Parasiomera kivuensis Sáfián & Collins, 2015

Sáfián, Szabolcs & Collins, Steve C., 2015, Establishment of a new genus for Eresiomera paradoxa (Schultze, 1917) and related taxa (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) with description of two new species, Zootaxa 4018 (1), pp. 124-136 : 133-134

Parasiomera kivuensis Sáfián & Collins sp. nov.

( Figs. 4 B,C,E,F,G,J; 5C,D; 6B,E; 7C)

Holotype. ♂ Democratic Republic of Congo, Kasuo, North Kivu VI. 2011. Leg.: ABRI. Gen. prep.: SAFI 00029. Coordinates: 0°15'S, 28°58'E

Paratypes. ♀ Democratic Republic of Congo, Mabungu, North Kivu VI.2013 Leg.: ABRI. Gen. prep.: SAFI 00031 (deposited in the ABRI collection). 11♂♂, 6♀♀ Democratic Republic of Congo, (Kasuo, Mabungu) North Kivu between 2011-2014 (All in ABRI collection).

Description of the holotype. Forewing length: 14,5 mm. Wingspan: 27 mm. The upperside colour is bright fiery orange with a black apical patch on the forewing, the width of which is about one-fifth of the forewing length. It tapers down as a black outer margin to the tornus. The black edge also stretches along the forewing costa, partially interrupted by orange scaling. Most of the hindwing is fiery orange, with only a very narrow black marginal band, which is 0,5 mm wide at its broadest point and which becomes a fine marginal line towards the tornus. The underside is paler orange, with no black, apart from some scattered black scaling along the forewing costa, a very fine marginal line on both wings and a tiny black dot at the end of the discoidal cell on the forewing. The body is slightly covered with orange scales and hairs, the legs and the antennae are black ringed with white, the tip of the antennae and the eyes are black, smooth.

Genitalia. The structure of the genitalia is very similar to those of P. paradoxa and P. orientalis but the uncus is larger, its extrimity is slender and rather long and the lower edge curves down in a semi-circular arc. The outer edge of valvae are lobed, without a pointy tip or projection. The unique-shaped aedeagus has a very strongly recurved but rather bold tip ( Figs. 6 B,E).

Description of female. Forewing length: 14,5 mm. Wingspan: 27,5 mm. The female paratype shares its major macromorphological features with the male holotype, although it has an even narrower black forewing apical area, and only a very fine black marginal line is present on the hindwing.

Genitalia. Bursa copulatrix rather small, sphere-shaped, ductus bursae slightly longer than the bursa, quite narrow, broadening towards lamellae antevaginalis. Posterior aphophyses almost as long as height of papillae, gently curved. Papillae analis narrow dorsoventrally, sparsely haired.

Diagnosis. Both sexes of P. kivuensis could be easily separated from other species in the genus with having a tiny black dot in the discoidal cell on the forewing underside, which is missing from both P. paradoxa and P. alfa . P. orientalis has a tiny black dot also on the upperside in the discoidal cell of the forewing. Valvae of the male genitalia of P. paradoxa are more elongate, fan-like rather than parallelogram-shaped, their dorsal tip is acute. The centre of the inner surface of the valvae are very densely haired, the hairs are short. These hairs are sparser and longer in P. kivuensis and P. orientalis . The lower edge of the tegumen is rectangular in lateral view in P. paradoxa , but is evenly curved in P. kivuensis and P. orientalis . P. paradoxa also has a more robust aedeagus compared to P. kivuensis and P. orientalis .

Discussion. P. kivuensis was collected in small series in the North Kivu Region of the DRC. The habitat is most probably mid-altitude or sub-montane forest and the species could prove unique to this type of habitat as it was not found in the Congo Basin.

Etymology. The species was named after the Kivu regions of the DRC, where the species was collected. The mid-altitude forests of North Kivu host a good number of butterflies restricted to these sub-montane habitats, which were not found outside the region (see further reference at P. orientalis ).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Magnified images of Parasiomera (regardless to their sex) allow comparison of specific features of wing morphology (see Key above). P. p ar a do x a (male) A—upperside, E—underside; P. alfa (female) B—upperside, F—underside; P. kivuensis (male) C—upperside, G—underside; P. orientalis (male) D—upperside, H—underside.

FIGURE 6. Male genitalia with removed aedeagi: P. p ar a do x a (Ebogo, Cameroon) A—lateral view, D—aedeagus; P. kivuensis (holotype) B—lateral view, E—aedeagus; P. orientalis (Kalinzu Forest, Uganda) C—lateral view, F—aedeagus.