Tumicla elephantina, Volynkin & László, 2019

Volynkin, Anton V. & László, Gyula M., 2019, Four new species of the genus Tumicla Wallengren, 1863 (Lepidoptera: Erebidae Arctiinae: Lithosiini), Zootaxa 4668 (3), pp. 421-434 : 422-424

Tumicla elephantina sp. nov.

( Figs 1–3 , 27 , 35 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 1 , 27 ): ♂, “ Mozambique, 9m, Maputo Special Reserve, Mangrove Camp (Man- grove–Woodland Mosaic), 26°19’35.9’’S, 32°42’35.7’’E, 7–9.XII.2016. MV, Aristophanous, M., Cristóvão, J., László, G., Miles, W. leg., ANHRT:2017.22”, ANHRT unique number: ANHRTUK 00001646 , slide No.: AV3365♂ (Coll. ANHRT) .

Paratypes: 2 ♀, Mozambique, 22m, Maputo Special Reserve, West Gate , (Sand Thicket), 26°30’14.2’’S, 32°42’59.6’’E, 21–30.XI.2016. Light Trap. Aristophanous, M., Cristóvão, J., László, G., Miles, W., leg. ANHRT:2017.22, ANHRT unique numbers: ANHRTUK 00010945 , 00048252 , slide Nos: AV4399♀, AV4930♀ (Coll. ANHRT) .

Diagnosis. Tumicla elephantina ( Figs 1–3 ) is the closest relative of T. mbeghai ( Figs 9–11 ), from which it differs externally by its considerably smaller size (particularly in females), slightly broader forewing, brick-red body and wing coloration (that is mustard yellow in T. mbeghai ), more diffuse pattern and the presence of blackish dashes at hindwing apex (those are absent in T. mbeghai ). Tumicla elephantina is most similar externally to the sympatric T. tsonga Volynkin & László, 2018 ( Figs 4–6 , 30 , 38 ) but can be distinguished by its smoothly curved antemedial line (that is angled in T. tsonga ), longer longitudinal dashes in the postmedial area, and the presence of blackish dashes at hindwing apex (those are absent in T. tsonga ). The new species also resembles externally T. rosea ( Durante, 2008) ( Figs 7 , 39 ) due to its subapical dashes of hindwing, but differs by its shorter and broader forewing with more rounded apex, brick-red forewing ground colour (that is bright orange with reddish suffusion in T. rosea ), more diffuse forewing pattern, smoothly curved antemedial line (that is angled in T. rosea ) and longer postmedial longitudinal dashes. In addition, T. elephantina remotely resembles externally T. rubea ( Figs 16–18 , 32 , 40 ), from which, however, it differs clearly by its larger size, broader forewing, longer longitudinal dashes in the postmedial area, and the presence of blackish dashes at hindwing apex. The male genital capsule of T. elephantina ( Fig. 27 ) is similar to that of T. mbeghai ( Figs 28, 29 ), but differs from it by its longer, more robust vinculum and shorter, medially slightly more dilated valva. The aedeagus of T. elephantina ( Fig. 27 ) is slightly shorter and less curved than that of T. mbeghai ( Figs 28, 29 ). The vesica of T. elephantina ( Fig. 27 ) is thicker than that of T. mbeghai ( Figs 28 ), bearing two robust, pointed cornuti, whereas that of T. mbeghai is armed with one cornutus only. The ground plan of the female genitalia of the two species is similar ( Figs 35, 36 ), but T. elephantina has longer, thicker papillae anales, shorter ductus bursae and narrower ostium bursae compared to those of T. mbeghai ; the lateral protrusion at the right side of the posterior section of corpus bursae is much longer, somewhat narrower and directed anterio-laterally in the new species, while that is shorter, broader and directed anteriorly in T. mbeghai ; the lateral protrusion at the left side of the posterior section of corpus bursae is shorter in T. elephantina than in the related species; the globular anterior section of corpus bursae is weakly scobinated posteriorly only in the new species (that is evenly scobinated in T. mbeghai ); and the appendix bursae of T. elephantina is broadly conical, apically rounded, evenly sclerotised and lacks a long area of lateral sclerotisation, whereas in T. mbeghai that is trigonal with pointed apex, heavily sclerotised laterally and membranous with granulation distally.

Description. External morphology of adults ( Figs 1–3 ). Forewing length 11.5 mm in holotype male and 14–14.5 mm in females. Male antennae ciliate, female antennae filiform. Intraspecific variability expressed by the different shades of forewing ground colour. Head brick-red with blackish dot on frons. Thorax brick-red, with four black spots medio-laterally. Forewing moderately broad, more elongated in female, with rounded apex and oblique tornus; forewing ground colour brick-red in males and varies from pale brick-red to orange in females; wing pattern blackish, consists of two large subbasal spots, zigzagged ante-, postmedial and medial lines connecting each other, semilunar discal spot, and interrupted subterminal line consisting of long dashes of various length connected to postmedial line; cilia blackish. Hindwing dark brick-red in males and pale brick-red to reddish orange in females, with diffuse short blackish dashes on veins apically and medially; cilia orange-red with admixture of blackish scales apically and medially, and pure orange-red at tornus and along anal margin. Abdomen brick-red in male and pale orange in females. Male genitalia ( Fig. 27 ). Uncus moderately long, narrow, slightly broadened and hook-like curved distally, apically pointed; tuba analis broad, scaphium thin, weakly sclerotised, subscaphium represented by a field of fine spinulose scobination; tegumen moderately long and broad; juxta broad, shield-like; vinculum robust, U-like, apically rounded; valva elongated, medially broadened, its distal half slightly curved ventrad, apically strongly tapered, with pointed tip; costal margin convex, with short irregular dentation at apex; sacculus short, narrow, weakly setose, without processes, with convex ventral margin. Aedeagus short, straight, relatively narrow; carina elongated ventrally, heavily sclerotised. Vesica broad, directed ventrally, membranous, with one small subapical diverticulum and two long and robust, spine-like subbasal cornuti of different length situated on base connected with carina by narrow sclerotised band. Female genitalia ( Fig. 35 ). Ovipositor short and broad; papillae anales rectangular, with rounded angles; apophyses moderately long and thin; apophyses posteriores slightly longer than apophyses anteriores. Ostium bursae broad with slightly arched margin; ductus bursae broad, dorso-ventrally flattened, slightly rugose medially, heavily sclerotised, its anterior margin oblique at connection with corpus bursae. Posterior section of corpus bursae elongated, very broad, dorso-ventrally flattened, moderately sclerotised, weakly rugose, with narrowly conical, long and heavily sclerotised right protrusion latero-anteriorly, and broad but short semi-globular left protrusion laterally. Anterior section of corpus bursae globular, membranous anteriorly and weakly setose posteriorly. Appendix bursae short, broadly conical with rounded apex, heavily sclerotised, situated postero-laterally at left side.

Distribution. Tumicla elephantina is to date, only known from the Maputo Special Reserve in southern Mozambique.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the type locality, Maputo Special Reserve which was originally established for conservation of elephants, boasting a thriving population of the threatened African large mammal.

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Tumicla spp.: adults. 1, T. elephantina, holotype ♂, Mozambique (ANHRT); 2, T. elephantina, paratype ♀, Mo- zambique (ANHRT); 3, T. elephantina, paratype ♀, Mozambique (ANHRT); 4, T. tsonga, holotype ♂, Mozambique (ANHRT); 5, T. tsonga, paratype ♀, Mozambique (ANHRT); 6, T. tsonga, paratype ♀, Mozambique (ANHRT); 7, T. rosea, holotype ♀, Malawi, Nyassaland (©NHMUK); 8, T. doa, holotype ♀, [Tanzania] Nguru Mts. (ZMB).

FIGURES 27–30. Tumicla spp.: male genitalia. 27, T. elephantina, holotype, Mozambique, slide AV3365 (ANHRT); 28, T. mbeghai, paratype, NE Tanzania, slide NHMUK 010314593 Volynkin (©NHMUK); 29, T. mbeghai, paratype, paratype of T. doa, NE Tanzania, slide 386/2004 Kühne (ZMB); 30, T. tsonga, holotype, Mozambique, slide AV3035 (ANHRT).

FIGURES 35–40. Tumicla spp.: female genitalia. 35, T. elephantina, paratype, Mozambique, slide AV4399 (ANHRT); 36, T. mbeghai, holotype, NE Tanzania, slide NHMUK 010314594 Volynkin (©NHMUK); 37, T. doa, holotype, Tanzania, slide 388/2004 Kühne (ZMB); 38, T. tsonga, paratype, Mozambique, slide AV3036 (ANHRT); 39, T. rosea, holotype, Malawi, Nyassaland, slide BMNH(E) Arct-5855 (©NHMUK); 40, T. rubea, paratype, South Africa, slide BMNH(E) Arct-5869 (©NH- MUK).

FIGURES 9–18. Tumicla spp.: adults. 9, T. mbeghai, paratype ♂, NE Tanzania (©NHMUK); 10, T. mbeghai, paratype ♂, paratype of T. doa, E Tanzania (ZMB); 11, T. mbeghai, holotype ♀, NE Tanzania (©NHMUK); 12, T. similis, holotype ♀, Kenya (©NHMUK); 13, T. similis, ♂, Kenya (MWM/ZSM); 14, T. similis, ♂, Kenya (MWM/ZSM); 15, T. similis, ♀, Kenya (MWM/ZSM); 16, T. rubea, holotype ♂, South Africa (©NHMUK); 17, T. rubea, ♂, South Africa (©NHMUK); 18, T. rubea, paratype ♀, South Africa (©NHMUK).

FIGURES 31–34. Tumicla spp.: male genitalia. 31, T. similis, Kenya, slide MWM 33734 Volynkin (MWM/ZSM); 32, T. rubea, holotype, South Africa, slide BMNH(E) Arct-5868 (©NHMUK); 33, T. admiranda, holotype, DR Congo, slide NHMUK 010314599 Volynkin (©NHMUK); 34, T. sagenaria, South Africa, slide BMNH(E) Arct-5861 (©NHMUK).