Cyana (Louisia) smithi Volynkin & László, 2019

Volynkin, Anton V. & László, Gyula M., 2019, Cyana smithi, a new species from Liberia (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini), Ecologica Montenegrina 20 (2019), pp. 215-221 : 216-220

Cyana (Louisia) smithi Volynkin & László , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–4 , 9, 10 , 15 , 17, 19 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 1 , 9 ): male, Liberia, 611m, Lofa County, Wologizi Mts., base camp forest, 8°07’17’’N, 9°57’42’’W, 20.XI.–01.XII.2017, MV Light Trap (125w), Aristophanous, M., Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G., Smith, L. leg., ANHRT:2017.33 / ANHRTUK 00019056, slide No.: AV4482 ♂ Volynkin (coll. ANHRT).

Paratypes: 7 males, with same data as the holotype ( ANHRT unique id numbers: ANHRTUK 00020212, 00026543, 00020215, 00020305, 00020472, 00020207, 00020214), slide No.: AV4990 ♂ Volynkin; 16 males, Liberia, 530m, Lofa County, Foya Proposed Protected Area , 7°56’36’N, 10°16’36’’W, 10– 19.XI.2017, MV Light Trap (125w), Aristophanous, M., Sáfián , Sz., Simonics, G., Smith, L. leg., ANHRT : 2017.33 ( ANHRT unique id numbers: ANHRTUK00019046, 00019047, 00020088, 00026301, 00026465, 00026294, 00026282, 00026320, 00026408, 00026407, 00026406, 00026479, 00026480, 00020084, 00025905, 00009091), slide Nos: AV4453 ♂, AV4454 ♂ Volynkin; 1 female, Liberia, 865m, Lofa County, Wologizi Mts., Ridge Camp , 8°07’10’’N, 9°57’11’’W, 24–29.XI.2017, Light Trap (blended bulb 250W), Aristophanous, M., Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G., Smith, L. leg., ANHRT :2017.33 / ANHRTUK 00020164, slide No.: AV4992 ♀ Volynkin; 2 males, 1 female, Liberia, 585m, Lofa County, Wologizi Mts., Rosewood Camp , 8°06’14.9’’N, 9°58’27.3’’W, 18.XI.–1.XII.2018, Cold Cathode UV Light Trap (8w), Sáfián , Sz., Simonics, G. leg., ANHRT :2018.43 ( ANHRT unique id numbers: ANHRTUK 00060192, 00060193, 00061769) (coll. ANHRT).

Diagnosis. Cyana smithi ( Figs 1–4 ) is the third member of the subgenus Louisia . It does not show significant external differences from C. quentini ( Figs 5–7 ) and can be distinguished by genitalia structure only. Compared to C. yaseminae ( Fig. 8 ), C. smithi is somewhat smaller in size (male’s wingspan of C. smithi is 15–16 mm, while that of C. yaseminae is 18–19 mm). In addition, the forewing costa of C. smithi is pale orange in the underside (similar to that of C. quentini ), whereas that area is dark brown in C. yaseminae (see Baron & Karisch 2016: fig. 4). In the male clasping apparatus, C. smithi ( Figs 9, 10 ) differs clearly from C. quentini ( Figs 11, 12 ) and C. yaseminae ( Figs 13, 14 ) by its heavily setose valva apex (that is weakly setose in C. quentini and C. yaseminae ). In addition, in C. smithi the postero-lateral lobes of juxta have significantly finer dentation ( Figs 15, 16 ) than in the related species, and the distal saccular process is basally broader and less curved than in C. quentini . In comparison with C. yaseminae , the male genitalia of C. smithi has less sclerotized medial part of juxta, narrower valva with less curved costa, and shorter, slenderer and less curved distal saccular process. The aedeagus of C. smithi is much longer and narrower (that is short and very broad in C. quentini and C. yaseminae ), with a large dorsal process of carina (in C. quentini and C. yaseminae the carina is represented by a sclerotised dentate crest). The vesica of the new species has only one small subbasal diverticulum situated laterally, whereas in C. quentini there are two subbasal diverticula: a small, short and narrow dorsal one, and a large ventral diverticulum, which is broadly conical with rounded apex and heavily granulated. The female genitalia of C. smithi ( Figs 17, 19 ) is very similar to that of C. quentini ( Fig. 18 ) and differs by its larger signum only. The vesica structure and female genitalia of C. yaseminae are unknown.

Description. Adult ( Figs 1–4 ). Forewing length 7.5–8.0 mm in males (8.0 mm in holotype) and 8.0–8.5 mm in females. Wingspan 15–16 mm in males and 17.5– 18 mm in females. Male antennae ciliate, female antennae filiform. The sexual dimorphism well expressed: besides presence of forewing androconial lobes on the underside of forewing, male characterized by its slightly less elongated forewing and black spots of forewing situated obliquely to the costal margin (female has black spots parallel to the costal margin). In males, size of black spots and width of transverse lines vary. Body of both sexes white. Forewing base with a black dot. Ante- and postmedial lines shortly and irregularly dentate, pale pinkish red from cell to inner forewing margin and yellowish at wing costa. Subterminal line pale pinkish red, short, absent from tornus to CuA2 vein, interrupted at veins M3 and CuA1. Cilia white. Hindwing and cilia white, wing pattern absent.

Male genitalia ( Figs 9, 10 , 15 ). Uncus short, narrow, dorso-ventrally flattened, connected to tuba analis. Tuba analis distally broadened, setose. Tegumen short, broadened apically and narrow laterally. Juxta large, shield-like, with two lateral, rounded and inflated lobes densely covered with fine dentation apically. Vinculum short, broad, U-shaped. Valva elongated, slightly dilated medially; costa narrow; distal lobe of valva short, narrow, apically rounded, its distal half densely covered with long and strong setae. Sacculus broad, its distal process elongated trigonal, rather thorn-like, broad at basal with arcuate margins, its distal half slightly curved inwards, apically pointed. Aedeagus short, curved, strongly dilated distally; carina large, heavily sclerotised, more or less trapezoid, directed ventrally. Vesica thick, with a small, globular, granulated subbasal diverticulum situated laterally; a large, broad and globular distal diverticulum with two short but broad granulated subdiverticula apically; and a long and narrow, granulated dorsal diverticulum directed distally.

Female genitalia ( Figs 17, 19 ). Ovipositor broad and short, papillae anales large, rectangular, with rounded corners, setose. Apophyses thin, apophyses posteriores ca. twice longer than apophyses anteriores. Ostium bursae broad. Ductus bursae as broad as ostium bursae, very short, rugose. Corpus bursae sack-like, its anterior third membranous, weakly rugose, with a well-developed rounded signum; medial and posterior thirds of corpus bursae strongly rugose, with weakly sclerotised longitudinal wrinkles. Posterior third of corpus bursae with a broad oblique fold and a short, tuber-like process covered with hair-like setae at the base of appendix bursae. Appendix bursae short, narrowly conical, membranous, situated postero-laterally, directed laterally.

Distribution. Cyana smithi is currently only known from northeastern Liberia (Lofa County).

Etymology. The species is dedicated to Mr Richard Smith, founder of the African Natural History Research Trust, organiser of extensive entomological exploratory program in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Figures

Figures 1–8. Cyana spp.: adults. 1, C. smithi, holotype male, Liberia (ANHRT); 2, C. smithi, paratype male, Liberia (ANHRT); 3, C. smithi, paratype male, Liberia (ANHRT); 4, C. smithi, paratype female, Liberia (ANHRT); 5, C. quentini, male, DR Congo (MWM/ZSM); 6, C. quentini, male, Cameroon (ANHRT); 7, C. quentini, female, Cameroon (ANHRT); 8, C. yaseminae, paratype male, Uganda (©NHMUK).

Figures 9–12. Cyana spp.: male genitalia. 9, C. smithi, holotype, Liberia, slide AV4482 Volynkin; 10, C. smithi, paratype, Liberia, slide AV4453 Volynkin; 11, C. quentini, DR Congo, slide MWM 35737 Volynkin; 12, C. quentini, Cameroon, slide AV5077 Voynkin.

Figures 13–16. Cyana spp.: male genitalia. 13, C. yaseminae, paratype, Uganda, slide BMNH(E) Arct-6196 Karisch (©NHMUK); 14, C. yaseminae, paratype, Uganda, slide 3300 Karisch (photo by T. Karisch); 15, C. smithi: magnified juxta, paratype, Liberia, slide AV4990 Volynkin; 16, C. quentini: magnified juxta, Cameroon, slide AV5077 Voynkin.

Figures 17–19. Cyana spp.: female genitalia. 17, C. smithi, paratype, Liberia, slide AV4992 Volynkin; 18, C. quentini, Cameroon, slide AV5078 Voynkin; 19, C. smithi: magnified posterior part of corpus bursae, paratype, Liberia, slide AV4992 Volynkin.