Palaeugoa asafis Volynkin & László, 2020

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 : 70

Palaeugoa asafis Volynkin & László , sp. nov.

( Figs 20, 21, 44, 45)

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 20, 44): male, “ CAMEROON, 612m, Central Region , Nkoteng , On Sanaga River, Nkoteng Forest, 04°33'34.2"N, 11°59'37.6"E, 24–28.x.2018, Cold Cathode UV Light Trap, Safian, Sz., Simonics, G. Leg. ANHRT:2018.36” / “ANHRTUK 00060252”, gen. slide No.: AV5128 ( ANHRT).

Paratype: male, with the same data as the holotype, unique number: ANHRTUK 00060253, gen. slide No.: AV5134 ( ANHRT) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 8 mm in males. Palaeugoa asafis can be distinguished from P. takanoi by its creamy head and thorax (which are pale yellow in P. takanoi ), the monochromatic forewing ground colour (in P. takanoi the forewing costa, terminal area and ciliae are bright yellow), the reddish brown and more diffuse suffusion between the veins (in P. takanoi the suffusion is blackish and much more intense), and the paler hindwing with a slight brownish suffusion medially (which is strongly and evenly suffused with dark grey scales in P. takanoi ). The male genital capsule of P. asafis differs from that of P. takanoi by the evenly narrow uncus (which is medially broadened in P. takanoi ), the presence of two clusters of small denticles on anellus (in P. takanoi the anellus lacks sclerotized structures) and the shorter juxta without a protrusion whereas the juxta is longer, bearing a short conical apical protrusion in P. takanoi . The valva of the new species is broader and somewhat shorter with the costal margin having a large rounded medio-dorsal protrusion, whereas that of P. takanoi is narrower with slightly convex costal margin, in addition the cucullus of P. asafis is apically pointed without spinules whereas that is narrowly rounded bearing a cluster of small spinules in P. takanoi . The new species has much longer, basally narrower and more curved costal process compared to that of the related species and shorter and broader, lobe-like transtillar processes directed distally, bearing numerous long and robust cornuti along its outer margin whereas that is finger-like, shortly dentate, and directed dorsally in P. takanoi . The medial saccular process is slightly S-curved and apically pointed in P. asafis , whereas that is evenly arched and rounded apically in P. takanoi , in addition, the distal saccular process is considerably shorter and somewhat narrower in the new species than in its congener. The aedeagus of the two related species are similarly straight tubular with well-developed coecum, but that of P. asafis is somewhat smaller than that of P. takanoi if compared to the size of the genital capsule. The vesica of P. asafis is markedly narrower than that of P. takanoi , bearing one dorsal granulated diverticulum subbasally (there are two subbasal diverticula in P. takanoi ), the medio-ventral diverticulum is conspicuously narrower than that of P. takanoi , and the distal chamber of the vesica is much smaller than that of P. takanoi armed with a narrow cornuti field consisting of a cluster of smaller spines, whereas the analogous cornuti field is more extensive, consisting of more robust spines in P. takanoi .

Female is unknown.

Distribution. The type specimens of the new species were collected in a dryer lowland rainforest in central Cameroon.

Etymology. ‘Asafis’ is a Latin transliteration of the Greek word ‘ασαφής’ meaning ‘indistinct’. The specific epithet refers to the species’ indistinct pattern.