Palaeugoa spurrelli ( Hampson, 1914 )

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 : 56-57

Palaeugoa spurrelli ( Hampson, 1914)

( Figs 1–3, 28–31, 51)

Xanthetis spurrelli Hampson, 1914 , Catalogue of the Lepidoptera Phalaenae in the British Museum. Supplement 1: 728, fig. 241 (Type locality: [ Ghana] “Gold Coast, Bibianaha ”).

Type material examined. Lectotype (hereby designated) ( Figs 1, 28): male, “ Gold Coast. Bibianaha. 70 miles N.W. of Dimkwa. 700 ft. H.G.F. Spurrell. 1911-244.” / blue ring type label “ SYNTYPE ” / “ Arctiidae genitalia slide No. 301” / QR- code label with a unique number “ NHMUK010914367 ” ( NHMUK).

Paralectotypes: 1 female, “ Gold Coast. Bibianaha. 700 ft. XII.1911. H.G.F. Spurrell. 1911-275.” / blue ring type label “ SYNTYPE ” / “ Xanthetis spurrelli type ♀ Hmpsn.” / QR-code label with a unique number “ NHMUK010914367 ” ( NHMUK); 1 female, “ Gold Coast. Bibianaha. 700 ft. XII.1911. H.G.F. Spurrell. 1911-275.” / red ring type label “Type” / “ Xanthetis spurrelli type ♀ Hmpsn.” ( NHMUK) .

Additional material examined. GUINEA: 1 male, Konakri, Macenta Prefecture, Ziama Forest , 550 m, 250 Watt , VIII.2016, Petrányi, G., Müller, G.C., Kravchenko, V .D. et al., Thomas Witt Stiftung; 10 males, 2 females, same locality and collectors, but XI.2016 ; 45 males, 4 females, same locality and collectors, but XII.2016, gen. slide Nos.: ZSM Arct. 2019-565, 2019-566, MWM 33751 , MWM 33752 (males) , MWM 33754 (female) (all prepared by Volynkin) ; 31 males, 4 females, the same locality and collectors, but 17.XI.– 01.12.2016, gen. slide Nos.: MWM 33753 , MWM 33852 (males) , ZSM Arct. 2019- 567 (female) (all prepared by Volynkin) ; 8 males, the same locality and collectors, but III.2017 ; 5 males, the same locality and collectors, but IV.2017 ( MWM / ZSM) ; 1 male, Guinee Forestiere, Bossou Forest and Institut de Recherche Environmentale de Bossou ( Lowland Forest-Farmland ), 690m, 07°38'32"N, 08°30'30"W, 24–31.vi.2019, MV Light Trap , Dérozier, V ., Suah Dore, J., Koivagui, S., Miles, W., Sáfián, S., Warner, R . leg., ANHRT: 2019.11, gen. slide No.: AV5986 ( ANHRT) . LIBERIA: 1 male, Lofa county, Wologizi Mts, Rosewood Camp , 585m, 8°06'14.9"N, 9°58'27.3"W, 18.xi.–1.xii.2018, MV Light Trap, Sáfián, Sz. , Simonics, G. leg., ANHRT :2018.43, gen. slide No.: AV5191; 1 male, female, Lofa County, Wologizi Mts , base camp forest, 611m, 8°07'17"N, 9°57'42"W, 20.xi.–01.xii.2017, MV Light Trap (125W), Aristophanous, M., Sáfián , Sz., Simonics, G. & Smith, L. leg., ANHRT : 2017.33, gen. slide No. : AV 4451 (male), AV4476 (female) ( ANHRT) ; 2 males, Lofa County, Foya Proposed Protected Area , 530m, 7°56'36"N, 10°16'36"W, 10–19.xi.2017, MV Light Trap (125W), Aristophanous, M., Sáfián , Sz., Simonics, G. & Smith, L. leg., ANHRT :2017.33, gen. slide Nos.: AV4452, AV5021; 2 males, Nimba Mts camp, ENNR , Nimba county, 1165m, 7°31'45"N, 8°31'37"W, 03–13.xii.2017, MV Light Trap (125W) Aristophanous, M., Sáfián , Sz., Simonics, G., Smith, L. leg. ANHRT :2017.33, gen. slide Nos: AV4450, AV5196; 2 males, Nimba Mts., ENNR , Nimba county ( Cellcom road), 1000–1100m, 7°32'45.88"N, 8°31'21.04"W, 02–14.xii.2017, Cold Cathode Light Bucket, Aristophanous, M., Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G., Smith, L. leg., ANHRT :2017.33, gen. slide Nos.: AV5020, AV5195; 2 males, same site, but collected at 16– 28.xii.2018 by Sáfián, Sz. and Simonics, G., gen. slide Nos.: AV5193, AV5194; 1 male, same site and collectors, 16–28.xii.2018, gen. slide No.: AV5137; 2 males, Nimba County, Nimba Mts., ENNR , Cellcom road, 750m, 7°33'3.78"N, 8°31'46.49"W, 16–28.xii.2018, Cold Cathode UV Light Trap (8 W), Sáfián , Sz., Simonics, G. leg., ANHRT :2018.43, gen. slide Nos.: AV5118, AV5136; 1 male, 494m, Nimba county, Nimba Mts., ENNR , Grassfield FDA Field Station , 7°29'32.45"N, 8°34'54.05"W, 22.xi.2018, Light Trap, Blended Bulb (250W), Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. leg., ANHRT : 2018.43, gen. slide No. : AV5192; additional long series of both sexes from Lofa, Nimba and Sinoe Counties ( ANHRT) . IVORY COAST: 14 males, Tai NP, Tai Research Station , 174m, 05°49'59.8"N, 07°20'32.0"W, 5–10.vii.2015, Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., Moretto, P., Ruzzier, E. leg., ANHRT : 2017.14, gen. slide Nos.: AV5189, AV5190, AV5981; 1 male, same site and collectors, 14–23.xi.2015, ANHRT :2017.16; 1 male, same site but collected at 25.iii.– 17.iv.2017 by Aristophanous, A., Aristophanous, M., Geiser, M., Moretto, P., gen. slide No.: AV4488; 3 males, Abidjan, Banco Forest ( Parc National du Banco ), 39–48m, 05°23'03.8"N, 04°03'11.2''W, 21– 30.iv.2017, MV Light Trap, Aristophanous, A., Aristophanous , M., Geiser, M., Moretto, P. leg. ANHRT :2017.25 ( ANHRT). GHANA: 1 female, W Africa, Kumasi , 13 Jan. Lt. Sanders / E. R . Bankes collection. B.M. 1928-208. / Arctiidae Brit. Mus. slide No. 5756 ; 2 males, Ashanti, 35 km E of Kumasi, 3 km NE of Kubease , 6°42’N, 1°20’W, 04.IV. 2014, 240m, leg. J. & W. De Prins, De Prins Coll. BMNH (E) 2014-125, unique numbers: NHMUK 10915993 and 10915994, gen. slide Nos.: NHMUK010314589 and NHMUK010314590 (both prepared by Volynkin) ( NHMUK).

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 7–9.5 mm in males and 10–11 mm in females. The species slightly varies in size, forewing width and the intensity of pinkish suffusion on the wings. Palaeugoa spurrelli is very similar externally to P. secunda and P. moa and reliable identification is possible only by the examination of the genitalia structures. In the male genitalia, the broad and setose transtillar process bearing a short but broad inner protrusion is characteristic for the species. The vesica of P. spurrelli may bear one or two tiny spinules on the tips of lateral and medial diverticula which may also be absent within the same population. The frequent lack of spines is probably due to their deciduous character and loss during copulation. The differences between P. spurrelli , P. moa and P. secunda are discussed in details below in the diagnoses of the two latter species.

Distribution. The species is known from Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast (new records) and Ghana ( Hampson 1914).

The records from Cameroon ( Delabye et al. 2020) and western Kenya ( Kühne 2008) were based on misidentification representing other species of the genus (see below).