Elhamma viettei, Simonsen, Thomas J., 2015

Simonsen, Thomas J., 2015, Elhamma Walker (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae) revisited: adult morphology, assessment of recently proposed synonyms and descriptions of two species, Zootaxa 3955 (3), pp. 301-328 : 318-320

Elhamma viettei , sp. n.

( Figs 9–10 , 42–46 , 77 )

Type data: Holotype Male, Naturalis.

Type locality: Walmak, Kecamatan Nipsan, Papua, Indonesia

Etymology. The species is named in honour of the late French Hepialidae expert Pierre Viette (1921–2011). The name is a noun in the genitive case.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE male, ( RMNH INS 910275—dissected, FW: 23.9mm) Indonesia, Papua, Kecamatan Nipsan, Walmak, 1710m, 4˚07’S–138˚38’E, 31/1–16/2 2005, at light.

Paratype male, ( RMNH INS 910276—dissected, FW: 23.5mm) Indonesia, Papua, Biak Utara, Sansundi, 11/6/ 2006, leg. Rinto H. Mambrasar. Paratype male, ( RMNH INS 910277, FW: 25.8mm) Bivak 39, Sterren Gebergte, Nieuw Guinea, 1300m, Ned. Exp. 1959, 30-VI-1959.

Distribution ( Fig. 77 ): The species is apparently widespread as the three specimens are from three different and quite distant localities. The holotype from Walmak in the Jayawijaya Mountains (139°38'E 4°41'S) and one paratype from the Star Mountains (Bivak 39, 140 °46'E 4°51'S) are both from the central highlands. Whereas the last paratype is from the island of Biak (135°49'E 0°41'S) to the north east of the New Guinea mainland (exact localities from de Vos 2013).

Diagnosis. Most similar to E. diakonoffi and E. roepkei , but can be distinguished from both species by the much darker overall habitus including dark brown forewings, dorsal thorax, head, antennae and almost black basal antenna scale tufts.

Description. Medium size (FW: HT 23.9mm; PT 23.5–25.8mm). Head with dark golden-brown, short, semirough vestiture dorsally, and protruding, rough blackish-brown vestiture frontally; antennae short, with scape scaled, otherwise naked, length more than half the width of the thorax, not serrate, each flagellomere keel-shaped; labial palpus short and pointed; with blackish-brown antennal scale tufts, and a broad circle of blackish-brown scales around the base of the antenna; eyes as described for genus; palps short with dark golden-brown vestiture. Wing pattern as in species diagnosis; wing vestiure type-2 bi-layered; both scale types droplet shaped with a rounded apical margin, but cover scales twice the size as ground scales; both types with stout primary ridges, large windows and cross-ribs on abwing surface; secondary ridges on cover scales only; adwing surface with primary ridges, windows and cross-ribs, but windows more numerous on cover scales. FW overall dark olive brown with a mottled pattern of paler dark-beige scales; costal region and remaining margins with a row of dark spots (along latter margins restricted to the ‘cilia’); cubital cells basally with a large, diffuse dark spot of blackish-brown scales. HW uniform pale yellow-beige; margin darker, with ‘cilia’ at the veins being black. Wing venetion generally similar to E. australasiae , but HW with M3-CuA1 and CuA1-CuA2 cross veins present. Thorax ventrally with a mixture of dark brown and yellow beige scales; legs yellow-golden; tarsal hooks short and stout with a clear basal point; arolium melanised and U-shaped. Abdomen generally yellow beige except of T6-8 which are dark grey. S3- 6 without dark spots; postrior edge of S3-6 smooth.

Genitalia: Sternum 8 ( Figs 45–46 ) larger than in E. grehani , lateral and anterior margins U-shape, posterior margin with a strongly sclerotised trapezoid central projection, margin more sclerotised laterally than in E. grehani ; central hook present and similar to E. grehani . Tergal lobe clearly bilobed and setose. Pseudoteguminal lobes broad and rounded, not very high, similar to E. grehani ; pseudoteguminal arms strongly sclerotised, both dorsal and ventral arms present; dorsal arms short and broad with a pointed tip, curved outwards (pointed straight up in unmounted specimens); ventral arms overall similar to E. grehani , long and slender, with a well-defined outer margin, arms synclerotised ventrally terminating in two small, sclerotised tips. Intermediate plate small and narrow, synclerotised with dorso-basal corner of the pseudoteguminal lobe. Valva slightly upwards curved, relatively broad; sacculus short; a strong, sclerotised, inwards-downwards curved tooth present disto-dorsally on sacculus.

Trulleum overall similar to E. grehani : bilobed at base, attached basally to the base of juxta by a narrow, membranous connection; attached high on the ventral pseudoteguminal arms by a narrow membranous connection. Juxta similar to E. grehani ; deeply cup shaped with a basal ridge. Phallus very long, approximately 6x height of the genitalia. Vinculum and saccus broad U-shape with a flat dorsal cross-ridge and a U-shaped sulcus separating vinculum proper and the apodemal vinculum (sensu Nielsen & Kristensen 1989).

Female: Unknown.

Remarks. Females are unknown, and nothing is known about the biology of the species. But an additional label on the Holotype reads: “cultivated area/disturbed montane forest UNCEN-ZMA Expedition Papua Indonesia 2005”.

Figures

FIGURE 77. Distribution of New Guinea Elhamma species based on specimen records. Filled circle, E. viettei; open circle, E. grehani; filled square, E. toxopeusi; open square, E. diakonoffi; crossed square, E. roebkei.

FIGURES 1 – 12. Exemplars of all Elhamma species: 1 – 4, E. australasiae; 1 — female, 2 – 4 — males (2 is E. inconcluso Holotype); 5, E. diakonoffi male (Holotype); 6, E. roebkei male (Holotype); 7 – 8, E. grehani males (7 is Holotype, 8 is paratype RMNH INS 910279); 9 – 10, E. viettei males (9 is Holotype, 10 is paratype RMNH INS 910276); 11 – 12, E. toxopeusi males (11 is Holotype, 12 is the non-type RMNH INS 910272).

FIGURES 42 – 46. E. viettei, male wings and genitalia morphology. 42: Wings; 43: Genitalia, ' classic' slide preparation; 44: Genitalia, ethanol preparation, posterior view; 45: Genitalia, ethanol preparation, lateral view with valva removed—note ' in vivo ' position of S 8; 46: Sternum 8, posterior view.