Leptolepida krugeri László & Schintlmeister, 2021

László, Gyula M., Schintlmeister, Alexander & Vetina, Alvaro A., 2021, A contribution to the knowledge of the prominent moths (Lepidoptera, Noctuoidea Notodontidae) of the Maputo Special Reserve with descriptions of four new species, Zootaxa 4965 (2), pp. 201-243 : 217-218

Leptolepida krugeri László & Schintlmeister sp. n. ( Figs. 69–71 , 129–130 , 144 )

Holotype. Male , “ Mozambique, Maputo Special Reserve, West Gate, 22m, (Sand Thicket), 26°30’14.2”S, 32°42’59.6”E, 3–13.XII.2016, Aristophanous, M., Cristóvão, J., László, G., Miles, W. leg., ANHRT: 2017.22”, “ANHRTUK 00006268”, gen. slide No.: LG 5382 ( ANHRT).

Paratypes. Mozambique. 1 male, Maputo Special Reserve, West Gate, Sand Forest , 22m, 26º30’14.2”S, 32 º 42’59.6”E, 21–22.ii.2018, Actinic Light Trap, László, G., Mulvaney, J., Smith, L. leg., ANHRT:2018.2, unique number: ANHRTUK 00199584 ; 1 male, same locality and collectors, but Sand Thicket , 24–25.ii.2018, unique number: ANHRTUK 00197889 ( ANHRT) . Republic of South Africa. 1 male, 1 female, KwaZulu-Natal, Charters Creek , 5–6.X.1997, leg. N.J. Duke, Schintlmeister photo No.: 26601 (male), 26602 (female) ; 1 male, Umdoni Park , 17.IV.1978, leg. D.M. Kroon, Schintlmeister photo No.: 29336, gen. slide No.: TM 16925 ; 1 female, same site, 15–19.IV.1975, leg. L. & G. Vári, Schintlmeister photo No.: 29337, gen. slide No.: TM 16926 ( TMSA) .

Diagnosis. Leptolepida krugeri sp. n. is the southern African allopatric sister species of L. malangae Bethune- Baker, 1922, described from northern Angola. The external appearance of the new species differs markedly from that of L. malangae in its paler, greyish forewing ground colour with a considerably darker, brownish costal area, without the strikingly different coloration of its congener. Differences in the male genitalia also support recognition of two species based on the following features: the new species has a noticeably wider genital capsule and a somewhat longer and slightly more robust distal process of the uncus; the peculiar ventral process of the uncus is positioned at the uncus base in the new species, whereas that of L. malangae projects from the distal process of the uncus at its basal third; the new species has a somewhat wider juxta with shorter apical lobes, compared to that of L. malangae ; and the phallus is shorter than that of its congener with the coecum penis slightly dilated and more broadly rounded (it tapers gradually in L. malangae ). Furthermore, the cornutus of the endophallus of L. krugeri is considerably thinner, almost straight and abruptly tapered after its wide basal part, situated subbasally, whereas it is more robust, gently curved, tapering gradually and situated basally in L. malangae . As the female of L. malangae is currently unknown, comparative studies of female genitalia were not carried out in this paper.

Figures

FIGURES 53–78: adults (collected in the MSR and deposited in coll. ANHRT except where otherwise indicated). 53, Stauropida griseola, ♂; 54, Ibidem, ♀; 55, Rhenea mediata, ♂; 56, Ibidem, ♀; 57, Polelassothys plumitarsus, ♂; 58, Ibidem, ♀; 59, Stenostaura jansei, ♂; 60, Ibidem, ♀; 61, Ibidem, ♂; 62, Helga cinerea, ♂; 63, Ibidem, ♂; 64, Ibidem, ♀; 65, Leptolepida varians, ♂; 66, L. malangae, holotype, ♂, (Angola, NHMUK); 67, Ibidem, ♂, (Angola, coll. H. Sulak); 68, Ibidem, ♂, (Zambia); 69, L. krugeri sp. n., holotype, ♂; 70, Ibidem, paratype, ♂, (RSA, TMSA); 71, Ibidem, paratype, ♀, (RSA,TMSA); 72, Psalisodes atrifasciata, ♂; 73, P. discalis, ♂; 74, Ibidem, ♀; 75, Epicerura steniptera, ♂; 76, Ibidem, ♂; 77, Bilulua atricollis, ♂; 78, Ibidem, ♀.

FIGURES 129–132. Male genitalia (a: clasping apparatus, b: phallus, c: 8th abdominal segment). 129, Leptolepida krugeri sp. n., holotype, slide No. LG 5382 (MSR, ANHRT); 130, Ibidem, paratype, slide No. TM 16925 (RSA, TMSA); 131, L. malangae, slide No. CSW-01-22 (Angola, coll. H. Sulak); 132, Ibidem, slide No. LG 5393 (Zambia, ANHRT).

FIGURES 142–144. Female genitalia. 142, Desmeocraera oliva, slide No. ANHRT 00358 (MSR, ANHRT); 143, D. basalis, slide No. ANHRT 00353 (MSR, ANHRT); 144, Leptolepida krugeri sp. n., paratype, slide No. TM 16926 (RSA, TMSA).