Hypotrabala lydiae, 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 : 40-41

Hypotrabala lydiae sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:9DB15EC5-AE6C-4D26-9794-A13DDC42556D

( Figs 31–32 , 81 )

Holotype ♂ ( ANHRT):

“ LIBERIA 530m / Foya Proposed Protected Area , / Lofa County / 7°56’36”N, 10°16’36”W / 10- 19.xi.2017 MV Light Trap / (125w) Aristophanous, M., / Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G., / Smith, L. Leg. / ANHRT:2017.33 // ANHRTUK / 00378713 // Gen. slide No. / LG 6327 ♂ / prep. by Gy. M. Laszlo [black border; partially handwritten]”

Paratype ♂:

LIBERIA: same data as holotype (1♂ ANHRT) .

Description.

Forewing length: holotype and paratype: 20 mm.

Upperside. Ground colour of head, patagia and thorax purplish-brown, the outer margin of the patagia and thorax with creamy-white irroration; tegulae purplish-brown with a band of orangey-brown scales medially; abdomen cream. Antenna bipectinate, brown. Forewing pointed at apex, outer margin gently arcuate. Ground colour of forewing purplish-brown, greyer distally. Basal area darker with orangey-red scales extending along space 1A+2A terminating in a small patch on the outer edge of the postmedial fascia. Antemedial fascia dark brown, bilineate, crenulate, indistinct arising perpendicularly from costa, and gently angled to terminate perpendicularly along anal margin. Discal spot ovoid, pearlescent. Postmedial fascia dark brown, crenulate, indistinct. Subterminal area with irroration of darker brown and orangey-brown scales, most noticeable near costal margin. Fringe dark grey. Hindwing outer margin arcuate, almost angled at vein CuA2; ground colour cream becoming darker and slightly iridescent towards anal fold. Area between costa and Rs vein purplish-brown. Space 1A with rectangular purplish-brown patch, extending ca. 3 mm from the margin. Fringe cream becoming purplish-brown from CuA1 to tornus.

Underside. Ground colour of head and thorax cream; legs purplish-brown with cream irroration. Abdomen cream with purplish-brown tufts on each segment. Ground colour of forewing purplish-brown; basal area cream encompassing area from approximately midway along costa to midway along anal margin, and including the cream discal spot. Subterminal area with mother-of-pearl like reflection. Terminal area slightly greyer. Hindwing ground colour cream, costal margin with purplish-brown scaling from base to vein Sc+R1.

Male genitalia. Socius moderately long, ca. one-third the length of valve, arms relatively broad at base, gradually tapered to pointed apex, slightly arched laterad, arising far apart from each other, diverging at ca. 80° angle. Tegumen short and broad, inner margin strongly arched. Valve very long, narrow basally, strongly curved ventrad at basal third, gently arched dorsad in posterior two-thirds, tapered subapically to acute, pointed tip. Juxta with short, broad, rounded posteromedial process. Vinculum narrow ribbon-like medially, with short, rounded-triangular lateral plates. Phallus short, coecum penis large, as long as sclerotised part of phallus, membranous sack-like, tightly attached to juxta; sclerotised section of phallus tapered, gently curved dorsad, apically pointed. Vesica basally inflated, rather large, amorphous, finely scobinate, anteriorly with two long, densely serrate longitudinal plates consisting of fine teeth, forming a V-shape with slightly sigmoidal arms, serration interrupted distally; posterior section of inflated vesica with short, dentate plate connected to left serration. Sclerotised plate of eighth sternite elongate-quadrangular, anteriorly gently concave with short triangular anterolateral apodemes, posteriorly with two very thin and short, curved posteromedial sclerotisations encompassing a broad V-shaped medial notch.

Diagnosis. Hypotrabala lydiae is a quite distinctive species which is most similar to H. volynkini , but the latter is larger, the forewing is browner, and the hindwing yellower. In the male genitalia of the latter, the socii are parallel to each other, the tegumen is narrower, the valves are shorter, slightly curved subapically without setae or an apical spine, the vesica is spherical lacking longitudinal serrations and the posterior processes of the eighth sternite are apically sharp and pointed, arising from a trapezoidal basal plate.

DNA divergences. The new species has been assigned the BIN BOLD:AFG6692. The single barcoded specimen differs by 6.8% from the nearest sample ( H. horridula / H. pruinosa ).

Derivatio nominis. The new species is dedicated with great pleasure to Lydia Mulvaney (née Smith), ANHRT, a seasoned fieldworker throughout the Afrotropics and a member of the team that collected the two known specimens of this species.

Figures

Figures 29–38. Hypotrabala species: 29. H. volynkini sp. n., holotype ♂. 30. H. ophioglossa sp. n., holotype ♂. 31. H. lydiae sp. n., holotype ♂. 32. Id., paratype ♂. 33. H. tabithae sp. n., holotype ♂. 34. Id., paratype ♂. 35. H. lunda sp. n., holotype ♂. 36. Id., paratype ♂. 37. H. neavei (Aurivillius, 1915), ♂, Malawi, Mzuzu Wildlife Sanctuary [ANHRTUK 00270070]. 38. Id., holotype ♂ of Pachymeta neavei Aurivillius, 1915 [NHMUK 0010292291].

Figures 78–83. 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). 78. H. cinereamargo sp. n., holotype [LG 6310]. 79. H. igneata sp. n., holotype [LG 6305]. 80. H. joiceyi Tams, 1925, D.R. Congo [LG 6349]. 81. H. lydiae sp. n., holotype [LG 6318]. 82. H. tabithae sp. n., holotype [LG 6319]. 83. H. volynkini sp. n., holotype [LG 6312].