Hypotrabala pallens, Takano & László, 2024

Takano, Hitoshi & László, Gyula M., 2024, Descriptions of new Hypotrabala Holland, 1893 (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae: Lasiocampinae: Selenepherini) in the collections of the African Natural History Research Trust, with notes on allied genera and the description of a new genus, Ecologica Montenegrina 72, pp. 19-63 : 48

Hypotrabala pallens sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:10AC6B4D-0EC5-4FE9-8C78-E637BDF33044

( Figs 54–55 , 70 )

Holotype ♂ ( ANHRT):

“ DRC 2150m / Lobango , Nord- Kivu / 0°19’S 29°12’E / vi.2017 ex. A. Colley / ANHRT:2018.22 // ANHRTUK / 00251753 // Gen. slide No. / LG 6293 ♂ / prep. by Gy. M. Laszlo [black border; partially handwritten]”

Paratype ♂:

D.R. CONGO: same data as holotype (1♂ ANHRT) .

Description.

Forewing length: holotype: 20 mm; paratype 21 mm.

Upperside. Ground colour of head, thorax and forewing fawn; abdomen and hindwing buff. Antenna bipectinate, brown. Forewing pointed at apex, outer margin gently arcuate; some very sparse black scaling throughout. Discal spot reniform, silvery-white and ringed in black, as wide as cell. Subterminal fascia charcoal, irregular, undulating, broadly running parallel to the outer margin, most strongly defined on its outer edge leaving a weaker ‘shadow’ proximally. Fringe dark brown. Hindwing outer margin arcuate, almost angled at vein CuA2. Costa with fawn scaling. Fringe buff.

Underside. Ground colour of head, thorax, forelegs and forewing fawn; mid- and hindlegs, abdomen and hindwing buff. Forewing paler posteriorly. Discal spot creamy-white. Submarginal fascia weakly-defined almost invisible, showing through from the upperside. Hindwing costa fawn coloured.

Male genitalia. Socius moderately long, ca. one-third the length of valve, arms digitiform with rounded apex, arising far apart from each other, diverging at ca. 120° angle. Tegumen moderately long and broad, inner margin slightly arcuate. Valve very long, very narrow basally, tapered subapically to pointed tip, curved dorsad in posterior third. Juxta with short, pointed posteromedial process. Vinculum narrow ribbon-like medially, with short, rounded-triangular lateral plates with straight margins. Phallus very short, coecum penis large, as long as sclerotised part of phallus, membranous sack-like, tightly attached to juxta; sclerotised section of phallus gradually tapered, curved dorsad, apically pointed. Vesica basally inflated, relatively large, somewhat ovoid, finely scobinate, anteriorly with densely serrate gently arcuate longitudinal plates consisting of fine teeth, left serration ca. twice as long as right one, conjoined with slightly dilated short sclerotised-dentate posterior plate. Sclerotised plate of eighth sternite anteriorly evenly concave with relatively long, thin anterolateral apodemes, posteriorly dilated to two short, triangular plates with short posterior sclerotisations of variable width; plates divided by relatively deep medial depression.

Diagnosis. Hypotrabala pallens is easily distinguished from all other congeners based on its small size, pale colouration and lack of antemedial/postmedial fasciae. The male genitalia are most similar to H. indefinita but in the latter, the socii are slightly narrower, the valves are shorter and the lateral lobe of the vinculum is not as pointed.

DNA divergences. Unavailable.

Derivatio nominis. The new species derives its name from its distinctive pale appearance.

Figures

Figures 50–59. Hypotrabala species: 50. H. pruinosa sp. n., holotype ♂. 51. Id., paratype ♂. 52. H. indefinita sp. n., holotype ♂. 53. Id., paratype ♂. 54. H. pallens sp. n., holotype ♂. 55. Id., paratype ♂. 56. H. obscura sp. n., holotype ♂. 57. Id., paratype ♂. 58. H. dollmani Tams, 1925, holotype ♂ [NHMUK 010292293]. 59. Id., paratype ♂ [NHMUK 010292327].

Figures 66–71. Male genitalia of Hypotrabala species, a: clasping apparatus, b: lateral view of phallus, c: eighth sternite, d: dorsal view of phallus (a, b, c to scale, d magnified). 66. H. exquisita sp. n., holotype [LG 6307]. 67. H. extenuata sp. n., holotype [LG 6309]. 68. H. pruinosa sp. n., holotype [LG 6285]. 69. H. indefinita sp. n., holotype [LG 6324]. 70. H. pallens sp. n., holotype [LG 6293]. 71. H. ophioglossa sp. n., holotype [LG 6287].