Morabia cryptica, László & Hausmann, 2022

László, Gyula M. & Hausmann, Axel, 2022, Taxonomic review of the genus Morabia Hausmann & Tujuba, 2020 with descriptions of two new species and introducing five new generic combinations (Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Ennominae), Zootaxa 5134 (2), pp. 215-237 : 220-222

Morabia cryptica sp. n.

( Figs 7–9 , 26–27 , 38 )

Holotype. Male , “ Zambia, 1460m, Mutinondo Wilderness Area, Northern Province, 12°27’06”S, 31°17’30”E, 17-20.v.2019, MV Light Trap, Derozier, V., Imakando, M., Laszlo, G., Miles, W. leg. ANHRT:2019.12”, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00094747, gen. slide No.: LG 5289, BOLD sample ID: ANHRT056-20 /ANHRTUK-00094747 ( ANHRT).

Paratypes. Angola. 1 male, Bihé , unique id.: NHMUK 014173177 , gen. slide No. : NHMUK 010317235 (prepared by László) ( NHMUK) . DRC. 1 male, Elisabethville [Lubumbashi], 12.i.1952, leg. C. Seydel, B.M. 1953- 571, unique id.: NHMUK 014173176 , gen. slide No. : NHMUK 010317234 (prepared by László) ; 1 female, Elisabethville [Lubumbashi], 18.i.1952, leg. C. Seydel, B.M. 1953-571, unique id.: NHMUK 014046283 , gen. slide No. : NHMUK 010317361 (prepared by László) ; 1 male, Lombo, Congo River, Bowshell , unique id.: NHMUK 014046286 , gen. slide No. : NHMUK 010317364 (prepared by László) ( NHMUK) . Republic of the Congo. 1 male, Galerie forestiere, 130 km N Brazzaville, 14.xi.1982, leg. Ph. Darge, gen. slide No.: ZSM G 21278 , BOLD sample ID: BC ZSM Lep 74334 ( ZSM) . Zambia. 2 males, Kapishya Hot Springs, Shiwa N’gandu Estate , 1437m, 11°10’13”S, 31°36’00”E, I-III.2016, M. T. Harvey coll., leg. Smith, R. & Takano, H., ANHRT :2017.29, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00051945, 00051992, gen. slide No.: LG 5298; 4 males, Hillwood, Ikelenge ( Miombo / Riverine forest mosaic), 1400m, 11°16’02”S, 24°18’59”E, 23–30.xi.2019, MV, Actinic and LepiLED Light Trap, Bashford, M., Miles, W., Mulvaney, L., Smith, R. leg., ANHRT:2019.25, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00121607, 00122528, 00122997, 00132352, gen. slide No.: LG 5299, BOLD sample ID: ANHRT057-20 /ANHRTUK-00132352 ; 6 males, Chitunta Plain (Miombo / Dambo mosaic), 1396m, 11°29’12”S, 24°24’18”E, 29.xi.-4.xii.2019, MV, actinic and LepiLED Light Trap, Bashford, M., Miles, W., Mulvaney, L. leg., ANHRT : 2019.25, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00124786, 00125526, 00125659, 00126120, 00126361, 00152839, gen. slide No.: LG 5326, BOLD sample ID: ANHRT058- 20 /ANHRTUK-00152839; 2 males, Jiwundu Swamp , 1340m, 11°51’54”S, 25°33’20”E, 25-30.x.2017, Fish Bait, Carter, M., Lloyd, A., Miles, W., Oram, D., Smith, R. leg., ANHRT :2017.32, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00152844, 00152845 ( ANHRT); 1 male, Bwana Mkubwa , N.W., leg. Bell. Marley, unique id.: NHMUK 014173174 , gen. slide No. : NHMUK 010317232 (prepared by László) ( NHMUK) ; 1 female, Luapula Province, 25km E of Mbereshi, Ntumbachushi Falls , 1146m, S09°51.132’, E28°56.586’, 10.xi.2018, A.J. Kingston & P. Schmit, gen. slide No.: LG 5685 ( RCAK) .

Additional material (excluded from the type series): Four DNA barcoded specimens from Gabon, Moyen-Ogooue, Lope NP, Rocher du Miel, 240 m, 30.i.2014, 26.xii.2014, leg. Thibaud Decaens ( CBG, Guelph). This material was captured in a Malaise trap and although the vouchers were dried and pinned, they are in sub-optimal condition for morphological examination .

Diagnosis. Morabia cryptica sp. n. is reminiscent externally of M. politzari Hausmann & Tujuba, 2020 , the coloration and the dorsal wing pattern are nearly identical in the two species but the underside of the wings of the new species is slightly paler and more yellowish, while that of M. politzari is rather brownish-orange with a considerably darker and wider terminal area. Additionally, the new species has somewhat smaller black subapical blotches compared to those of M. politzari . In comparison with M. nigripunctata , the new species has a slightly paler, more brownish upperside of the wings with somewhat narrower, but more contrasting transverse lines and noticeably more yellowish underside coloration of the wings, which is rather greyish in M. nigripunctata . The new species is easily distinguishable from its congeners by the configuration of the male genitalia: M. cryptica has a somewhat shorter and broader uncus, and considerably shorter costal arms and valvae compared to those of M. politzari . The valva of M. cryptica is much broader at its base, slightly dilated medio-ventrally and gently tapered distally, whereas that of M. politzari is shallowly depressed medio-ventrally with the distal half of the valva slightly dilated and arcuate, considerably narrower and longer than in M. cryptica . The aedeagus of the new species is somewhat shorter and thicker than that of M. politzari with a straight proximal, gently curved medial and slightly arched distal section, whereas that of M. politzari is more or less straight along its entire length. The vesica of M. cryptica is armed with a somewhat thicker, but much shorter (half as long as that of M. politzari ), slightly curved cornutus compared to that of its congener. In comparison with M. nigripunctata , the new species has a somewhat broader uncus and noticeably narrower costal arms, a much wider basal section of the valva with a short but broad medio-ventral dilation, whereas the ventral margin of the valva is conspicuously depressed medially in M. nigripunctata . The aedeagus is markedly longer and more curved, and the cornutus of the vesica is much longer, thicker and more curved in the new species than in M. nigripunctata .

In the female genitalia, M. cryptica has slightly shorter apophyses posteriores, a somewhat shorter, more heavily sclerotized antrum, a ca. 20% longer, gently curved ductus bursae and a smaller and circular signum bursae which is conspicuously elliptical in M. nigripunctata .

Description. Adult ( Figs 7–9 ). Forewing length 17.0– 18.5 mm. Sexual dimorphism limited, underside of female somewhat darker with broader terminal fascia than in male. Antenna ciliate-fasciculate in male, filiform with sparse ciliation in female. Head relatively small, palp short, porrect, apically pointed, covered in dark grey scales, compound eye relatively large, frons broad, quadrangular, pale grey with two dark grey hair tufts laterally, vertex pale grey, collar and tegula brownish-grey, thorax and first abdominal segment pale grey, further segments dark brownish-grey with silvery-grey suffusion dorsally, creamy-yellow ventrally. Upperside of wings. Ground colour brownish-grey with a slight creamy tinge, elements of wing pattern dark grey. Forewing. Basal and subbasal lines deleted; antemedial line thick, evenly arcuate. Discal spot blurred, small, short dash-like, oblique. Medial line diffuse, narrow, costal two-thirds zigzagged, ventral third slightly undulate. Postmedial line narrow, but sharply defined, costal and ventral quarter sinuous, medial half gently arcuate with short black dashes at veins directing inwards. Subterminal line diffuse, shadow-like, strongly undulate. Terminal line sharply defined, relatively thick, gently sinuous between veins; cilia long, inner half dark brownish-grey, outer half somewhat paler, sparsely chequered with dark brown. Hindwing. Discal spot present, blurred, very small, ovoidal, medial line broad, slightly undulate, postmedial line broad, sharply defined, gently undulate. Subterminal line relatively broad, diffuse, strongly undulate, terminal line fine, sinuous; cilia as on forewing. Underside of wings. Ground colour pale creamy-yellow with sparse greyish suffusion. Discal spots sharply defined, black, elongate-ovoidal, those on forewings twice as large as on hindwings; transverse lines undiscernible. Subapical area of fore- and hindwings with a large, rounded-quadrangular black patch, forewing subapical patch larger than that of hindwing. Apical half of forewing terminal area with a slight brownish-grey shade, ventral half and entire terminal area of the hindwing without darker coloration; cilia as on upperside.

Male genitalia ( Figs 26–27 ). Uncus short, trapezoidal, very broad at base, apically truncate, densely covered in fine setae; gnathos very short and narrow, ribbon-like, inverse V-shaped without dilated medial plate; tegumen very short and broad; juxta weakly sclerotized, rounded shield-like; vinculum very short and broad, saccus short and narrow, rounded triangular. Valva very broad at base, basal half moderately sclerotized, scobinated, bearing a robust, evenly curved, apically pointed dorsal process covered in fine setae; medial section of valva slightly dilated with evenly arcuate convex ventral margin; apical half densely setose with very long setae, gently tapered postmedially, costal margin very slightly concave, valva apex rounded. Sacculus relatively long and broad, moderately sclerotized, ventral part sparsely setose, without processi. Aedeagus long and narrow, anterior half straight, coecum short, broadly rounded, medial section slightly dilated and angled ventrally, distal half evenly and gently arched, apex with a very long, narrow weakly sclerotized process; vesica armed with a single, long, curved, robust, pointed, needle-like cornutus with hooked base.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 38 ). Ovipositor moderately long, papilla analis elongate, apically rounded, sparsely setose, posterior apophysis moderately long and thin, ca. 20% longer than anterior one. Eighth tergite shield-like, distal margin gently arcuate, proximal margin with broad, short, rounded medial protrusion. Ostium bursae broad, membranous, antrum short, narrow, tubular. Ductus bursae long and narrow, heavily sclerotized, longitudinally striate, gently curved medially, slightly dilated anteriorly. Cervix bursae very small, membranous, erected at distal third of ductus bursae. Corpus bursae ovoid, slightly rugose, signum bursae large, circular with a dentate, narrow margin and less sclerotized internal area bearing a few short spines.

Genetic information ( Fig. 44 ). BIN BOLD: ADK8649 (n=7 from Zambia and Gabon), exact DNA barcodesharing with a specimen from Mozambique morphologically belonging to M. nigripunctata (see remarks there). Closest other congener: Morabia politzari (8.7% minimum pairwise distance). Genetically next closest species: Ennomos quercinaria (7.6%), not referring to a true relationship but effects of ‘long branch attraction’.

Etymology. The specific name refers to the taxon’s puzzling morphological and genetic qualities.

Distribution ( Fig. 43 ). Morabia cryptica is widely distributed in southern-central Africa with confirmed records from Zambia, the Katanga region of DRC, the Bié Plateau of Angola and the southern part of the Republic of the Congo.

Figures

FIGURE 43. Distribution of the Morabia species.

FIGURE 44. Maximum likelihood tree of Morabia.

FIGURES 1–10. Adults, a: dorsal, b: ventral view. 1, Morabia politzari, ♂, RSA (RCHS); 2, Ibidem, ♀, RSA (NHMUK); 3, M. nigripunctata, ST, ♂, Nigeria (NHMUK); 4, Ibidem, ♀, Sierra Leone (NHMUK); 5, Ibidem, ♂, Mozambique (ANHRT); 6, Ibidem, ♀, Malawi (NHMUK); 7, M. cryptica sp. n., HT, ♂, Zambia (ANHRT); 8, Ibidem, PT, ♂, Zambia (ANHRT); 9, Ibidem, PT, ♀, Zambia (RCAK); 10, M. brunnea, ♂, Zambia (ANHRT).

FIGURES 20–28. Male genitalia, a: clasping apparatus, b: aedeagus. 20, Morabia politzari, Mozambique, slide No. LG 5467 (ANHRT); 21, Ibidem, RSA, slide No. LG 5528 (RCHS); 22, M. nigripunctata, HT, Nigeria, slide No. BM Geo 4990 (NHMUK); 23, Ibidem, Sierra Leone, slide No. LG 5520 (ANHRT); 24, Ibidem, Gabon, slide No. G 21276 (ZSM); 25, Ibidem, Mozambique, slide No. LG 5288 (ANHRT); 26, M. cryptica sp. n., HT, Zambia, slide No. LG 5289 (ANHRT); 27, Ibidem, PT, DRC, slide No. NHMUK 010317364 (NHMUK); 28, M. brunnea, Zambia, slide No. LG 5300 (ANHRT).

FIGURES 35–42. Female genitalia. 35, Morabia politzari, RSA, gen. slide No.: NHMUK 010317360 (NHMUK); 36, M. nigripunctata, Sierra Leone, gen. slide No.: NHMUK 010317229 (NHMUK); 37, Ibidem, Zambia, gen. slide No.: NHMUK 010317362 (NHMUK); 38, M. cryptica sp. n., PT, gen. slide No.: NHMUK 010317361 (NHMUK); 39, M. distinctaria, Mauritius, gen. slide No.: NHMUK 010317355 (NHMUK); 40, M. hero, Madagascar, gen. slide No.: NHMUK 010317356 (NHMUK); 41, M. herbuloti, Reunion, gen. slide No.: G 21274 (ZSM); 42, M. pluto, Madagascar, gen. slide No.: NHMUK 010317354 (NHMUK).