Grammodora smithi, Takano, 2024

Takano, Hitoshi, 2024, Revisional notes on Grammodora Aurivillius, 1927 with the descriptions of two new species from Angola and Tanzania (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae: Lasiocampinae: Selenepherini), Ecologica Montenegrina 72, pp. 117-127 : 123-127

Grammodora smithi sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:28B7128C-CD58-42DD-A24D-C40730A5C95A

( Figs 9–13 , 16, 19–21 )

Holotype ♂ ( OUMNH):

“ Apr. 21 1917. / E. AFRICA, / Kongwa, nr. Ry. / c. 210 m. W. of / Dar es Salaam. / K. St. A. Rogers. // ♂ Lenodora / nigroline- / ata, Auriv. / reduced mk’gs. / Lasiocampid. / t in B M / Dec 21 1921. / E.B. Poulton, / W.H.T. Tams. [partially handwritten] // 1917 / 2358 [partially handwritten]”

Paratypes (20♂♂ 4♀♀):

TANZANIA: same data as holotype (1♂ OUMNH) ; Chunya , 2650ft, 25.i.1947, leg. G. Swynnerton (1♂ NHMUK) ; Idetero , 1797m, 08°31.848’S, 35°01.250’E, 23.i.2010, leg. P. Darge (2♂♂ RCPB) ; Irangi , 3800ft, iii.1921, leg. T.A. Barns (1♂ NHMUK) ; Iyayi , 1409m, 08°51.397’S, 34°31.370’E, 07.ii.2014, leg. P. Darge (1♀ RCPB) ; Km 31, Road Singida / Babati , 1695m, 04°44.909’S, 34°58.008’E, 04.iv.2010. leg. P. Darge (8♂♂ RCPB) ; Kongwa , 23.iv.1917, leg. A. Loveridge (1♂ NHMUK) ; Madibira , 1905 (1♂ NHMUK) ; Mkalama , 1905, leg. L. Marwitz (1♂ MfN) ; Mlangali, Livingstone Mountains , 1761m, 09°46’52”S, 34°31’22”E, xii.2012, leg. R. Smith & H. Takano (1♀ ANHRT) ; Mpapua [=Mpwapwa], leg. E. Baxter (3♂♂ 1♀ NHMUK) ; Mpwapwa (1♂ NHMUK) ; Usagara (1♀ ANHRT) .

Description.

Forewing length: holotype male: 20 mm; paratype males: 20–22 mm; paratype females: 24–27 mm.

Male. Upperside. Ground colour of head golden brown, thorax, wings and abdomen cream. Forewing apex rounded, outer margin arcuate. Costa and fringe beige. Red scaling is present at the base of R5 and M1, along the cubital from base of wing to base of M2, M3 and CuA1 and along vein 1A+2A. All veins speckled with black scales, most heavily around the bases of the veins, but continuing in some specimens to the termen, especially along veins R3 to M1. Black scaling limited or absent along veins R1 to R3 (except towards the termen in some specimens) and vein CuP. Hindwing rounded, fringe beige. Underside. Ground colour of head and legs golden brown, thorax, wings and abdomen cream. Wings slightly darker than upperside; veins with beige scaling. Brown scaling medio-dorsally in some individuals.

Male genitalia. Socius elongate-triangular, half as long as valve, slightly rounded at apex. Tegumen ribbon-shaped, with weak posteromedial projection. Valve short and narrow, strongly curved dorsad medially, tapering to a pointed apex. Sacculus ovoid, with almost straight outer margin. Juxta longer than valve, anteriorly dilated and posteromedially rounded. Vinculum ventrally elongate with two long, digitiform, apically tapered and rounded processes. Phallus thin, curved, tapering apically with pointed apex. Eighth sternite trapezoidal, anterolaterally produced, posteriorly emarginate with two short dentate projections medially and lateral projections on either side.

Female. Upperside. Ground colour of head golden brown, thorax and abdomen cream. Antenna bipectinate, golden brown. Abdominal segments darker with paler scaling along posterior margin giving the abdomen a banded appearance. Forewing apex pointed, outer margin gently arcuate; ground colour cream. All veins with bilineate black lines, indistinct in some specimens. CuP with limited black scaling. Red scaling along veins as in males. Hindwing ground colour dark cream with heavy irroration of long dark brown scales most concentrated postmedially. Distal portion of veins and fringe with golden-yellow scaling. Underside. Ground colour of head and legs golden brown, thorax and abdomen dark beige. Wings dark cream, with heavy irroration of long dark brown scaling except for the outer margin; veins with yellow scaling.

Diagnosis. Considered to be a pale form of G. nigrolineata by E.B. Poulton and W.H.T. Tams (ca. 1920s, based on labels attached to specimens in OUMNH and NHMUK), both sexes of G. smithi can easily be identified by the shape of the black and red scales on the forewing upperside which are acicular in the former and oblanceolate in the latter ( Fig. 20 ). In the males, G. nigrolineata displays fine and well-defined bilineate black lines along all veins to the outer margin of the forewing and the black line along CuP is always present. In the male genitalia of G. nigrolineata , the socii are twice as long and apically pointed, the valves are strongly curved (the basal and apical sections almost at right-angles to each other) and ca. twice as long, and the sacculus is broader. The females of G. nigrolineata are generally larger, the bilineate black lines of the forewing are crisp and well-defined, whilst the ground colour is darker and the hindwing, with the exception of the basal area, is brown throughout.

DNA divergence. The new species has been assigned the BIN BOLD:AFG8060. Only a single specimen has been sequenced which diverged from G. nigrolineata by 2.5–4.3%.

Derivatio nominis. It is with great pleasure that the new species is dedicated to Richard Smith, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, ANHRT, for his continued championing of alpha taxonomy and entomological research in Africa through the institution he founded.

Vernacular name. Smith’s Black Lined Eggar.

Distribution. The new species is endemic to Tanzania where it is broadly distributed along the uplifted eastern margin of the Tanzanian Craton and the Eastern Rift Valley, in dry Southern Acacia -

Commiphora bushlands and thickets ( Fig. 21 ). It appears to be allopatric with G. nigrolineata throughout much of its range but may be parapatric especially in the southern parts of its distribution.

Conclusions

Two new species of Grammodora are delimited and described based on observed differences in morphology and for G. smithi , divergences in the barcode region. The western vicariant G. angolana , separated from G. nigrolineata by over 1000 km of Kalahari sands, is known only from three specimens and although virtually indistinguishable in habitus, the genitalia displayed constant differences. One in ten specimens examined as part of this study belonged to G. smithi , an insect previously considered to be a pale variety of G. nigrolineata , but it has been shown herein that this phenotype and the unique scaling on the forewing of both sexes of the former constitutes a species distinct from the latter. The barcode divergences within this genus were such that sampled specimens were recovered in three BINs: G. nigrolineata was split into two populations, one on either side of the Rift Valley along the Tanzania- Zambia border, and G. smithi into another. However, the genital morphology of the two G. nigrolineata populations were identical despite the almost 3.0% barcode divergence and based on the large number of specimens examined as part of this study, their distribution in East Africa is continuous. Such intraspecific variation in the COI-5P locus appears to be a common occurrence in the Lasiocampidae ( Takano & László 2024) , and initial analyses of nearly 1000 barcodes generated from ANHRT specimens resulted in phenomena such as female-only BINs for species where males and female identification was not in doubt (i.e. the specimens having been caught at the same trap on the same night). This challenges the utility of a locus that has widely been implemented to match the different sexes of dimorphic species (e.g., Cock et al. 2023), and adds a further layer of complexity in defining and delimiting taxa in a group such as the Lasiocampidae which are well-known to display polymorphism and extreme sexual dimorphism. Ultimately, a holistic approach synthesising all the strands of morphological, genetic and biogeographic evidence is needed in order to accurately establish generic and specific boundaries.

This present review of Grammodora has demonstrated that even in the most recognisable and charismatic genera of Lasiocampidae , there are hidden cryptic species suggesting there is much more still to learn about the true diversity of the lappet moths in the Afrotropics.

Acknowledgements

I am extremely grateful to Théo Léger (MfN), Alessandro Giusti (NHMUK), James Hogan (OUMNH) and Stéphane Hanot (RMCA) for facilitating access to collections under their care. I extend my gratitude to Patrick Basquin for welcoming me to view his fine collection and sending additional photographs.

References

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Figures

Figures 20. Forewings of G. nigrolineata (left) and G. smithi sp. n. (right) illustrating the differing scale shapes.

Figure 21. Distribution map of Grammodora nigrolineata (circles), G. angolana sp. n. (squares) and G. smithi sp. n. (triangles). Grey colouration indicates additional records from iNaturalist (accessed March 2024). Magnified inset shows distribution of G. smithi on a satellite layer highlighting its occurrence along the dry eastern margin of the Tanzanian Craton and Eastern Rift Valley.

Figures 1–13. Grammodora species. 1. G. nigrolineata (Aurivillius, 1895), ♂, Zambia, Chilambwe Falls [ANHRTUK 00233148]. 2. Id., ♂, Mozambique, Maputo Special Reserve [ANHRTUK 00035109]. 3. Id., ♂, Tanzania, Mikindani [NHMUK 014200407]. 4. Id., ♀, Zambia, Kafue NP [ANHRTUK 00016436]. 5. Id., syntype ♀ of Lenodora nigrolineata Aurivillius, 1895 (MfN). 6. G. angolana sp. n., holotype ♂. 7. Id., paratype ♂ [NHMUK 014200401]. 8. Id., paratype ♂ [NHMUK 010292303]. 9. G. smithi sp. n., holotype ♂. 10. Id., paratype ♂ [NHMUK 014200403]. 11. Id., paratype ♂ [NHMUK 014200404]. 12. Id., paratype ♀ [ANHRTUK 00276158]. 13. Id., paratype ♀ (RCPB).

Figures 14–19. Male genitalia of Grammodora species: G. nigrolineata (Aurivillius, 1895), Mozambique [HT 020] (Fig. 14) and Tanzania [HT 018] (Fig. 17); G. angolana sp. n., holotype (Fig. 15) and paratype (Fig. 18); G. smithi sp. n., holotype (Fig. 16) and paratype (Fig. 19). The outline of the left socius has been highlighted in red.