Gastroplakaeis lidia, Prozorov & Saldaitis & Yakovlev & Volkova & Sulak & Prozorova & Revay & Müller, 2024

Prozorov, Alexey M., Saldaitis, Aidas, Yakovlev, Roman V., Volkova, Julia S., Sulak, Harald, Prozorova, Tatiana A., Revay, Edita E. & Müller, Günter C., 2024, Two new sister species of Gastroplakaeis: G. lidia and G. alena (Lepidoptera, Lasiocampidae, Lasiocampinae, Selenepherini), Ecologica Montenegrina 72, pp. 178-188 : 180-181

Gastroplakaeis lidia sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A16EF711-438F-428B-A4B5-4C697C3DED38

( Figs 3–4 , 8 , 11–12 )

Holotype: ♂, Ivory Coast, Lamto (Toumodi), 1.X.1966, leg. Cl. Girard, GS 000005079 ( RMCA) . Paratypes: ♂, Ivory Coast, Lamto , 22.XII.1968 ( RMCA) ; ♂, Ivory Coast, Toumodi , Lamto Ecology Station, 6.20 N, 5 W, 29.XI.1975, leg. J. Pierre ( MNHN) ; ♂, Ivory Coast, Taï National Park , 6– 7.VIII.1985, leg. Politzar ( CMS) ; ♀, Ivory Coast, Lamto , 12.XII.1968, leg. R. Vouattoux, GS 00005972 ( RMCA) .

Description. Male upperside ( Fig. 3–4 ). Antennae, head, and thorax dark brown with straw speckles. Abdomen orangish straw with wide transversal dark brown stripes. Forewing. Forewing length: 23–27.5 mm. Narrow, elongated, somewhat of oval shape with blunt apex and slightly wavy outer margin. Of dark brown color with dark straw speckles overcoming basal and medial fields; doubled c-shaped dark brown or black antemedial line, more or less pronounced pale discal dot with thick dark brown or black contour, and vague crenulated dark brown postmedial line are pronounced. Fringe dark brown with dark straw speckles. Hindwing. Somewhat trapezoid with slightly wavy outer margin and medial concavity. Of brown or dark brown color with orangish straw veins and anal field. Fringe dark brown with straw speckles. Genitalia ( Fig. 11 ). Tegumen helmet-like with barely pronounced nipple-like laterodorsal pair of outgrowths. Socii cone-shaped. Vinculum medially split into a pair of elongated somewhat triangular projections. Valvae short, cone-shaped, apically blunt. Juxta an oval plate surrounding aedeagus. Aedeagus claw-like with tiny vesica. Eighth sternite is trapezoid with two big dents and smaller ones on caudal margin between them, laterobasal apodemes long. Female ( Fig. 8 ) remind male in pattern. Thorax brownish straw medially and dark brown with pale speckles around. Abdomen brown. Forewing. Forewing length: 41 mm. Wide, semilanceolate with slightly wavy outer margin. Of brownish yellow color with brown speckles, doubled wavy faded dark brown medial lines and large kidney-shaped black medial spot with slightly darkened field under it pronounced. Hindwing. Somewhat trapezoid with slightly wavy outer margin. Of brown color with darker costal field and brownish yellow outer margin. Genitalia ( Fig. 12 ). Papillae anales semispherical, densely covered with chaetae. Posterior apophyses about one third longer than the anterior ones. Sterigma somewhat wshaped, medially split into halves by ostium. Ostium oval. Ductus bursae seems to be absent. Corpus bursae pear-shaped.

Diagnosis. Differs from other Gastroplakaeis by large discal spot with pale center, contrasting basal and medial fields of male, brownish yellow coloration of female and sexual dimorphism in coloration, not only in size. Adult males of G. lidia sp. n. are overall darker ( Figs 3–4 ), have barely pronounced dorsolateral outgrowths on tegumen ( Fig. 11 ), female is overall lighter and smaller ( Fig. 8 ), and the species is spread westwards the Dahomey Gap; whereas adult males of G. alena are overall lighter ( Figs 5–6 ), have better pronounced dorsolateral outgrowths of tegumen ( Fig. 13 ), female is overall darker and larger ( Fig. 9 ), and the species is spread eastwards the Dahomey Gap.

Distribution. Western and Eastern Guinean forests in Ivory Coast, specimens originating from Lamto might have been collected on the edge between forest and savannah (Vouattoux et al., 2006).

Biology. Adults were collected in VIII, X, XI, XII from altitudes below 300 meters a.s.l. Preimaginal stages unknown.

Etymology. The species is named in honor of Dr. Lidia Yakovleva (Barnaul, Russia), technical editor of the Journal Acta Biologica Sibirica, a specialist in the history of Siberia and always supports the entomological research of the third author of this article. The name is a feminine noun in apposition.

Figures

Figures 1–6. Adult ♂ of Gastroplakaeis spp. 1–2. G. forficulatus, Ghana, Bunso Arboretum, GS 2011-21 (RMCA). 3–4. G. lidia sp. n., Ivory Coast, Lamto (RMCA). 3. HT, GS 000005079. 4. PT. 5–6. G. alena sp. n., DRC. 5. HT, Ekongo camp, GS 0706 (CGM/USTTB). 6. PT, Bikoro, GS 000005070 (RMCA). Scale bar – 1 cm.

Figures 7–9. Adult ♀ of Gastroplakaeis spp. 7. G. forficulatus, Ghana (MfNB). 8. G. lidia sp. n., PT, Ivory Coast, Lamto, GS 000005072 (RMCA). 9. G. alena sp. n., PT, Zambia, Kafakumba (RMCA). Scale bar – 1 cm.

Figures 10–13. Genitalia of Gastroplakaeis spp. 10. G. forficulatus, Ghana, Bunso Arboretum, GS 2011-021 (RMCA). 11–12. G. lidia sp. n., Ivory Coast, Lamto (RMCA). 11. HT, GS 000005079. 12. PT, 000005072. 13. G. alena sp. n., HT, DRC, Ekongo camp, GS 0706 (CGM/USTTB). Scale bar – 1 mm.