Haplopacha tangani, Dupont, Steen, Simonsen, Thomas J. & Zilli, Alberto, 2016

Dupont, Steen, Simonsen, Thomas J. & Zilli, Alberto, 2016, Haplopacha (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae) reviewed: four new species, first descriptions of the genitalia of both sexes, and unique alar scale organs, Zootaxa 4109 (4), pp. 445-457 : 452-454

Haplopacha tangani sp. nov.

( Fig. 1 G, H)

Type (s): holotype ♂, in NHM.

Type locality: Mlingano Tanga, Tanzania.

Material examined. 2 specimens: Holotype male ( Fig. 1 G) (BMN(E)_1377280, NHM London, dissected and genitalia mounted on slide: Lasiocampidae #1569 ( Fig. 6 C)), Mlingano Tanga, Tanzania, Aug. 1966, I. Robertson [leg.].

Paratype: Female ( Fig. 1 H) (BMN(E)_1377281, NHM London, Tams dry genitalia dissections (1955/815) mounted on slide: Lasiocampidae #1561 ( Fig. 7 C)), [Mt] Mlanje, Nyasaland, Feb 1923, H. Barlow [leg.].

Diagnosis. Overall similar to H. riftensis , but the ante- and postmedial lines of the forewing are more sharply defined by white lining, proximal and distal to the two lines, respectively. Furthermore, the female genitalia are markedly different, especially in the sclerotized collar that is present around the ostium bursae.

Distribution and localities ( Fig. 8 ). This species shows the broadest range out of congeners, the holotype having been collected in north Tanzania, and the paratype in south Malawi It is worth noting, however, that association between the only male and female specimens known is tentative. The latter, showing superficial resemblance with female H. riftensis , both coexisting in southern Malawi, was matched with the holotype in consideration of its general agreement in pattern too and by the fact that the female paratype of H. riftensis was found in copula with holotype of the latter.

Flight period. Without more data little more can be said about the flight period of this species other than it was recorded in August and February.

Description. Forewing with costal field warm brown, remainder of wing surface, including very base, cinereous grey. Costal margin sinusoidal, slightly concave before middle then bowed before rounded apex. Ante- and postmedial lines irregularly crenulated, lined proximally and distally, respectively, with white. Distal field irrorated with grey, more conspicuously so in male. Submarginal spots in number of nine, black with prominent white inner margins. Basal wing spot round. Hind wing almost unicolorous warm brown as costal field of forewing except for lighter brown postmedial line.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 6 C): Vinculum dorso-laterally widened and sclerotized, and with fairly pronounced saccus. Cucullus as a great lobe, originating high on the vinculum-tegumen ring, its dorsal margin concave to rounded apex, ventral one smoothly convex. Sacculus broad at base, then abruptly constricted at middle, then terminating into finger-like process bearing several stout spines on apex. Saccular basal lobes very large, rounded and with sparse covering of small setae. Uncus triangular with lateral rounded protrusions and truncated rounded, somewhat claw-shaped distal hook. Gnathos subtriangular with a rounded tip. Phallus short, straight cylindrical, and without cornuti on vesica.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 7 C): Abdominal segments VII and VIII entirely sclerotized. Ostium bursae recessed into pouch created by fused anterior and posterior lips that create a sterigma almost as wide as sternum VIII. The anterior lip of sterigma forms a broadly concave curve whereas the posterior one is straighter but deeply invaginated midventrally. Ostium bursae at least 1/3 as wide as sternum VIII. Antrum sclerotized, and broadly rounded where it tapers into ductus bursae. Corpus bursae is missing in the studied specimen. Papillae anales small rounded and adpressed with the papillae anales facing outwards.

Together with the female specimen there was a papered triangle with 29 eggs. The eggs are dark brown, oblong with a light beige circle with a dark spot at the middle in either end ( Fig. 2 B). The chorion is sculptured with ordered concavities. Each egg has a dried residue patch on its lateral surface. The residue patch does not appear to be in the same spot on all eggs. Furthermore, three eggs were observed to be stuck together at random angles.

Etymology. The name tangani is both a reference to part of the species’ range, that includes Tangyanika, and the collecting locality of the holotype, Tanga.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of Haplopacha spp. including H. cinerea (A – D): A) holotype male, B) male, C) male, D) female; H. riftensis (E – F): E) holotype male, F) paratype female; H. tangani (G – H): G) holotype male, H) paratype female; H. lunata (I): I) holotype male; H. nduomoi (J – K): J) holotype male, K) paratype female; and Haplopacha sp. indet. (L).

FIGURE 2. Cephalic and egg morphology of Haplopacha showing: A) the cephalic sclerotized prominence (sp), the porrect labial palps (p) and the orange bifurcate antennal segments of H. cinerea male; B) eggs of H. tangani with apical light beige coloration, lateral dried residue patch (rp) and clustering of three eggs (a).

FIGURE 6. Male genitalia of H. cinerea (A – B), H. tangani (Holotype) (C), H. lunata (Holotype) (D), H. nduomoi (Holotype) (E). Abbreviations are as follows: gnathos (gn), phallus (ph), uncus (un), vesica cornuti (vec), valve cucullus (vc), valve sacculus (vs) and valve saccular lobe (vsl).

FIGURE 7. Female genitalia of H. cinerea (A), H. riftensis (Paratype) (B), H. tangani (Paratype) (C), H. nduomoi (Paratype) (D) and Haplopacha sp. indet. (E). Abbreviations are as as follows: anterior vaginal plate (avp), lateral ridge (lr), ostium bursae (ob), ostium collar [sterigma] (oc), signum (sgn) and transverse ridge (tr).

FIGURE 8. Distribution map of Haplopacha, with localities presented by numbers 1 – 9: 1. Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania (Tanganyika), 2. Mlingano Tanga, Tanzania (Tanganyika), 3. Jameson Fort, Zambia, 4. Mt Mulanje [= Mlanje], Malawi, 5. Sebakwe, Zimbabwe (Rhodesia), 6. Skukuza (Sabie bridge), South Africa, 7. Lydenburg, South Africa, 8. Barberton, South Africa, 9. Ndumo Nature Reserve, South Africa. The species are designated by shapes: H. cinerea (open circle), H. riftensis (closed circle), H. tangani (open triangle), H. lunata (closed square), H. nduomoi (open square) and Haplopacha sp. indet. (closed triangle)