Palaeugoa camerunensis ( Strand, 1912 )

Volynkin, Anton V. & László, Gyula M., 2020, Revision of the genus Palaeugoa Durante, 2012, with descriptions of seven new species (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini), Ecologica Montenegrina 36, pp. 53-77 : 61-62

Palaeugoa camerunensis ( Strand, 1912)

( Figs 7–11, 36, 37, 53, 54)

Asura camerunensis Strand, 1912 , Archiv für Naturgeschichte 78 (A) (9): 102 (Type locality: [ Cameroon] “Bibundi in Kamerun”).

Type material examined. Holotype (by monotypy) ( Fig. 8): female without abdomen, blue label “ Kamerun, Bibundi , 16–31.I.[19]05, G. Tessmann S. G.” / “ Asura camerunensis ♀ Strand det.” / red label “Type” / “586” / “ Photographed. B.M. Neg. 15531” (Coll. MFN).

Additional material examined. CAMEROON: 2 males, SW Cameroon , Mt. Cameroon, 5 km SW Ekona, 900m, 4°14’N, 9°20’E, 7–19.IV.2008, leg. Felix & Schintlmeister, gen. slide Nos.: MWM 33755 , 33756 (prepared by Volynkin) ; 1 female, SW Cameroon, Dept. Meme, Ediki (S Kumba), ca. 50m, 24.I.1995, LF, leg. Aistleitner, coll. de Freina, gen. slide No.: MWM 33853 (prepared by Volynkin) ( MWM / ZSM) . GABON: 42 males, 3 females, Mikongo ( Rougier ), Monts de Cristal (Secondary Forest), 430m, 0°29'47"N, 11°10'42"E, 28.vii.–12.viii.2019, Actinic, LepiLED and MV Light Trap , Albert, J-L., Aristophanous, M., Bie Mba, J., Dérozier, V ., Moretto, P. leg., ANHRT: 2019.17, gen. slide Nos. : AV5979, AV5980, AV5982, AV5983 (males), AV5984, AV5985 (females) ; 2 males, Nyonie (Lowland forest), 10m, 0°2'22"S, 9°20'25"E, 23–28.viii.2019, MV Light Trap , Albert, J-L., Aristophanous, M., Bie Mba, J., Dérozier, V ., Moretto, P. leg. ANHRT: 2019.17, gen. slide Nos.: AV5989, AV5990 ( ANHRT) . DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO: 1 male, 17 km N Kisangani, Masako Field Station , 00°36’N 25°15’E, 388m, 2–8.II.2008, Gurkovich & Zolotuhin leg., gen. slide No.: MWM 33854 (prepared by Volynkin) ( MWM / ZSM).

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 6.5–9 mm in males and 9.5–10 mm in females. The species is similar superficially to P. spurrelli , P. moa and P. secunda , but can be recognized by its paler yellow forewing ground colour and darker reddish wingpattern, especially the dots of the terminal line. However, worn specimens can be distinguished by the examination of the genitalia only. The male genital capsule of P. camerunensis differs clearly from those of the three, aforementioned species by the broader uncus and distal section of tegumen. The transtillar process of P. camerunensis is more heavily sclerotized than that of the related species, elliptical with setae along its outer margin only, having a broad, plate-like base and a short subbasal ventral process on its inner margin, whereas that is weakly sclerotized, triangular or trapezoidal, covered in setae on the whole surface, lacking a plate-like base and a subbasal ventral process in P. spurrelli , P. moa and P. secunda . The juxta of P. camerunensis is conspicuously narrower than that of its congeners, lacking a medial ventral process which is characteristic for P. spurrelli , P. moa and P. secunda . The new species lacks the costal process of the valva which is present in the related species, in addition the ventroapical margin of the cucullus is evenly rounded whereas that is conspicuously rounded-quadrangular in P. spurrelli , P. moa and P. secunda . The aedeagus of P. camerunensis differs from that of all other congeners by the presence of the characteristic dorso-medial sclerotized crest; moreover, it is slightly dilated subdistally and tapered distally, whereas the aedeagi of the related species have more or less even width in their full length. The configuration of the vesica has a similar ground plan in the four allied species, but in P. camerunensis the medial section is more heavily granulated lacking a lateral diverticulum (which is present in P. spurrelli , P. moa and P. secunda ); the dorsal diverticulum is narrower (which is rather globular in the congeners); the medial diverticulum bears one subdiverticulum only (whereas the analogous character in its congeners display two small subdiverticula); in addition, P. camerunensis has a further, distal diverticulum which is absent in P. spurrelli , P. moa and P. secunda . The female genitalia of P. camerunensis differ from those of P. spurrelli and P. secunda by the considerably less sclerotized and smooth-surfaced postvaginal area of the 7 th sternite which is conspicuously rugose in the congeners and the presence of the apophyses anteriores which are fully reduced in P. spurrelli and P. secunda . In addition, P. camerunensis has a markedly narrower antevaginal plate with a sinuous posterior margin (which is rather concave in the related species), a somewhat longer ductus bursae, a more heavily sclerotized medial section and less scobinated and slightly shorter anterior section of the corpus bursae, and a conspicuously smaller, and less scobinated appendix bursae compared to those characters of P. spurrelli and P. secunda .

Distribution. The species was described from the coastal area of Cameroon ( Strand 1912). Delabye et al. (2020) also reported the species from the country, misidentified as P. spurrelli . The recently discovered specimens from Gabon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo represent new country records. The species is presumably associated with the Guinea-Congolian lowland rainforest.