Leptometa gabrielae, Sulak & Saldaitis & Yakovlev & Volkova & Traore & Müller & Revay & Prozorova & Prozorov, 2024

Sulak, Harald, Saldaitis, Aidas, Yakovlev, Roman V., Volkova, Julia S., Traore, Mohamed M., Müller, Günter C., Revay, Edita E., Prozorova, Tatiana A. & Prozorov, Alexey M., 2024, Two new species for the Afrotropic genus Leptometa: Leptometa danieli and Leptometa gabrielae (Lepidoptera, Lasiocampidae), Ecologica Montenegrina 71, pp. 30-40 : 32-34

Leptometa gabrielae sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D7726027-01E5-4982-A198-885E4C54D907

( Figs 6–7 , 16–17 , 20 )

Holotype: ♂, DRC, Mai-Ndombe Province , Ekongo camp, 2.75613° S, 20.31538° E, 350 m, XII.2017, slide 0764, leg. A. Prozorov, T. Prozorova et al. ( CGM / USTTB) . Paratype, DRC: ♂, same data as HT but XI.2017, GS 0765 ( CGM / USTTB) .

Description. Male ( Figs 6–7 ). Flagellum and head covered with speckled dark brown and fawn scales. Thorax speckled dark brown and fawn with fawn tegulae. Abdomen dorsally dark brown. Forewing. Forewing length: 23–26 mm. Elongated, somewhat triangular with slightly wavy outer margin and blunt apex. Background color fawn. Pattern consists of tick-like yellow discal spot, dark brown basal and medial fields, unbroken crenulated transversal ante- and postmedial lines with additional dark outer shade, and fragmented vague external line, apically expanded. Fringe speckled fawn and brown. Hindwing. Somewhat oval with slightly waved outer margin. Fawn with dark brown costal, medial, and external fields. Fringe speckled fawn and brown. Genitalia ( Figs 16–17 ). Tegumen helmet-like with two pairs of outgrowths: small nipple-like on the top and somewhat triangular on the front. Socii mitten-like, the dorsal ridge is more sclerotized, covered with setae. Valvae short, finger-shaped, basally widened and fused with juxta. Juxta an oval plate surrounding aedeagus, it has a pair of very short extensions along aedeagus. Aedeagus claw-like with tiny vesica everting laterally. Vinculum medially split into a pair of elongated somewhat triangular projections. The eighth sternite is trapezoid with the dentated caudal margin and elongated apodemes. Female remains unknown.

Diagnosis. Leptometa knudlarseni overall smaller, has rather oval forewings with divided medial field and stripes on abdomen ( Fig. 1 ), smaller frontal pair of outgrowths on tegumen ( Fig. 11 ), while L. gabrielae sp. n. overall bigger, has rather triangular forewings with undivided medial field, lacks stripes on abdomen ( Figs 6–7 ), has larger frontal pair of outgrowths on tegumen ( Figs 16–17 ).

Leptometa sophiae overall smaller, has rather semilanceolate forewings with many-sided medial field and stripes on abdomen ( Fig. 2 ), longer top pair of outgrowths on tegumen and longer extensions on juxta ( Fig. 12 ), while L. gabrielae sp. n. overall bigger, has rather triangular forewings with undivided medial field, lacks stripes on abdomen ( Figs 6–7 ), shorter top pair of outgrowths on tegumen and shorter extensions on juxta ( Figs 16–17 ).

Leptometa adalensis overall smaller, has rather semilanceolate forewings with divided medial field and stripes on abdomen ( Fig. 3 ), deeply split pair of frontal outgrowths on tegumen ( Fig. 13 ), while L. gabrielae sp. n. overall bigger, has rather triangular forewings with trapezoid medial field, lacks stripes on abdomen ( Figs 6–7 ), not deeply split pair of frontal outgrowths on tegumen ( Figs 16–17 ).

Leptometa matuta overall smaller, lacks dark fields on forewings, has barely pronounced stripes on abdomen ( Fig. 4 ), slightly longer top pair of outgrowths on tegumen ( Fig. 14 ), while L. gabrielae sp. n. overall bigger, has dark fields on forewings, lacks stripes on abdomen ( Figs 6–7 ), slightly shorter top pair of outgrowths on tegumen ( Figs 16–17 ).

Leptometa sapelensis has smooth medial lines and black discal dot on forewings but lacks dark fields, has stripes on abdomen ( Fig. 5 ), lacks top pair of outgrowths on tegumen and has shorter frontal pair of outgrowths on tegumen ( Fig. 15 ), while L. gabrielae sp. n. has crenulated medial lines, tick-like yellow spot, and dark fields on forewings, lacks stripes on abdomen ( Figs 6–7 ), has top pair of outgrowths on tegumen and has longer frontal pair of outgrowths on tegumen ( Figs 16–17 ).

Leptometa danieli sp. n. overall darker colored has evenly colored thorax, somewhat semilanceolate forewings with gradually lightening pattern towards external margin, dark hindwing, stripes on abdomen ( Figs 8–10 ), larger top pair but smaller frontal pair of outgrowths on tegumen ( Figs 18–19 ), while L. gabrielae sp. n. overall lighter colored, has lighter tegulae, somewhat triangle forewings with dark basal and medial fields limited by postmedial line, light hindwing, lacks stripes on abdomen ( Figs 6–7 ), smaller top pair but larger frontal pair of outgrowths on tegumen ( Figs 16–17 ).

Distribution ( Fig. 20 ). Central Congolian lowland forests in DRC.

Biology. Adults were collected in November–October from an altitude of 350 m. Preimaginal stages unknown.

Etymology. The species is named in honor of Gabriele Ponnath (Tirschenreuth, Germany) for her generous support of the first author's work.

Figures

Figures 1–10. ♂ of Leptometa spp. 1. L. knudlarseni, HT, DRC, Ekongo camp, GS 0831 (ZSM). 2. L. sophiae, HT, DRC, Ekongo camp, GS 0844 (ZSM). 3. L. adalensis, HT, DRC, Ekongo camp, GS 0838 (ZSM). 4. L. matuta, Sierra Leone, GS 2008-01 (USNM). 5. L. sapelensis, HT of Gastroplakaeis irrorata, Cameroon, Efoulan, GS 2008-23 (CMNH). 6–7. L. gabrielae sp. n., DRC, Ekongo camp (CGM/USTTB). 6. HT, GS 0764. 7. PT, GS 0765. 8–10. L. danieli sp. n., DRC, Ekongo camp (CGM/USTTB). 8. HT, GS 0763. 9–10. PT. Scale bar – 1 cm.

Figures 11–19. ♂ genitalia of Leptometa spp. 11. L. knudlarseni, HT, DRC, Ekongo camp, GS 0831 (ZSM). 12. L. sophiae, HT, DRC, Ekongo camp, GS 0844 (ZSM). 13. L. adalensis, HT, DRC, Ekongo camp, GS 0838 (ZSM). 14. L. matuta, Sierra Leone, GS 2008-01 (USNM). 15. L. sapelensis, HT of Gastroplakaeis irrorata, Cameroon, Efoulan, GS 2008-23 (CMNH). 16–17. L. gabrielae sp. n., DRC, Ekongo camp (CGM/USTTB). 16. HT, GS 0764. 17. PT, GS 0765. 18–19. L. danieli sp. n., DRC, Ekongo camp (CGM/USTTB). 18. HT, GS 0763. 19. PT, GS 0761. Lobes of vinculum erased from Figs 11–15. Scale bar – 1 mm.

Figures 20–21. Collecting localities and adult male in nature. 20. L. gabrielae sp. n. 21–23. L. danieli sp. n.