Politzariella frici Yakovlev et Sáfián, 2019

Yakovlev, R. V., Müller, G. C., Kravchenko, V. D., Petrányi, G. & Sáfián, Sz., 2019, Three new species of subfamily Politzariellinae (Lepidoptera: Cossidae) from Guinea and Zambia, Russian Entomological Journal 28 (3), pp. 312-316 : 315

Politzariella frici Yakovlev et Sáfián , sp.n.

Figs 5–6 .

MATERIAL. Holotype: ♂, Zambia, Mwinilunga district, North-Western Province, Chiwoma Forest 13.XI.2015 12°26 ' 41.74 '’ S, 24°11 ' 29.61 '’ E, Lamping: 250 W Philips blended bulb (125 W Mercury vapour + 125 W Wolfram), leg. Szabolcs Sáfián et Zdenek Faltynek Fric (Zoologische Staatssammlung, Munich, Germany; slide coll/ Yakovlev 2019 # 14).

DESCRIPTION. Length of fore wing 11 mm. Antenna belt-like, not pectinate. Thorax and abdomen densely covered with dark brown scales. Fore wing wide, short, brown, with pattern of more or less expressed dark brown undulated lines, mostly expressed in discal and postdiscal areas. Hind wing grey, without pattern. Fringe on all wings grey, unicolorous.

Male genitalia. Uncus forked, with deep semicircular notch apically; gnathos arms short, thick; gnathos poorly structured, poorly sclerotized; valve leaf-like, with smooth edges, slightly tapered apically, small poorly sclerotized baglike harpe on inner surface of valve (in medium third, closer to costal edge); juxta robust, with two robust lateral processes, directed abdominally; saccus semicircular, of medium size; phallus thick, slightly shorter than valve, vesica aperture in dorso-apical position, vesica without cornuti.

Female unknown.

DIAGNOSIS. The new species is very different from the known species of the genus by a number of characters:

– the fore wing is shorter and wider than in the other species;

– the new species has gnathos (in the other species, it is reduced);

– the specific leaf-like valves with smooth costal edge (in the other species, there is an expressed semicircular process).

Possibly, the species belongs to a genus new to science, but currently we have only one specimen which does not allow to reliably determine the generic affiliation.

COLLECTION SITE AND HABITAT DESCRIPTION ( Fig. 8 ). The habitat around Chiwoma is a typical Cryptosepalum forest, a unique, closed canopy dry forest type, which is distributed only on a small area on the high plateau in Eastern Angola and North-western Zambia (Lunga West), also as small patches in the nearby areas of the DRC. The main tree species of the forest type is Cryptosepalum exfoliatum , and the forest is characterized by a higher canopy layer (15–20 m), a lower canopy layer and an almost impenetrable shrub layer. Cryptosepalum forests are among the least studied forest habitats in Africa and are known to host a number of rainforest butterfly species [e.g. Teniorhinus ignita (Mabille, 1877) — Sáfián, unpublished] and Charaxes Ochseheimer, 1816 species endemic to this habitat type [Heath et al., 2004]. The species was collected at the beginning of the rainy season after a longer period of drought.

ETYMOLOGY. The new species is dedicated to Dr. Zdenek Faltynek Fric (Institute of Entomology ASCR, Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Èeské Budìjovice, Czech Republic) who collected this new species.

Thus, currently there are 7 known species in the Politzariellinae subfamily, belonging to three genera. The representatives of this subfamily are distributed in equatorial Africa (mostly in the West). It seems necessary to continue the study on the genus Holcoceroides in order to reveal the real boundaries of the species habitats, and possibly, to find twin species.

Figures

Figs 1–6. Politzariellinae, adult males and male genitalia: 1 — Holcoceroides cheick Yakovlev, Müller, Kravchenko et Petrany, sp.n., holotype; 2 — Holcoceroides cheick, male genitalia (holotype); 3 — Politzariella edita Yakovlev, Müller, Kravchenko et Petrany, sp.n., holotype; 4 — Politzariella edita, male genitalia (holotype); 5 — Politzariella frici Yakovlev et Sáfián, sp.n., holotype; 6 — Politzariella frici, male genitalia (holotype). Рис. 1–6. Politzariellinae, самцы и гениталии самцов: 1 — Holcoceroides cheick Yakovlev, Müller, Kravchenko et Petrany, sp.n., голотип; 2 — Holcoceroides cheick, гениталии самца (голотип); 3 — Politzariella edita Yakovlev, Müller, Kravchenko et Petrany, sp.n., голотип; 4 — Politzariella edita, гениталии самца (голотип); 5 — Politzariella frici Yakovlev et Sáfián, sp.n., голотип; 6 — Politzariella frici, гениталии самца (голотип).

Figs 7–8. Collection sites of new species of Politzariellinae: 7 — Guinea, along the road from Seredou village to Ballasou village within the Ziama Forrest Reserve (photo by G. Müller); 8 — Zambia, Mwinilunga district, North-Western Province, Chiwoma Forest (photo by Sz. Sáfián). Рис. 7–8. Места сбора новых видов Politzariellinae: 7 — ГвинеЯ, дорога от деревни Середоу до деревни Балласоу, лесной Заповедник Зиама (фото Г. Мюллера); 8 — ЗамбиЯ, Северо-ЗападнаЯ провинциЯ, район Мвинилунга, лес Чивома (фото Ж. Сафиана).