrenceID: 080418D9-73AE-57B4-803A-DF8A26813167; Location: country: Saudi Arabia; stateProvince: Jizan; locality: Wadi Lajab, Khatwat Al Ain ; verbatimElevation: 1277 m; verbatimLatitude: 17 ° 35 ' 20.34 "; verbatimLongitude: 42 ° 55 ' 55.87 "; Event: eventTime: 26 - IX- 2022

Diagnosis

Wingspan of the current record 24.1 mm. Fore-wing length of the current record 12.0 mm. The species complies with the internal differential character states of Paschiodes Hampson, 1913 , namely the bifurcate chaetae of the uncus, the simple, strongly flattened sella and the sclerotisation of the vesica marked as a band of spines ranging over the entire length of the phallus. In the genus Pyrausta Hübner, 1825 , the chaetae in the apical uncus are simple, the sella is of a distinguished linguiform shape, the sclerotisation of the vesica is marked as small cornuti variable in shape and number. The species is thus removed from Pyrausta Hübner, 1825 and transferred to Paschiodes Meyrick, 1890 . The genus Paschiodes Meyrick, 1890 comprises five valid species, amongst which P. postmediofusalis comb. n. is unique in the greyish ground of the fore- and hind-wing upper side, the irroration by brownish scales in the fore-wing upperside, the yellowish tinge of the fore- and hind-wing costal areas, the flattened sella, the invaginated juxta, the elongate cornutus and the bulbous dilation in the posterior portion of the phallus ( Seizmair 2022, Figs 3 d , 4 d ).

Remark

The only known record from Saudi Arabia is a strongly worn male specimen, which, however, could be clearly identified, by the male genitalia.

Distribution

Restricted to the Arabian Peninsula: Oman (Dhofar). New to Saudi Arabia.

Figures

Figure 3 d. P. postmediofusalis comb. n., slide no 23 GP 011.

Figure 4 d. P. postmediofusalis comb. n., slide no 23 GP 011.