Pseudopoliosia aestuariensis Durante, 2022

Durante, Antonio & Apinda-Legnouo, Emelie Arlette, 2022, Sixth contribution to the study of the Lithosiini of Gabon: the genus Pseudopoliosia Krüger, 2015 (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae), Zootaxa 5195 (6), pp. 554-566 : 558

Pseudopoliosia aestuariensis Durante n. sp.

( Figs. 3A , 4 )

Holotype: ♂, GABON, Kinguélé , Monts de Cristal, 200 m asl, 0°27’12’’N 10°16’40’’E, 28/ 30-4-2019, Durante leg., g. sl. n. 1054 MAD; in coll. MSNS.

Diagnosis ( Table 1).

Pseudopoliosia aestuariensis n. sp. differs from P. danella and P. conica n. sp. in having fore- and hindwings of the same colour, whereas in the latter two the forewings are lighter in colour than the hindwings. P. aestuariensis n. sp. is quite similar to other species of the genus, from which it can be clearly distinguished with reference to genitalia morphology: the S-shaped distal process of the ala valvae is not present in Pseudopoliosia conica n. sp., P. nigeriana or P. nigrifrons .

On the other hand the male genitalia are very similar to those of P. danella , with respect to which P. aestuariensis can be diagnosed by the shape of the distal process on the ala valvae (S-shape more accentuated in P. danella —see Table 1, arrow), the shape of the processus basalis plicae (quadrangular in P. danella ; papilla-shaped in P. aestuariensis n. sp.) and the absence of cornuti in the aedeagus (cornuti present in P. danella ).

Description. Wingspan ♂ 15 mm.

Head frons and vertex, notum (including patagia and tegulae) all same colour as forewing upperside; frontoclypeus dark grey; antennae ciliated, dorsally same colour as vertex, ventrally unpigmented; labial palpi porrect, not extending beyond frons, as dark as frontoclypeus.

Thoracic sternites as dark as forewing underside; legs same colour, but hind pair lighter; spurs formula 0-2- 4. Forewing upperside ground colour ivory, unmarked; costa with proximal 2/5 dark brown. Forewing underside brownish-grey with proximal half of costal area darker and distal half ivory. Hindwing upperside and underside same colour as forewing upperside. Fringes concolourous.

Abdomen same colour as hindwings; eighth abdominal segment less than half as long as seventh, with anterior margin slightly sclerotized laterally and ventrally ( Fig. 4A ).

Genitalia. ♂. Uncus pointed, long and slender, bent backwards; tegumen short and slender, inverted-V-shaped in dorsal view with bulbous apex and slender pedunculi (sensu Diakonoff 1939); vinculum also slender, but more sclerotized than tegumen, with almost parallel arms and double saccus; juxta shield-shaped with triangular notch ventrally; apparently no valvellae. Valva about three times longer than wide (3.03 length:width ratio, see Fig. 4A ); basis valvae dorsally extending mesad to meet each other and forming rod-like transtilla, ventrally tapering and touching each other. Ala valvae twice as wide as supravalva, distally tapering suddenly and ending with sturdy S-shaped process, distally slightly exceeding supravalva. Supravalva slender, digitiform, with costa S-shaped, protruding in large papilla-shaped sack-like processus distalis plicae in middle of valva ( Fig. 4B ). Aedeagus tubular, slender, ¾ length of ala valvae; caudal end with area covered by small imbricate sclerites ( Fig. 4C ); coecum penis absent, ductus seminalis inserted at anterior end; vesica globular, with scobination of tiny subconical granicula on left half ( Fig. 4D ) terminating cephalad with small double lobe.

Etymology. The new species’ name derives from the Latin “aestuarium”, meaning estuary, and refers to the name of the Estuaire province in Gabon where the type locality is, in the Mont de Cristal National Park.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Pseudopoliosia new species. A: Pseudopoliosia aestuariensis n. sp. holotype, male, g. sl. n. 1054 MAD; B: Pseudopoliosia conica n. sp., holotype, male, g. sl. n. 1018 MAD; C: Pseudopoliosia conica n. sp., paratype, female, g. sl. n. 1051 MAD.

FIGURE 4. Pseudopoliosia aestuariensis n. sp.. A: male genitalia, ventral view; B: processus distalis plicae, left valva, enlarged; C: aedeagus, caudal end, enlarged; D: vesica, scobination of granicula, enlarged. All pictures holotype g. sl. n. 1054 MAD. ae: aedeagus; am: anterior margin of the eighth sternite; av: ala valvae; pd: processus distalis plicae; sp: S-shaped process; sv: supravalva; te: tegumen; tr: transtilla; un: uncus; ve: vesica; vi: vinculum; VIII st: eighth sternite.