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

Prozorov, Alexey M., Volkova, Julia S., Saldaitis, Aidas, Prozorova, Tatiana A., Sulak, Harald, Yakovlev, Roman V., Traore, Mohamed M., Revay, Edita E. & Müller, Günter C., 2024, A new genus Meyameta for South African “ Napta ” straminea and description of its sister species from Namibia (Lepidoptera, Lasiocampidae), Ecologica Montenegrina 71, pp. 172-183 : 175-177

Meyameta gen. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4C19433D-2141-4FD3-BDE5-B630E1DC08F3

( Figs 5–10 , 16–20 , 23–24 )

Type species: Glocia straminea Aurivillius, 1921 , Annals of the South African Museum, 18 (2), 237, by present designation .

Description. Male ( Figs 5–7, 9–10 ). Head, thorax and abdomen light-colored. Forewing. Somewhat triangular with smooth outer margin and blunt apex. Background color light. Pattern vague or absent. Fringe light-colored. Hindwing. Somewhat oval with smooth outer margin. Background color varies. Fringe light-colored. Genitalia ( Figs 16–20 ). Vinculum a wide band with a pair of finger-like socii. Cucullus elongated, claw-shaped. Sacculus compact, sparsely covered with setae. Juxta small, ventrobasally fused with aedeagus. Aedeagus c-shaped. Vesica small, semispherical. Vinculum ventrally expands into somewhat trapezoid saccus. Female ( Fig. 8 ). Similar to male but larger. Genitalia ( Fig. 23–24 ). Papillae anales oval, densely covered with setae. Posterior apophyses about ¼ longer than anterior ones. Antevaginal plate a semioval fold covering ostium. Postvaginal plate medially membranous, divided into two somewhat trapezoid parts. Ostium wide, somewhat round. Ductus bursae short. Corpus bursae medium-sized, ovoid.

Diagnosis. The type species of Meyameta gen. n. – South African G. straminea – was considered within the Madagascan genus Napta with the type species N. serratilinea . Here we establish a new genus Meyameta gen. n. for G. straminea because its adults have sexual dimorphism only in size, they are light-colored with vague wing pattern ( Figs 5–10 ), have saccus with claw-like extensions but lack cubile in male genitalia ( Figs 16–20 ), and weakly sclerotized sterigma in female genitalia ( Figs 23– 24 ); while adults of N. serratilinea have sexual dimorphism in size, color and forewing shape, and they are overall darker ( Figs 2–4 ), have cubile instead of saccus in male genitalia ( Fig. 1 ), and wellsclerotized sterigma in female genitalia ( Fig. 1 ).

Meyameta gen. n. is morphologically similar to the monotypic South African genus Henometa with the type species H. clarki (De Prins & De Prins, 2011–2024). Adults of Meyameta gen. n. are light-colored with reduced wing pattern ( Figs 5–10 ), have less bent aedeagus in male genitalia ( Figs 18–20 ), and membranous fold-like antevaginal plate in female genitalia ( Figs 23–24 ); while adults of Henometa are dark-colored with well pronounced pattern ( Figs 11–12 ), have more bent aedeagus in male genitalia ( Fig. 15 ), and semi-round sclerotized antevaginal plate in female genitalia ( Figs 21–22 ).

Etymology. The name is devoted to Wolfram Mey (Berlin, Germany), an outstanding entomologist who extensively collected insects in South Africa and Namibia (e.g. Mey, 2011); Meyameta roberti sp. n. described below is one of many species he exclusively obtained. The name also includes connecting - a - with ending - meta like in other lasiocampid genera: Dinometa Aurivillius, 1927 ; Gonometa Walker, 1855 ; Henometa ; Leptometa Aurivillius, 1927 ; Oplometa Aurivillius, 1894 ; Pachymeta Aurivilius, 1906 ; and Pseudometa Aurivillius, 1901 .

Figures

Figure 1. Collage of the protologue, pictures of adults, and genitalia of both sexes of Napta serratilinnea reproduced from Lajonquière (1968, original scale preserved). Scale bar – 1 cm for adults, 1 mm for genitalia.

Figures 2–14. Adults and caterpillar. 2–4. Napta serratilinea, Madagascar. 2. LT ♂ of Borocera madinika (MNHN). 3. ♀, Nosy Be (CRF). 4. ♂, Ankarana NP (CRF). 5–8. Meyameta gen. n. straminea, RSA. 5. ST ♂ of Glocia straminea, GS 10965 (SNHM). 6. HT ♂ of Pachymeta eborea, Bloemfontein (DMNH). 7. ♂, Steynburg, GS Las-2 (DMNH). 8. ♀, Vanderkloof, GS Las-3 (DMNH). 9–10. Meyameta gen. n. roberti sp. n., Namibia, Nasepberg (MfNB). 9. HT ♂, GS 2011-027. 10. PT ♂, GS 2010-011. 11–12. Henometa clarki, RSA. 11. ♂, Blouberg NP (MWM/ZSM). 12. ♀, Ben Lavin Nature Reserve, GS 17.462 (MWM/ZSM). 13–14. Caterpillar of Meyameta gen. n. straminea, RSA, Bloemfontein (SNHM). Scale bar – 1 cm.

Figures 15–20. ♂ genitalia. 15. Henometa clarki, RSA, Kruger NP, GS Las-53 (DMNH). 16–18. Meyameta gen. n. straminea. 16. ST, RSA, GS 10965 (SNHM). 17. Pachymeta eborea, drawing from Tams, 1924. 18. Vanderkloof, GS Las-1 (DMNH). 19–20. Meyameta gen. n. roberti sp. n., Namibia, Nasepberg (MfNB). 19. HT, GS 2011-027. 20. PT, GS 2010-11. Scale bar – 1 mm.

Figures 21–24. ♀ genitalia. 21–22. Henometa clarki, RSA. 21. Ben Lavin NR, GS 17.462 (MWM/ZSM). 22. Drawing from Tams, 1924. 23–24. Meyameta gen. n. straminea, RSA. 23. Pachymeta eborea, drawing from Tams, 1924. 24. Vanderkloof, GS Las-3 (DMNH). Scale bar – 1 mm.