Lophilema bilobata Volynkin, 2019

Volynkin, Anton V., 2019, Four new species of Lophilema Aurivillius, 1910 from East Africa (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae, Lithosiini), Zootaxa 4543 (1), pp. 115-126 : 118

Lophilema bilobata Volynkin , sp. nov.

( Figs 3 , 16 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 3 , 16 ): ♂, Kenya, 2012, Aberdares Mts. , 2100–2300 m, LF, leg. M. Eisenring / 6.3/ 19.45 2, slide AV4258 ♂ (Coll. ZMB).

Diagnosis. Male of Lophilema bilobata sp. nov. ( Fig. 3 ) is similar externally to L. mbulu sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 ), L. claudei ( Fig. 4 ) and L. nguru sp. nov. ( Figs 5, 6 ), but differs from them by its larger size and the presence of the yellowish suffusion on forewings. The male genitalia of L. bilobata sp. nov. ( Fig. 16 ) is similar to that of L. mbulu sp. nov. ( Fig. 15 ) by the dorsal section of its valva being well-separated from the sacculus and the large dorsal crest of costa, but differs clearly by its curved uncus, which is broader distally and claw-like apically (that is straight in its full length in L. mbulu ); its significantly broader dorsal section of the valva, shorter, trigonal dorsal crest of the costa, narrower, ventrally gently rounded sacculus (that is conspicuously quadrangular in L. mbulu ), in addition shape of the distal saccular process, which is broader, less curved and bilobate, having a large, rounded second lobe medially (whereas L. mbulu has simple distal saccular process), and by finer granulation of the vesica compared to that of L. mbulu .

Description. Adult. Male. ( Fig. 3 ). Forewing length 18 mm in holotype. Male antennae ciliate. Body ochreous-brown. Forewing narrow, elongated, with almost parallel margins, its costa curved subapically; medial area with broad and long cluster of hair-like androconial scales; forewing ground color monotonous ochreousbrown; discal spot blackish-brown, short, comma-shaped; cilia monotonous dark brown. Hindwing pale ochreous, its medial area with some ochreous-brown suffusion subbasally; discal spot deleted; cilia pale ochreous. Male genitalia ( Fig. 16 ). Uncus long, slender, slightly curved, with claw-like apex; tuba analis broad, membranous, scaphium thin, heavily sclerotized; tegumen short and broad; vinculum narrow and weakly sclerotized, extremely long, its inner area with very long androconial gland covered with conspicuously long hairs, which assembled into stick-shaped beam at rest; juxta narrowly trapezoidal, weakly sclerotized, setose, with narrow and short incision basally. Valva narrow, slightly tapering distally, slightly curved, apically rounded; costa short, with large, broadly trigonal dorsal crest erected basally; sacculus well-developed, separated from the dorsal section of valva, heavily sclerotized, with rounded ventral margin; distal saccular process rather elongated, bilobate, robust, medially slightly curved, club-like distally, with a broad and rounded additional medial lobe, ventral surface and apex densely covered with short setae. Aedeagus medium long and narrow, with well-developed coecum, rugose distally; vesica tubular and membranous basally, broadly globular and weakly granulated medially, with ventral diverticulum broadly conical and rounded apically.

Female unknown.

Distribution. The new species is currently known only from its type locality, the Aberdare Range in west central Kenya.

Etymology. The species name refers to its bilobate distal saccular process.

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Lophilema spp.: adults. 1, L. mbulu, holotype male, Tanzania, Mbulu Mts. (ANHRT); 2, L. mbulu, paratype female, Tanzania, Mbulu Mts. (ANHRT); 3, L. bilobata, holotype male, Kenya, Aberdare Range (ZMB); 4, L. claudei, holotype male, Cameroon (ZSM); 5, L. nguru, holotype male, Tanzania, Nguru Mts. (ANHRT); 6, L. nguru, paratype male, Tanzania, Nguru Mts. (ANHRT); 7, L. curva, holotype male, Tanzania, Nguru Mts. (ANHRT); 8, L. curva, holotype male, Tanzania, Nguru Mts. (ANHRT).

FIGURES 15–18. Lophilema spp.: male genitalia. 15, L. mbulu, holotype, Tanzania, Mbulu Mts., slide AV3189; 16, L. bilobata, holotype, Kenya, Aberdare Range, slide AV4258; 17, L. claudei, holotype, Cameroon, slide ZSM Arct. 197/2017 Volynkin; 18, L. nguru, holotype, Tanzania, Nguru Mts., slide AV3311.