Delorhachis wetzelae shambaa Giusti, Taberer, Fiebig, and László, 2023

Taberer, Tabitha R., Fiebig, Ralf, Giusti, Alessandro & László, Gyula M., 2023, Taxonomic revision of the genus Delorhachis Karsch 1896 (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae), Journal of Natural History 57 (1 - 4), pp. 54-129 : 87-88

Delorhachis wetzelae shambaa Giusti, Taberer, Fiebig, and László ssp. nov.

( Figures 31–33 , 81 , 112 , 146 )

Holotype. Male, ′ TANZANIA: | Amani | Malaria Institute | G. Pringle coll. | BM 1966–281̍ || ′Mal Inst Amani̍ | handwritten ′P.1199 1/63̍ || ′ G.Pringle Coll. | B.M.1966–281̍ || ′SLIDE | NHMUK010317397 ̍ || QR code label with unique ID NHMUK 014200534 ( NHMUK).

Paratypes. Tanzania. 1 male, Amani Malaria Institute , January 1963, Pringle, G . leg ., QR code no. NHMUK 014200535 , gen . slide no. NHMUK 010317398 ( NHMUK); 1 male, Tanga Region, savannah near Usambara West , 475 m, 4.669°S, 38.098°E, 16 October 2004, Darge, Ph . leg ., gen. slide no. 36.323 ( MWW); 1 male, E-Usambara, Amani , 2 February 1981, Kielland, J . leg ., gen. slide no. 4148J Delorhachis (RCAB) .

Description

External morphology. Male. Fore wing length 12–13.5 mm. Head, collar, tegula, and thorax vermillion, antenna bipectinate in basal fourth, otherwise filiform, colour as of head. Tegula with one green rounded patch. Dorsal side of thorax with a central green patch; ventral side pale beige without markings. Legs vermillion laterally, beige medially. Abdomen uniformly pale beige, first two abdominal segments with vermillion hair scales. Fore wing short, broad, triangular, with rounded apex; ground colour vermillion, veins contrasting black in postmedial area. Medio-ventral fascia pale green, narrow, elongate, undulate, margined with black on distal edge. Fringe long, slightly darker than ground colour. Hind wing uniformly pale ochreous with slightly darker, long fringe. Underside of both wings pale vermillion without markings; fringe same as ground colour.

Female. Unknown.

Male genitalia. Uncus short, tapered, apically pointed. Tegumen broad. Gnathos broad, tapered, triangular, apically rounded. Juxta rounded basally, with two short, ventral, ribbonlike distal processes; manica with a bunch of sclerotised, medium-long, straight pseudocornuti. Vinculum short and broad, rounded. Valva moderately broad at base, slightly constricted medially, distally forming a long, narrow,curved,pointed dorso-apical process and a very short, pointed ventral process. Phallus medium-long, moderately narrow, straight, bearing a sclerotised ventral surface in its basal half. Vesica membranous without cornuti.

Diagnosis

The two subspecies of D. wetzelae are hardly distinguishable externally; however, the following differences in the male genitalia have been noted: the subspecies from Usambara has a markedly wider and somewhat shorter valva, with more pointed distal processes compared to D. wetzelae . Also, D. w. shambaa has a tapered, triangular gnathos whilst the other species has a gnathos that medially constricts, and the pseudocornuti of the ssp. shambaa are more numerous, slightly longer and straighter.

Figures

Figures 31–45. Adults. Figures 31–33. Delorhachis wetzelae shambaa ssp. nov. 31: HT, Tanzania, Amani, J (gen. slide no. NHMUK 010317397) (NHMUK); 32: PT, Tanzania, Tanga, J (gen. slide no. 36.323) (MWW); 33: PT, Tanzania, Amani, J (gen. slide no. NHMUK010317398) (NHMUK); Figures 34– 36. D. kilosa. 34: HT, Tanzania, Kilosa, J (gen. slide no. Lim-1325) (NHMUK); 35: PT, Tanzania, Kilosa, J (gen. slide no. NHMUK 010317406) (NHMUK); 36: Malawi, Ft. Johnston, J (gen. slide no. LG 5730) (OUMNH); Figures 37–39. D. zambica sp. nov. 37: HT, Zambia, Choma, J (gen. slide no. TT 077) (ANHRT); 38: PT, Malawi, Mtangatanga, J (gen. slide no. NHMUK 010317407) (NHMUK); 39: PT, Zambia, Kapishya Hot Springs, J (gen. slide no. TT 078) (ANHRT); Figures 40–42. D. syntomoctena comb. nov. 40: HT of Chrysamma syntomoctena, [DRC], West Semliki Valley, J (NHMUK); 41: PT, [DRC], West Semliki Valley, J (NHMUK); 42: DRC, Kanyatsi, J (gen. slide no. TT 028) (ANHRT); Figures 43, 44. D. manuelae sp. nov. 43: HT, Republic of the Congo, Odzala NP, J (gen. slide no. 36.324) (MWW); 14: PT, Republic of the Congo, Odzala NP, J (gen. slide no. 36.325) (MWW); Figure 45. D. bakossii sp. nov.: HT, Cameroon, Bakossi Mts., J (gen. slide no. RF 2021.898) (SMNS). Scale bar: 1 cm.

Figures 67–90. Male fore wing pattern. Figures 67, 68: Delorhachis viridiplaga; Figure 69: D. charopa stat. rev.; Figure 70: D. ochsei sp. nov.; Figures 71, 72: D. chlorodaedala; Figure 73: D. kitale; Figure 74: D. tommasoi sp. nov.; Figure 75: D. pallidifascia sp. nov.; Figure 76: D. mariae; Figure 77: D. parvinota sp. nov.; Figures 78, 79: D. meyi sp. nov.; Figure 80: D. wetzelae sp. nov.; Figure 81: D. wetzelae shambaa ssp. nov.; Figure 82: D. kilosa; Figure 83: D. zambica sp. nov.; Figure 84: D. syntomoctena comb. nov.; Figure 85: D. manuelae sp. nov.; Figure 86: D. bakossii sp. nov.; Figure 87: D. smithi sp. nov.; Figure 88: D. nimbaensis sp. nov.; Figure 89: D. baaka sp. nov.; Figure 90: D. nigrivenosa.

Figures 109–114. Male genitalia. Figures 109, 110. Delorhachis meyi sp. nov. 109: HT, Uganda, Kibale NP, gen. slide MfN 437 (MfN); 110: PT, Kenya, Kakamega Forest, gen. slide RF 2021.895 (SMNS); Figure 111. D. wetzelae sp. nov.: HT, Tanzania, Ukami Berge, gen. slide no. RF 297.2019 (RCRF); Figure 112. D. wetzelae shambaa ssp. nov.: HT, Tanzania, Tanga, gen. slide no. 36.323 (MWW); Figures 113, 114. D. kilosa. 113: HT, Tanzania, Kilosa,gen. slide no. Lim-1325 (NHMUK); 114: Malawi, Ft. Johnston, gen. slide no. LG 5730 (OUMNH). Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figures 133–156. Male genitalia, valva apex. Figure 133: Delorhachis viridiplaga; Figure 134: D. charopa stat. rev.; Figure 135: D. ochsei sp. nov.; Figures 136, 137: D. chlorodaedala; Figure 138: D. kitale; Figure 139: D. tommasoi sp. nov.; Figure 140: D. pallidifascia sp. nov.; Figure 141: D. mariae; Figure 142: D. parvinota sp. nov.; Figures 143, 144: D. meyi sp. nov.; Figure 145: D. wetzelae sp. nov.; Figure 146: D. wetzelae shambaa ssp. nov.; Figure 147: D. syntomoctena comb. nov.; Figure 148: D. manuelae sp. nov.; Figure 149: D. bakossii sp. nov.; Figure 150: D. smithi sp. nov.; Figure 151: D. nimbaensis sp. nov.; Figure 152: D. baaka sp. nov.; Figure 153: D. kilosa; Figure 154: D. zambica sp. nov.; Figures 155, 156: D. nigrivenosa.