Rhynchobombyx avadomenicarocchio Prozorov, Saldaitis & Müller, 2021

Prozorov, Alexey M., Prozorova, Tatiana A., Mapilanga, Jean Joseph, Volkova, Julia S., Yakovlev, Roman V., Traore, Mohamed M., Saldaitis, Aidas & Müller, Günter C., 2021, Seven new species of Rhynchobombyx Aurivillius, 1909 from Congolian lowland forests (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae), Ecologica Montenegrina 49, pp. 35-53 : 40-42

Rhynchobombyx avadomenicarocchio Prozorov, Saldaitis & Müller sp. n.

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:BB530F5C-24E3-427E-A3DF-81B7AC8DC244

( Figs 17–22 , 50–51 )

Type material: HOLOTYPE ♂, DRC, [Kasaï Prov.] Kasaï- Occidental Prov. , NE Ilebo and Kasai River, XI.1997, genitalia slide 0615 ( CGM / BUM) . PARATYPES (28♂, 1♀ total): 24♂, 1♀ data as for holotype but collected in IX–II, V, VI.1997, genitalia slides 0616–0619 ( CGM / BUM) ; DRC: 4♂, Mai- Ndombe Prov. , Ekongo camp, 02°45’23.09”S, 20°18’55.37”E, XI.2017, leg. A. & T. Prozorovs, V. Kravchenko et al. ( CGM / BUM) .

Diagnosis. Externally the species resembles Rh. gavinfilippone and Rh. anthonychristophereaton but darker colored, without forewing concavity between CuA 2 and 1A and vesica doesn’t bear cornutus in male genitalia.

Description. Male habitus ( Figs 17, 19 ). Head and thorax orangish brown, abdomen from yellow to yellowish brown. Thorax bears dorsal triangular dark brown spot with pale center. Forewing length: 12–13 mm; wingspan: 26–27 mm. Wing oval-shaped, apex obtuse, external margin smooth. Background color uniform orangish brown, only darkens towards the external margin until it is dark brown between R 3, R 4, R 5 and M 1. Pattern consists of dark brown antemedial, postmedial and external crenulate lines also with blackish discal dot on R-Cu cell outer margin. Cilia orangish brown. Hindwing oval-shaped, external margin rounded, slightly waved. Main color yellowish, costal and tornal fields darker. Cilia brown. Male genitalia ( Figs 20, 22 ). Tegumen band-shaped, bears two short projections with sharpened apexes and covered with chaetae along. Vinculum thin, ventrally widened into cup-like form. Sacculus elongated, finger-shaped with blunt apex. Cucullus tuber-like, covered with chaetae. Juxta a tiny plate fused with aedeagus. Aedeagus cylindrical with uneven dorsal sclerotized field right by vesica and ventral c-shaped basal spur with nearly pointed apex. Vesica bag-shaped with two chambers: smaller lateral and bigger main, both covered with tiny denticles; main one bears claw-like cornutus with medial fossa along that makes it looking like it consists of pair of fused cornuti. Female habitus ( Fig. 18 ). Forewing length: 14 mm; wingspan: 30 mm. Pattern similar to male, but hindwings darker. Female genitalia ( Fig. 21 ). Papillae anales spherical, densely covered with chaetae. Anterior and posterior apophyses nearly equal in length. Lamella antevaginalis membranous, lamella postvaginalis sclerotized. Ductus bursae uneven, wrinkled, inflated, sclerotized. Corpus bursae long, membranous, wrinkled, it’s cut and full length unknown.

Etymology. The species is named in honour of Ava Domenica Rocchio (Staten Island, New York, USA). Ava Domenica loves nature and studies all insects and worms that she encounters. She wants to become an Entomologist.

Distribution. The species is found in three locations in DRC, Kasaï and Mai- Ndombe Province ( Figs 50– 51 ).

Biology. Adults were observed and collected from September to February, also in May and June. The only known habitat is tropical moist broadleaf forests with rare mosaic grassland, the elevation is around 100 m above sea-level. Four paratype males were collected on the border between forest and grassland in an area of one hectare using an auto-trap ( Figs 53–55 ). The larval foodplant remains unknown.

Figures

Figures 17–19. Adults of Rh. avadomenicarocchio, all DRC, Kasaï Prov. 17. Male holotype, genitalia slide 0615 (CGM/BUM). 18. Female paratype, genitalia slide 0618 (CGM/BUM). 19. Male paratype, genitalia slide 0619 (CGM/BUM).

Figures 20–22. Genitalia of Rh. avadomenicarocchio, all DRC, Kasaï Prov. 20. Holotype male, genitalia slide 0615 (CGM/BUM). 21. Paratype female, genitalia slide 0618 (CGM/BUM). 22. Paratype male, genitalia slide 0617 (CGM/BUM).

Figures 47–52. Collecting areas of Rhynchobombyx spp. 47. Congo, Cuvette-Ouest Dept., Odzala-Kakoua Nat. Park, 400–500 m, 0°23’N, 14°50’E. 48. DRC, Haut-Uele Prov., Isiro. 49. DRC, Tshuapa Prov., Lomela River, Gombe- Isongo. 50. DRC, Mai-Ndombe Prov., Ekongo camp, 02°45’23.09”S, 20°18’55.37”E. 51. DRC, Kasaï Prov., NE Ilebo and Kasai River. 52. Angola, Benguela Prov., rd. Londengo–Sumbe, ca. 80 km S Sumbe, 10 km rd. to Bumba, 280 m, 11°47’33.1”S, 14°02’17.4”E. Available from: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1meQVkKsMY8Qvp5cJBC2dwi_clX6l-cOD&usp=sharing [Accessed 10.XII.2021].

Figures 53–55. View on the one hectare grassland patch (53) surrounded by forest (54) near the Ekongo camp, Mai- Ndombe Prov., DRC (55).