Hypotrabala igneata, Takano & László, 2024

Takano, Hitoshi & László, Gyula M., 2024, Descriptions of new Hypotrabala Holland, 1893 (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae: Lasiocampinae: Selenepherini) in the collections of the African Natural History Research Trust, with notes on allied genera and the description of a new genus, Ecologica Montenegrina 72, pp. 19-63 : 36-37

Hypotrabala igneata sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:0F6EA163-572C-45B5-8110-6D7693D4FB8E

( Figs 26–28 , 79 )

Holotype ♂ ( ANHRT):

“ GUINEA 870m / Sérédou camp, Forêt Classée / de Ziama / 8°21’14.53”N, 9°19’31.93”W / 24.ii- 06.iii.2019 Light Trap, / Blended bulb (250W) / Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G., / Florczyk, K., Koivogui, S. Leg. // African Natural History / Research Trust / ANHRT:2019.10 // ANHRTUK / 00235894 // Gen. slide No. / LG 6305 ♂ / prep. by Gy. M. Laszlo [black border; partially handwritten]”

Paratypes (7♂♂):

GUINEA: same data as holotype (1♂ ANHRT) ; Massadou campsite, Forêt Classée de Ziama, 541m, 08°20’36.25”N, 09°26’14.70”W, 08–13.iii.2019, leg. S. Sáfián, G. Simonics, K. Florczyk & S. Koivogui (3♂♂ ANHRT) ; IVORY COAST: Taï Research Station ( SRET) , Taï NP, 174m, 05°50’00”N, 07°20’32”W, 25.iii–17.iv.2017, leg. A. Aristophanous, M. Aristophanous, M. Geiser & P. Moretto (1♂ ANHRT) ; LIBERIA: Foya Proposed Protected Area , 530m, 07°56’36”N, 10°16’36”W, 10–19.xi.2017, leg. M. Aristophanous, S. Sáfián, G. Simonics & L. Smith (1♂ ANHRT) ; Rosewood Camp , Wologizi Mts., 585m, 08°06’14.9”N, 09°58’27.3”W, 18.xi–1.xii.2018, leg. S. Sáfián & G. Simonics (1♂ ANHRT) .

Other material examined:

LIBERIA: Rosewood Camp , Wologizi Mts., 585m, 08°06’14.9”N, 09°58’27.3”W, 18.xi–1.xii.2018, leg. S. Sáfián & G. Simonics (1♀ ANHRT) .

Description.

Forewing length: holotype: 20 mm; paratypes: 20–21 mm; probable female: 32 mm.

Male. Upperside. Ground colour of head, patagia and prothorax mahogany, the head irrorated with golden scales; tegulae and the rest of the thorax reddish-buff irrorated with mahogany scales; abdomen buff. Antenna bipectinate, brown. Forewing pointed at apex, outer margin straight. Colouration divided into two parts by an irregular line from apex to below the discal spot where it angles to terminate at middle of anal margin, the basal part golden with a ferruginous-tint and the outer part reddish-mahogany. Antemedial fascia reddish-brown, bilineate, crenulate, arising perpendicularly from costa, and angled to terminate perpendicularly along anal margin. CuA vein heavily scaled with reddish-brown from discal spot to base. Discal spot ovoid, pale yellow, as wide as the widest part of the cell. Postmedial fascia reddish-mahogany, bilineate, crenulate, arising perpendicularly from the costa and angled strongly at vein R5, the outer line disappearing at vein M1 and the inner one at vein M2 before both reappear at vein CuA2. Subterminal fascia indicated by ferruginous-golden patches on its outer edge between veins R5 and M3, the largest in space M2. Fringe reddish-mahogany. Hindwing outer margin arcuate, almost angled at vein CuA2; ground colour warm buff becoming more reddish-gold towards anal fold. Costa and a small patch between vein CuA2 and tornus with reddish-mahogany scaling. Fringe pale buff becoming reddish-mahogany between CuA2 and tornus. Underside. Ground colour of head and thorax warm pale yellow; forelegs mahogany, mid- and hindlegs warm pale yellow with mahogany irroration. Abdomen warm pale yellow with mahogany tufts medially on each segment. Ground colour of forewing golden becoming paler towards the anal margin. Discal spot narrow, pale yellow. Subterminal band well-defined, broadly parallel to the outer margin, interrupted in space M2. Terminal area reddish-mahogany strongly bisected by golden scales along veins. Hindwing ground colour warm buff, costal margin with reddish-mahogany scaling from base to Sc+R1 vein.

Male genitalia. Socius long, ca. half as long as valve, arms very broad at base, abruptly tapered medially, posterior half digitiform with rounded apex, arising far apart from each other, parallel. Tegumen moderately long and broad, inner margin evenly arcuate. Valve very long, narrow basally, tapered subapically to pointed tip, almost straight. Juxta with short but stout pointed posteromedial process. Vinculum narrow ribbon-like medially, with short, rounded-triangular lateral plates. Phallus short, coecum penis large, as long as sclerotised part of phallus, membranous sack-like, tightly attached to juxta; sclerotised section of phallus gradually tapered, curved dorsad, apically pointed. Vesica basally inflated, relatively large, amorphous with semi-spherical lateral diverticulum on right side, finely scobinate, anteriorly with two sharply serrate slightly arched longitudinal plates consisting of acute teeth, arms of same length; posterior section of inflated vesica with a very long, sharply dentate, interrupted diagonal sclerotisation partly overlapping with left longitudinal serration. Sclerotised plate of eighth sternite anteriorly slightly concave with short thick anterolateral apodemes, posteriorly dilated to two short plates with gently sinuous margin possessing two short, acute, weakly sclerotised posterior projections divided by shallow, narrow concave medial notch.

Female. Upperside. Ground colour of head, patagia and prothorax mahogany, the head irrorated with golden scales; tegulae and the rest of the thorax reddish-buff irrorated with mahogany scales; abdomen warm pale yellow. Antenna bipectinate, rami shorter than in the male, brown. Forewing produced and broadly pointed at apex, outer margin almost straight, sinuate. Ground colour of forewing reddish-mahogany. Basal half of area between vein CuA2 and anal margin warm pale yellow with remnants of crenulate antemedial and postmedial fasciae. Costa with warm pale yellow markings basally and distally expanding into a large spot with mahogany irroration, reaching as far as vein R5 posteriorly and the subterminal area proximally. Discal spot dark brown, narrow rectangle. Short postmedial fascia indicated by yellow lunules between vein R5 and M3. Subterminal fascia indicated by ferruginous-golden patches on its outer edge between veins R5 and M3, the largest in space M2. Fringe reddish-mahogany. Hindwing outer margin evenly arcuate, sharply angled at vein Sc+R1; ground colour warm pale yellow. Costa, outer margin and a patch between vein CuA2 and tornus with diffuse reddish-mahogany scaling. Fringe pale buff becoming reddish-mahogany between CuA2 and tornus. Underside. Ground colour of head and thorax warm pale yellow; forelegs mahogany, mid- and hindlegs warm pale yellow with mahogany irroration. Abdomen mahogany with pale yellow irroration. Ground colour of forewing golden becoming paler towards the anal margin. Discal spot almost invisible. Postmedia fascia ill-defined, mahogany. Subterminal band well-defined, broadly parallel to the outer margin, interrupted in space M2. Terminal area reddish-mahogany strongly bisected by golden scales along veins. Hindwing ground colour warm buff, costal margin with reddish-mahogany scaling from base to Sc+R1 vein.

Diagnosis. See under H. cinereamargo for the distinguishing features between H. igneata and H. joiceyi . Hypotrabala igneata is sympatric with H. cinereamargo but the latter can easily be separated based on the dark grey outer half of the forewing, the smaller discal spot and the heavy irroration of dark scales in the basal half. In the male genitalia of H. cinereamargo , the socii are shorter and triangular, the valves are very long, postmedially slightly arcuate and lacking an apical spine, and the serrated left arm of the vesica is twice as long as the right arm. The female specimen illustrated in Fig. 28 was captured in the same collecting event as a male paratype of H. igneata and is believed to be conspecific based on the similar colouration of the habitus. However, since this specimen has not been barcode-confirmed and the female of the sympatric H. cinereamargo is unknown, it has been excluded from the type series.

DNA divergences. The new species has been assigned the BIN BOLD:AAZ7769. Intraspecific PWD was 0.0% (n=2) and diverged from H. cinereamargo by 5.3%.

Derivatio nominis. The new species derives its name from the flame-coloured basal area of the forewing.

Figures

Figures 22–28. Hypotrabala species: 22. H. joiceyi Tams, 1925, ♂, northeast D.R. Congo [ANHRTUK 00381417]. 23. Id., holotype ♂ [NHMUK 0010292290]. 24. H. cinereamargo sp. n., holotype ♂. 25. Id., paratype ♂. 26. H. igneata sp. n., holotype ♂. 27. Id., paratype ♂. 28. Id., ♀.

Figures 78–83. Male genitalia of Hypotrabala species, a: clasping apparatus, b: lateral view of phallus, c: eighth sternite, d: dorsal view of phallus (a, b, c to scale, d magnified). 78. H. cinereamargo sp. n., holotype [LG 6310]. 79. H. igneata sp. n., holotype [LG 6305]. 80. H. joiceyi Tams, 1925, D.R. Congo [LG 6349]. 81. H. lydiae sp. n., holotype [LG 6318]. 82. H. tabithae sp. n., holotype [LG 6319]. 83. H. volynkini sp. n., holotype [LG 6312].