Apisa (P.) asipa, Paśnik & Tarcz & Przybyłowicz, 2023

Pasnik, Anna, Tarcz, Sebastian & Przybylowicz, Lukasz, 2023, A review of the subgenus Parapisa of Apisa (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae) with description of a remarkable species from Cameroonian Highlands, Arthropod Systematics & amp; Phylogeny 81, pp. 371-394 : 371

Apisa (P.) asipa sp. nov.

Figs 4B , 5A , 6A , 7C , 8 , 9 , 10 , 13C , 14A

Material examined.

Holotype: ♂ Cameroon 900m, North Region, Wack ( La Falaise ), 07°40'16,5"N 13°33'18,4"E, 2-21.x.2018 Cold Cathode UV, Light Trap, leg. Safian, Sz., Simonics, G., ANHRT:2018.36; ANHRTUK 00071898; GS P322; OP216034 ; (ANHRT) . - Paratypes: (6♂♂, 1♀) ♂ as above but ANHRT:2018.36; ANHRTUK 00071900; GS P323; OP216033 ; ♂ as above but ANHRT:2018.36; ANHRTUK 00113541; GS P324; OP216035 ; ♂ as above but ANHRT:2018.36; ANHRTUK 00060240; GS P325; (ANHRT); ♂ Adamaua Poli (500 m) b. Garua, A. Weidhols 8.V.37; GS P326 ; ♀ as above but GS P327; (NHMW); ♂ N. Nigeria Kaduna, 10.4.70, leg. Dr. Politzar; Genitalpraparat, Heterocera , Nr. 32.331, Museum Witt München; ex coll. Politzar ; ♂ as above but 13.4.70, 1♂ as above but Genitalpraparat, Heterocera , Nr. 32.332 (ZSM).

Diagnosis.

Due to the extreme similarity of all members of Apisa and the fact that subgenera are separated by genital morphology only, the diagnosis of the new taxon in part referring to external characters does not differentiate the subgenera. Apisa (P.) asipa sp. nov. is externally very similar to other uniformly coloured, ochraceous members of the genus Apisa . This overall similarity is enhanced by extreme general colour homogeneity of Apisa combined with intraspecific variability of the background tint and what is important is the degree of fading of specimens in collections. However, the clear and discrete diagnostic character for the new taxon is the morphological structure of scales covering wings. For the objective and unambiguous separation of the new taxon from all remaining Apisa the zone between veins, CuA1 and CuA2 near DC (Fig. 7C ) should be examined as the reference character. Uniquely for A. (P.) asipa sp. nov. it is covered by moderately dense minute, narrow, arc-shaped, needle-like scales making the wing semitransparent pale ochraceous. In none of the available specimens of the new taxon (including the single female), any straight (flat or needle-like) scales were observed. In all remaining species of Apisa , the same zone is opaque and covered with densely overlapping flat scales or semi-transparent ones, but with numerous elongate, straight, needle-like scales.

Male genitalia allow for an easy separation of A. (P.) asipa sp. nov. Bifid, instead of single pointed uncus locates it within the subgenus Apisa Parapisa . It is separated from the two other taxa allocated there by a narrow and deep, V-shaped slit of terminal lobes and not distinctly narrowed, lateral margins of uncus. Both characters are very obvious and easy to observe.

Female genitalia examined are partly damaged and incomplete. Additionally, they are unknown for several other Apisa species, hence do not allow for a confident diagnosis of the new taxon.

Description.

Head. Frons and vertex pale ochraceous; labial palpus darker, three segmented of which the second is the longest and the last directed downwards, densely covered with narrow scales; scapus pale ochraceous; flagellum bipectinate, concolorous with scapus; flagellomeres honey; eye convex, indistinctly ovoid. - Thorax. Vestiture unicolorous pale ochraceous expressing darker or lighter tint depending on the illumination; external portion of coxa, femur, and tibia of foreleg and to less extent the middle and distal leg darker than the internal portion (closer to body when legs suppressed); epiphysis stout reaching 4/5 of the foretibia length; mid and hind tibia with a pair of short, terminal spurs. - Abdomen. Entirely pale ochraceous, concolorous with the rest of the body. Upperside similar to underside. - Forewing. Semi-transparent, uniformly pale ochraceous, except for area along costa which is distinctly darker and the same colour as labial palpus and external portion of leg; veins well visible, pale honey; cilia pale cream; R1-R2 separated from R3-R5; M2-M3 from one point; distances between M3- CuA1 and CuA1-CuA2 similar; 1A+2A almost straight, without a distinct curve in one third of its length; coloration of underside similar to upperside, retinaculum present. - Hindwing. Coloration somewhat paler than in forewing; cilia almost white, Rs-M1 on a long stalk of more than half of their length.

Male genitalia.

(Fig. 10 ) Tegumen rather narrow, slightly broadened laterally. Vinculum much narrower, widely fused with lateral arms of tegumen. Uncus well developed, broad, subparallel margins not tapering towards termination but indistinctly narrowed in mid-length; subdorsally in form of a pair of longitudinal swellings separated by a submedian concavity and divided terminally into deep, rather narrow subtriangular slit; each swelling with a group of protruding setae in its basal half; terminal tips gently bent subventrally. Valva subsquare, much shorter than uncus, terminal margin concave medially; distal portion of costa and sacculus provided with elongate, stiff setae; costa subbasally with a thorn-like short, acute process surrounded by membranous zone. Juxta in form of longitudinal, submedial plate. Transtilla lateral arms weakly sclerotized, almost invisible, submedal portion enlarged, fused with juxta, and forming sclerotized anellus. Saccus about three times as long as broad terminating into an elongate, sclerotized process gradually narrowed towards sharp tip. Phallus straight and short. Vesica membranous, oval extended without cornuti and sclerotisation.

Female genitalia.

(Figs 5A , 6A ) Partly damaged. Papillae anales longer than broad, sparsely covered with protruding setae, denser towards terminal portion; apophyses posteriores almost twice as long as papillae anales, narrow, needle-like; apophyses anteriores somewhat shorter than papillae anales, narrow with lateral, membranous ridge in distal portion; dorsal pheromone glands in form of separate, broad, deep pouches; the membranous basal zone of ventral pheromone glands partly damaged so the morphology of opening impossible to describe otherwise (based on single gland) similar to dorsal pheromone glands but much narrower and smaller, somewhat finger-shaped; ostium small, rounder, antevaginal plate medially concave; weakly expressed, almost membranous; ductus bursae slender, membranous, straight; ductus seminalis slender originating from the base of corpus bursae; corpus bursae entirely damaged (absent); sternite VII subtriangular, distinctly narrowed and more sclerotized in distal portion, terminal zone narrow provided with longitudinal submedian protrusion and Y-shaped.

Variation.

Difficult to assess. Three males come from the same sampling (place, time), the fourth one is much older, slightly damaged and faded. Within the three males from Wack, only some very indistinct variation in the intensity of the ochraceous coloration of the wings and body can be detected. Genitalia differ in the shape of elongate saccus which may have parallel or slightly concave lateral margins and rounded or triangular termination.

Sexual dimorphism.

Weakly expressed and in available material reliably visible only in the length of rami of antenna which in female are approximately three times shorter than in male counted at central portion of antenna. Male from Adamaua has M2-M3 of forewing on a short stalk.

Distribution.

(Fig. 11 ) Known only from two localities in the northern region of Cameroon and one in Nigeria.

Etymology.

The specific epithet " asipa " is the anagram of word Apisa, the name of the genus, which the new taxon belongs to.

Figures

Figure 4. Overview of the genital apparatus of males A. (P.) subargentea (A), A. (P.) asipa sp. nov. (B) and Apisa (P.) cinereocostata (C).

Figure 5. Compilation of female genital organs A. (P.) asipa sp. nov. (A), A. (P.) cinereocostata (B), A. (P.) subargentea (C).

Figure 6. Details of female genitalia with both a marked antrum and a sclerotization of VII sternite. The arrow marks the location and sclerotization of the sternite. From left A. (P.) asipa sp. nov. (A), A. (P.) subargentea (B), A. (P.) cinereocostata (C).

Figure 7. Differences in the scale morphology of wing region between CuA 1 and CuA 2 near DC of A. subargentea (A) (tightly fitting), Apisa cinereocostata (B) (loosely fitting) and A. asipa sp. nov. (C) (sparse).

Figure 8. Apisa asipa sp. nov. holotype upperside, underside with labels.

Figure 9. Apisa (P.) asipa sp. nov. paratypes upperside, underside with labels.

Figure 10. Apisa (P.) asipa sp. nov. holotype (A), paratype (B - D). Male genitalia, phallus with everted vesica.

Figure 11. Distribution of Apisa (P.) cinereocostata and Apisa (P.) asipa sp. nov. Orange dots represent the localities of A. (P.) cinereocostata, purple dots A. (P.) asipa sp. nov., blue dots A. (P.) subargentea. The blue triangles indicate the literature location of A. (P.) subargentea.

Figure 13. SEM image showing the differences between scale shape of Apisa (P.) subargentea (A) (flattened, convex termination), A. (P.) cinereocostata (B) (flattened, concave termination) and A. (P.) asipa sp. nov. (C) (narrow, needle-like).

Figure 14. Differences in the forewing transparency. Apisa (P.) asipa sp. nov. (A), wing transparent; A. (P.) subargentea (B), wing opaque; A. (P.) cinereocostata (C, D), wing semitransparent.