Hypotrabala exquisita, 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 : 32-33

Hypotrabala exquisita sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:615842E6-4E89-422E-B032-55DF43D21270

( Figs 18–19 , 66 )

Holotype ♂ ( ANHRT):

“ REPUBLIC OF CONGO 352m / Sangha Prov. , Noubale- Ndoki / N.P., Ndoki formation camp / (secondary forest) / 02°12’48.5”N, 16°23’45.6”E / 23.vi.2022 MV Light Trap / Dérozier, V. Leg. / ANHRT:2022.9 // ANHRTUK / 00275748 // Gen. slide No. / LG 6307 ♂ / prep. by Gy. M. Laszlo [black border; partially handwritten]”

Paratypes (2♂♂):

REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Bomassa camp, Nouabalé- Ndoki NP, 02°12’36.9”N, 16°11’30.2”E, 10– 16.x.2022, leg. V. Dérozier, B. Fouka, A. Kirk- Spriggs & H. Takano (1♂ ANHRT); same data but Makao camp, 377m, 02°35’42.2”N, 17°10’08.3”E, 23–29.ix.2022 (1♂ ANHRT) .

Description.

Forewing length: holotype: 18 mm; paratypes: 17–18 mm.

Upperside. Ground colour of head and thorax brown, irrorated with pale yellow scales; abdomen buff. Antenna bipectinate, brown. Forewing pointed at apex, outer margin almost straight and gently sinuate. Ground colour golden-brown, irrorated with dark brown scales and an area of mother-of-pearl like reflection medially. Antemedial fascia dark brown, bilineate, crenulate, arising perpendicularly from costa, and angled to terminate perpendicularly along anal margin; the outer of the two broader near the costa. Discal spot narrow ovoid, silvery-white and ringed in dark brown, as wide as the widest part of the cell. Postmedial fascia dark brown, bilineate, crenulate, arising perpendicularly from the costa where it is broadest, and angled strongly at vein R5 forming a large dark patch at vein CuA1 that continues to the tornus. Subterminal fascia dark brown, curved from apex to outer margin at vein CuA2 and interrupted at vein M1, edged with a broad pale yellow band on its outer edge. Terminal area dark brown filling the space left by the subterminal fascia; golden spots indicate termination of veins. Fringe dark grey. Hindwing outer margin arcuate, sinuate. Ground colour warm pale yellow; costa with dark brown scaling. Fringe pale yellow irrorated with dark brown scaling turning dark grey from vein CuA1 to tornus. Underside. Ground colour golden-brown, the abdomen and hindwing warm pale yellow. Forewing paler distally, with a mother-of-pearl reflective patch as on upperside. Discal spot pale, yellow. Postmedial fascia as on upperside but only the broad section from costa to vein R5 pronounced. Subterminal fascia as on upperside but paler and less well-defined. Hindwing costal margin with dark grey scaling from base to Sc+R1 vein.

Male genitalia. Socius relatively short, ca. half the length of valve, broad at base, gradually tapered in basal third, apical third slightly dilated, pointing laterad, inner margin straight, outer margin concave, apex rounded club-shaped, arms situated moderately far apart. Tegumen short, slightly dilated with gently arched inner margin. Valve short, narrow at base, gradually tapered to pointed apex, strongly curved postmedially, lacking setae. Juxta with very short, rounded posteromedial process. Vinculum narrow ribbon-like medially, with short, somewhat triangular, apically rounded 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 distad, strongly curved dorsad postmedially, apically pointed. Vesica basally inflated, relatively small, spherical with well-developed conical diverticulum. Inflated section of vesica with three radial serrate plates originating anteriorly, a short continuous serration on the left, a very short interrupted finely serrate plate in the middle and a long continuous serration with sharp teeth reaching the tip of diverticulum on the right side; posterior end of inflated vesica with long, interrupted diagonal serration. Eighth sternite with long and narrow base possessing apically slightly dilated, rounded lateral apodemes, posteromedially with two extremely long, narrow, subapically tapered, apically sharply pointed flexible processes with arms running parallel and very close to each other in basal half, diverging in posterior half.

Diagnosis. This and the subsequent new species are very similar phenotypically and cannot readily be confused with any other species of Hypotrabala , although separating these two sibling taxa can be difficult externally. In H. extenuata the forewing subterminal fascia is wider and edged with a pale yellow band of equal width on its outer edge, the hindwing has a noticeably rosier hue and most diagnostically, in the male genitalia, the socii are basally isolated and the vesica lacks the conical posterolateral diverticulum.

DNA divergences. The new species has been assigned the BIN BOLD:AFG8531 and is BIN sharing with H. extenuata . The interspecific PWD between the two species was 2.0% (n=1) and diverged by 6.0% from the nearest sample ( H. argenteoguttata ).

Derivatio nominis. The new species derives its name from its beautiful and delicate appearance.

Figures

Figures 14–21. Hypotrabala species: 14. H. castanea Holland, 1893, ♂, Republic of Congo, Nouabalé-Ndoki NP [ANHRTUK 00284967]. 15. Id., ♂, Uganda, Kampala [NHMUK 010292297]. 16. H. smithi sp. n., holotype ♂. 17. Id., paratype ♂. 18. H. exquisita sp. n., holotype ♂. 19. Id., paratype ♂. 20. H. extenuata sp. n., holotype ♂. 21. Id., paratype ♂.

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].