Hypotrabala neavei (Aurivillius, 1915)

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 : 25-26

Hypotrabala neavei (Aurivillius, 1915)

( Figs 37–38 , 84 )

Pachymeta neavei Aurivillius, 1915 , Arkiv för Zoologi, 9 (11): 6.

Type locality: Malawi, Mt Mulanje

Several syntype male specimens have been dissected in NHMUK and the eighth sternite matches well with that figured in Tams (1925: 559; 1953: Fig. 14 ).

The following two species are excluded from Hypotrabala :

Hypotrabala sanguicincta (Aurivillius, 1901) is transferred to Leptometa based on the similarity of the genital capsule to the type species L. matuta (Schaus, 1893) as well as barcode data: Leptometa sanguicincta (Aurivillius, 1901) comb. n.

Epitrabala nyassana (Aurivillius, 1909) was thought to be the female of H. horridula by Pinhey (1975) but based only on a photograph of a female syntype in NHRS, it is not a Hypotrabala and possibly a female of a Leptometa species. Although further research is required to ascertain its precise placement, it is tentatively transferred to Leptometa : Leptometa nyassana (Aurivillius, 1909) comb. n.

The following species is considered incertae sedis:

Hypotrabala odonestioides Berio, 1937

Berio (1937) stated that despite the moth looking completely different to the type species of Hypotrabala , his new species agreed with all of the characters listed by Aurivillius (1927) for the genus. Based on the original description and type locality of Chikuni in southern Zambia, it almost certainly does not belong in Hypotrabala . Since the type specimen has not been studied, no formal nomenclatural changes are made.

A new genus is described for the striking insect Hypotrabala regalis Tams, 1953 :

Figures

Figures 29–38. Hypotrabala species: 29. H. volynkini sp. n., holotype ♂. 30. H. ophioglossa sp. n., holotype ♂. 31. H. lydiae sp. n., holotype ♂. 32. Id., paratype ♂. 33. H. tabithae sp. n., holotype ♂. 34. Id., paratype ♂. 35. H. lunda sp. n., holotype ♂. 36. Id., paratype ♂. 37. H. neavei (Aurivillius, 1915), ♂, Malawi, Mzuzu Wildlife Sanctuary [ANHRTUK 00270070]. 38. Id., holotype ♂ of Pachymeta neavei Aurivillius, 1915 [NHMUK 0010292291].

Figures 84–90. 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). 84. H. neavei (Aurivillius, 1915), Malawi [LG 6288]. 85. H. lunda sp. n., holotype [LG 6313]. 86. H. horridula Tams, 1925, Zambia [LG 6321]. 87. Id., Zambia [LG 6325]. 88. Id., holotype, Zambia [BM Lasiocampidae 506]. 89. Id., Zambia [LG 6340]. 90. H. dollmani Tams, 1925, paratype, Zambia [BM Lasiocampidae 193].

Figures 14–21. Hypotrabala species: 14. H. castanea Holland, 1893, ♂, Republic of Congo, Nouabalé-Ndoki NP [ANHRTUK 00284967]. 15. Id., ♂, Uganda, Kampala [NHMUK 010292297]. 16. H. smithi sp. n., holotype ♂. 17. Id., paratype ♂. 18. H. exquisita sp. n., holotype ♂. 19. Id., paratype ♂. 20. H. extenuata sp. n., holotype ♂. 21. Id., paratype ♂.