Haplopacha ndoumoi, Dupont, Steen, Simonsen, Thomas J. & Zilli, Alberto, 2016

Dupont, Steen, Simonsen, Thomas J. & Zilli, Alberto, 2016, Haplopacha (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae) reviewed: four new species, first descriptions of the genitalia of both sexes, and unique alar scale organs, Zootaxa 4109 (4), pp. 445-457 : 454-455

Haplopacha ndoumoi sp. nov.

( Fig. 1 J, K)

Type (s): holotype ♂, deposited in the Ditsong Museum South Africa.

Type locality: Ndumo Game Reserve, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa.

Material examined. 5 specimens: Holotype, male ( Fig. 1 J), dissected and genitalia mounted on slide ( Fig. 6 E), Red Cliffs, Ndumu Game Res., Kwazulu Natal, South Africa, 26°51'10.08"S, 32°12'21.24"E, 28.XI.2014, (at light) S. Dupont leg.

Paratypes: Female ( Fig 1 K), ( BMNH (E)_1378812, in NHM, genitalia dissected and mounted on slide: Lasiocampidae #1568 ( Fig. 7 D), Viewing tower near main gate, Ndumu Game Res., Kwazulu Natal, South Africa, 26°54'44.26"S, 32°16'19.70"E, 05.XII.2014, (at light) S. Dupont leg. Female, ( BMNH (E)_1377242, NHM London, genitalia dissected and mounted on slide: Lasiocampidae #SD1633), same data as holotype. Female ( BMNH (E)_1377245, NHM London, not dissected), same data as holotype. Female, (deposited in the Ditsong Museum South Africa, Not dissected), Croc farm house, Ndumu Game Res., Kwazulu Natal, South Africa, 26°54'25.77"S, 32°19'12.35"E, 29. XI.–01.XII.2014, (at light), S. Dupont.

Diagnosis: Both sexes can be recognised by the pure grey forewing ground colour without any brown tint and dark blackish-grey hind wings. Males can be distinguished from most congeners by the short spatulate and strongly sclerotized uncus, the short, broad and rounded cucullus, and the narrow and elongate sacculus with a pointed but rounded tip. Females can be recognised by the extremely long and narrow ductus bursae without a basal widening, the short and well separate cristae, and a broad, flatly U-shaped ridge posterior to ostium bursae. Both in appearance and structural features the new species appears to be closest to H. cinerea , from which it can be distinguished by the more rounded basal spot of forewing (slightly elliptical in cinerea ), ground colour of hind wing darker than that of forewing, hence more contrasting with, the broader and more rounded cucullus, the smaller basal saccular lobes and the more broadly open indentation of posterior margin of sternum VIII in the female.

Distribution and localities. Known only from the type locality (Ndumo Game Reserve).

Flight period. Adults have been collected between end November and early December.

Description. Forewing with submarginal row of dots consisting of 9 black dots preceded by distinct whitish suffusion, with the two subtornal dots more or less merged into single, elongate spot. Antemedial line faint. Metallic discal spots large with dense scales. Habitus otherwise as in general description and species diagnosis.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 6 E): Vinculum narrow, without distinct saccus. Distal tip of sacculus with minute microtrichia on inner surface, valva otherwise as in diagnosis. Uncus as in diagnosis. Gnathos strongly sclerotized, broad and rounded. Phallus broad and rounded at base, narrowing to a rounded point distally; vesica without cornuti. Juxta normal as for the genus.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 7 D): Segments VII and VIII weakly sclerotized. VIII with broad, sclerotized ridge posterior to ostium bursae (see diagnosis). Ostium bursae at least 1/3 the width of segment VIII. Antrum with sclerotized ridges, slightly wider than ductus bursae. Ductus bursae very long and narrow. Corpus bursae elongate pear-shaped, with a pair of short, sclerotized serrate signa, transversely oriented. Papillae anales small rounded and adpressed.

One of the studied females was observed to have a single egg attached to the papillae anales. The egg is oblong dark brown with chorion provided with ordered concavities ( Fig. 2 C). The terminal circle with a centred spot (micropyle) as described for eggs of H. tangani was only faintly visible.

Etymology. The species name refers to the Ndumo Game Reserve, type- and so far only locality known for this species.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of Haplopacha spp. including H. cinerea (A – D): A) holotype male, B) male, C) male, D) female; H. riftensis (E – F): E) holotype male, F) paratype female; H. tangani (G – H): G) holotype male, H) paratype female; H. lunata (I): I) holotype male; H. nduomoi (J – K): J) holotype male, K) paratype female; and Haplopacha sp. indet. (L).

FIGURE 2. Cephalic and egg morphology of Haplopacha showing: A) the cephalic sclerotized prominence (sp), the porrect labial palps (p) and the orange bifurcate antennal segments of H. cinerea male; B) eggs of H. tangani with apical light beige coloration, lateral dried residue patch (rp) and clustering of three eggs (a).

FIGURE 6. Male genitalia of H. cinerea (A – B), H. tangani (Holotype) (C), H. lunata (Holotype) (D), H. nduomoi (Holotype) (E). Abbreviations are as follows: gnathos (gn), phallus (ph), uncus (un), vesica cornuti (vec), valve cucullus (vc), valve sacculus (vs) and valve saccular lobe (vsl).

FIGURE 7. Female genitalia of H. cinerea (A), H. riftensis (Paratype) (B), H. tangani (Paratype) (C), H. nduomoi (Paratype) (D) and Haplopacha sp. indet. (E). Abbreviations are as as follows: anterior vaginal plate (avp), lateral ridge (lr), ostium bursae (ob), ostium collar [sterigma] (oc), signum (sgn) and transverse ridge (tr).