Lophilema curva Volynkin, 2019

Volynkin, Anton V., 2019, Four new species of Lophilema Aurivillius, 1910 from East Africa (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae, Lithosiini), Zootaxa 4543 (1), pp. 115-126 : 119-120

Lophilema curva Volynkin , sp. nov.

( Figs 7–9 , 19 , 24 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 7 , 19 ): ♂, Tanzania, 1759 m, Maskati , Nguru Mountains, S06°03’29.3’’, E37°29’08.4’’, 6– 9.XII. [20]10, light trap, leg. Smith, R. & Takano, H., slide AV3195 ♂ (Coll. ANHRT).

Paratypes: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Tanzania, 2069 m, Ridge , Nguru Mountains, S06°03’35.3’’, E37°30’06.2’’, 30.III. [20]11, light trap, leg. Smith, R. & Takano, H., slides AV3191 ♂, AV4587 ♀ (Coll. ANHRT) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Tanzania, 2069 m, Big River Camp, Nguru Mountains, S06°04’13.6’’, E37°30’14.3’’, 8– 10.V. [20]11, leg. Smith, R. & Takano, H., slides AV3372 ♂, AV4588 ♀ (Coll. ANHRT) .

Diagnosis. Male of L. curva sp. nov. ( Figs 7, 8 ) is externally similar to those of L. fletcheri ( Fig. 11 ) and L. creatoplaga ( Fig. 13 ) due to its narrow forewing with gently arcuate anal margin and characteristic, elongate distinct androconial field of the forewing. However, L. curva sp. nov. can be distinguished from L. fletcheri by its smaller size, paler body and forewing coloration, and paler ochreous androconial field of the forewing (while in L. fletcheri the androconial field is darker, ochreous-brown). The new species differs from L. creatoplaga by its somewhat smaller size, darker ochreous androconial field of the forewing (while in L. creatoplaga the androconial field is much lighter, yellowish-ochreous), and slightly darker hindwing. Female of L. curva sp. nov. ( Fig. 9 ) is externally similar to that of L. chrysargyrea (illustrated by De Prins & De Prins (2018) and L. mbulu sp. nov. ( Fig. 2 ), but differs from L. chrysargyrea by its less elongated forewing with slight greyish suffusion and more strongly expressed yellowish ground colour of hindwing. The female of the new species can be distinguished from that of L. mbulu sp. nov. by its smaller size and narrower forewing with silvery white ground color and slight greyish suffusion, while in L. mbulu sp. nov. the forewing ground color is mat white. The male genitalia of L. curva sp. nov. ( Fig. 19 ) differs from that of L. fletcheri ( Fig. 20 ) by its uncus being significantly narrower distally, longer juxta, broader trapezoidal dorsal crest of the costa valvae (while that of L. fletcheri is much narrower, with smoothly curved dorsal margin), significantly longer and curved distal saccular process (while that is shorter and not curved in L. fletcheri ), and presence of the dorsal diverticulum in the vesica. The new species differs from L. creatoplaga ( Fig. 21 ) by its shorter vinculum, broader trapezoidal dorsal crest of costa valvae (while the costal margin of valva is much narrower, with smoothly curved dorsal surface in L. creatoplaga ), obtuse angled ventral margin of sacculus (while that is right angled in L. creatoplaga ), more elongated, curved and apically broadened distal distal saccular process (while that of L. creatoplaga is straight, slightly shorter, undilated apically), in addition its more heavily granulated vesica, and presence of the dorsal diverticulum (that character is absent in L. creatoplaga ). The curved distal saccular process of L. curva sp. nov. is similar to that of L. angustipennis ( Figs 14 , 22 ), but L. curva sp. nov. differs clearly from L. angustipennis by its much larger size and broader forewings, distally broader uncus, narrower dorsal section of the valva, and much shorter and more robust distal saccular process. The female genitalia of L. curva sp. nov. ( Fig. 24 ) are very similar to those of L. phaeocraspis ( Hampson, 1901) ( Fig. 25 ) and L. fletcheri ( Fig. 26 ), but differs from L. phaeocraspis by its broader anterior sclerotized section of the corpus bursae, larger corpus bursae and longer signum; from L. fletcheri it differs by its longer ductus bursae, larger corpus bursae and more heavily sclerotized signum.

Description. Adults. Male ( Figs 7, 8 ). Forewing length 15 mm in males. Male antennae ciliate. Body brown. Forewing narrow, elongated, with almost parallel margins, its costal margin curved subapically, anal margin curved medially; medial area with broad and long cluster of ochreous-brown hair-like androconial scales, contrasting in coloration from forewing ground color which is monotonous brown, with diffuse irroration of dark brown scales; discal spot absent; cilia monotonous brown. Hindwing pale ochreous, discal spot diffuse, thin, semilunar, brownish; cilia pale ochreous. Female ( Fig. 9 ). Forewing length 16 mm. Antennae filiform. Head and thorax silvery white; abdomen pale ochreous. Forewing narrow, elongated, with almost parallel margins, its costa slightly curved subapically; forewing silvery whitish, with slight greyish suffusion medially and thin ochreous line on costa; hindwing ochreous yellow, discal spot absent. Male genitalia ( Fig. 19 ). Uncus long, slender, curved, distally tapering with claw-shaped apex; tuba analis broad, membranous, scaphium thin, heavily sclerotized; tegumen short and broad; vinculum narrow and weakly sclerotized, rather long, its inner area with very long androconial gland covered with long hairs, which assembled into stick-shaped beam at rest; juxta narrowly trapezoidal, weakly sclerotized, setose, with short rounded basal incision. Valva elongated, slightly tapering distally, curved ventrally, rounded apically; costa valvae short, with short, trapezoidal, medially slightly concave dorsal crest erected basally; sacculus moderately broad, heavily sclerotized; distal saccular process long, robust, arcuate, club-like apically, its ventral surface and apex densely covered with short setae. Aedeagus medium long, narrow, with well-developed coecum, rugose distally; vesica tubular and membranous basally, broadly globular and weakly granulated medially; ventral diverticulum broadly conical and rounded apically; dorsal diverticulum short, narrow, granulated. Female genitalia ( Fig. 24 ). Ovipositor short and broad, papillae anales rectangular with rounded corners. Apophyses anteriores and posteriores long and thin, of equal length. Ostium bursae medium-broad, with membranous margins; ductus bursae narrow, elongated, its posterior and medial sections membranous; anterior section of the ductus bursae broadened, heavily sclerotized. Corpus bursae rounded, membranous, with narrow stick-like signum anteriorly; appendix bursae small, conical, membranous, situated posterio-ventrally.

Distribution. The new species is currently known only from three localities in the Nguru Mountains in eastern Tanzania.

Etymology. ‘Curvus’ means ‘curved’ in Latin, the species name refers to its curved distal saccular process.

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Lophilema spp.: adults. 1, L. mbulu, holotype male, Tanzania, Mbulu Mts. (ANHRT); 2, L. mbulu, paratype female, Tanzania, Mbulu Mts. (ANHRT); 3, L. bilobata, holotype male, Kenya, Aberdare Range (ZMB); 4, L. claudei, holotype male, Cameroon (ZSM); 5, L. nguru, holotype male, Tanzania, Nguru Mts. (ANHRT); 6, L. nguru, paratype male, Tanzania, Nguru Mts. (ANHRT); 7, L. curva, holotype male, Tanzania, Nguru Mts. (ANHRT); 8, L. curva, holotype male, Tanzania, Nguru Mts. (ANHRT).

FIGURES 9–14. Lophilema spp.: adults. 9, L. curva, paratype female, Tanzania, Nguru Mts. (ANHRT); 10, L. phaeocraspis, holotype female, Uganda (©NHMUK); 11, L. fletcheri, holotype male, Uganda, Ruwenzori Range (©NHMUK); 12, L. fletcheri, paratype female, Uganda, Ruwenzori Range (©NHMUK); 13, L. creatoplaga, holotype male, Uganda (©NHMUK); 14, L. angustipennis, syntype male of Ilema pilosa, Ghana (©NHMUK).

FIGURES 19–22. Lophilema spp.: male genitalia. 19, L. curva, holotype, Tanzania, Nguru Mts., slide AV3195; 20, L. fletcheri, holotype male, Uganda, Ruwenzori Range, slide NHMUK010314633 Volynkin (mounted in euparal from dried genital preparation by Kiriakoff) (©NHMUK); 21, L. creatoplaga, Kenya, slide NHMUK010314601 Volynkin (©NHMUK); 22, L. angustipennis, syntype of Ilema pilosa, Ghana, slide BMNH(E) Arct-233 (©NHMUK).

FIGURES 23–27. Lophilema spp.: female genitalia. 23, L. mbulu, paratype, Tanzania, Mbulu Mts., slide AV4585; 24, L. curva, paratype, Tanzania, Nguru Mts., slide AV4587; 25, L. phaeocraspis, holotype, Kenya, slide BMNH(E) Arct-782; 26, L. fletcheri, paratype male, Uganda, Ruwenzori Range, slide NHMUK010314633 (©NHMUK); 27, L. chrysargyrea, Democratic Republic of Congo (after Kiriakoff, 1963).