Rhynchobombyx julianjameseaton Prozorov, Saldaitis & Müller, 2021

Prozorov, Alexey M., Prozorova, Tatiana A., Mapilanga, Jean Joseph, Volkova, Julia S., Yakovlev, Roman V., Traore, Mohamed M., Saldaitis, Aidas & Müller, Günter C., 2021, Seven new species of Rhynchobombyx Aurivillius, 1909 from Congolian lowland forests (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae), Ecologica Montenegrina 49, pp. 35-53 : 42-44

Rhynchobombyx julianjameseaton Prozorov, Saldaitis & Müller sp. n.

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F2F0E302-E884-4BB3-8F15-8CF25788AD7E

( Figs 23–30 , 47, 50–51 )

Type material: HOLOTYPE ♂, DRC, [Kasaï Prov.] Kasaï- Occidental Prov. , NE Ilebo and Kasai River, XI.1997, genitalia slide 0620 ( CGM / BUM) . PARATYPES (20♂, 1♀ total): 16♂, 1♀, data as for holotype but collected in X, XI, XII, I, III, V.1997, genitalia slides 0621–0624, 0759 ( CGM / BUM) ; DRC: 2♂, Mai- Ndombe Prov. , Ekongo camp, 02°45’23.09”S, 20°18’55.37”E, XII.2017, leg. A. & T. Prozorovs, V. Kravchenko et al. ( CGM / BUM) ; Congo: 2♂, [Cuvette- Ouest Dept.], Odzala Nat. Park , 400–500 m, 0°23’N, 14°50’E, 29.I–3.III.1997, leg. V. Siniaev, S. Murzin, genitalia slides 17.471, 17.472 ( MWM / ZSM) .

Diagnosis. Externally the species darker than the others, resembles Rh. nicolasroberteaton , but without forewing concavity between CuA 2 and 1A.

Description. Male habitus ( Figs 23, 25 ). Head and thorax brown to dark brown, abdomen from yellow to brown. Forewing length: 13–14 mm; wingspan: 30–31 mm. Wing oval-shaped, apex obtuse, external margin slightly waved. Pattern consists of lighter orangish brown to brown antemedial and postmedial fields and darker brown medial and external fields; multiplied light and dark antemedial, postmedial and external crenulate lines; and blackish discal dot on R-Cu cell outer margin. Cilia brown. Some males’ pattern fades. Hindwing oval-shaped, external margin rounded, slightly waved. Main color from yellow to brown, costal and anal fields darker. Cilia brown. Male genitalia ( Figs 26–29 ). Tegumen band-shaped, bears two short projections with bifurcated apexes and covered with chaetae along. Vinculum thin, ventrally widened into cup-like form. Sacculus elongated, finger-shaped with blunt apex. Cucullus tuber-like, covered with chaetae. Juxta a tiny plate fused with aedeagus. Aedeagus cylindrical with uneven dorsal sclerotized field right by vesica and ventral c-shaped basal spur with nearly pointed apex. Vesica bag-shaped with two chambers: smaller lateral and bigger main, both covered with tiny denticles; main one bears claw-like cornutus with medial fossa that makes it look like it consists of pair of fused cornuti. Female habitus ( Fig. 24 ). Forewing length: 17 mm; wingspan: 36 mm. Pattern similar to male, but hindwings darker. Female genitalia ( Fig. 30 ). Papillae anales oval, densely covered with chaetae. Posterior apophyses 1.75 times longer than anterior. Lamella antevaginalis membranous, lamella postvaginalis sclerotized, mesally thinned. Ductus bursae about the size of corpus bursae, wrinkled, laterally sclerotized. Corpus bursae spherical, membranous, wrinkled.

Etymology. The species is named in honour of Julian James Eaton (East Providence, Rhode Island, USA). Julian James is nature lover and sports enthusiast. He plays soccer and baseball and was accepted into his school soccer travel team.

Distribution. The species is found in two locations in DRC, Kasaï and Mai- Ndombe Province, and in one location in Congo, Cuvette-Ouest Department ( Figs 47, 50–51 ).

Biology. Adults were observed and collected from October to January , in March and May. The only known habitat is tropical moist broadleaf forests with rare mosaic grassland patches, the elevation is around 100 m above sea-level in DRC and 500 m in Congo. Two paratype males were collected on the border between forest and grassland in an area of one hectare using an auto-trap ( Figs 53–55 ). The larval foodplant remains unknown.

Figures

Figures 23–25. Adults of Rh. julianjameseaton, all DRC, Kasaï Prov. 23. Male holotype, genitalia slide 0620 (CGM/BUM). 24. Female paratype, genitalia slide 0624 (CGM/BUM). 25. Male paratype, genitalia slide 0623 (CGM/BUM).

Figures 26–30. Genitalia of Rh. julianjameseaton, all DRC, Kasaï Prov. 26. Male holotype, genitalia slide 0620 (CGM/BUM). 27. Male paratype, genitalia slide 0623 (CGM/BUM). 28. Male paratype, genitalia slide 0622 (CGM/BUM). 29. Male paratype, genitalia slide 0621 (CGM/BUM). 30. Female paratype, genitalia slide 0624 (CGM/BUM).

Figures 47–52. Collecting areas of Rhynchobombyx spp. 47. Congo, Cuvette-Ouest Dept., Odzala-Kakoua Nat. Park, 400–500 m, 0°23’N, 14°50’E. 48. DRC, Haut-Uele Prov., Isiro. 49. DRC, Tshuapa Prov., Lomela River, Gombe- Isongo. 50. DRC, Mai-Ndombe Prov., Ekongo camp, 02°45’23.09”S, 20°18’55.37”E. 51. DRC, Kasaï Prov., NE Ilebo and Kasai River. 52. Angola, Benguela Prov., rd. Londengo–Sumbe, ca. 80 km S Sumbe, 10 km rd. to Bumba, 280 m, 11°47’33.1”S, 14°02’17.4”E. Available from: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1meQVkKsMY8Qvp5cJBC2dwi_clX6l-cOD&usp=sharing [Accessed 10.XII.2021].

Figures 53–55. View on the one hectare grassland patch (53) surrounded by forest (54) near the Ekongo camp, Mai- Ndombe Prov., DRC (55).