Elhamma grehani, 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 : 317

Elhamma grehani , sp. n.

( Figs 7–8 , 39–41 , 77 )

Type data: Holotype Male, Naturalis

Type locality: Abmisibil, Star Mountains, Papua, Indonesia

Etymology. The species is named in honour of the New Zealand / USA Hepialidae specialist John Grehan. The name is a noun in the genitive case.

Material examined. Holotype, male, ( RMNH INS 910278—dissected, FW: 21.6mm) Abmisibil, Star Mountains, Papua, Indonesia, 4˚40’S–140˚34’E, 1970m, 29/1–9/2 2005, at light.

Paratype, male, ( RMNH INS 910279—dissected, FW: 19.5mm) Abmisibil, Star Mountains, Papua, Indonesia, 4˚40’S–140˚34’E, 1970m, 29/1–9/2 2005, at light. Paratype, male, ( RMNH INS 910280, FW: 20.8mm) Abmisibil, Star Mountains, Irian Jaya, 1850m, 11/3/1988, on light. Paratype, male ( RMNH INS 910281, FW: 20.9mm) (abdomen missing, left FW damaged), Ok Sibil, Sterren Gebergte, Nieuw Guinea, 1260m, Ned. Exp. 1959, 1-31-V.

Distribution ( Fig. 77 ): Found in the Abmisibil/River Sibil Area in the Star Mountains in the central highlands close to the border between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea (de Vos 2013).

Diagnosis. A rather variable species, but males can be recognised by the uniform olive brown-green FW (holotype and second paratype) sometimes with (first paratype) a broad pale-beige band running centrally from the base to the termen, in either case with a distinct, large blackish-brown dark spot basally in the cubital cell..

Description. Medium size (FW: HT 21.6mm; PT 19.5–20.8mm), the smallest known New Guinean Elhamma . Head with dark beige-brown, short, semi-rough vestiture dorsally, and protruding, rough grey-brown vestiture frontally (the aberrant paratype has yellow-beige vestiture on head and thorax); with dark-golden antennal scale tufts, and a broad circle of coffee-brown scales around the base of the antenna; scape scaled, antenna otherwise naked, length more than half the width of the thorax and slightly serrate, each flagellomere keel-shape; labial palpus short and pointed; eyes as described for genus; palps short with dark golden vestiture. Wing venation: Generally similar to E. australasiae , but HW with M3-CuA1 and CuA1-CuA2 cross veins present, and M1-M3 cross vein present in one specimen (not illustrated). Wing vestiure type-2 bi-layered; both scale types with parallel sides and rounded apical margin, but cover scales twice the size of ground scales; both types with stout primary ridges, large windows and cross-ribs on abwing surface, but windows on cover scales larger than on ground scales; adwing surface with primary ridges, windows and cross-ribs. Dorsal thorax and head either olive brown-green or pale-beige depending on wing pattern (essentially same colour as FW base). Basal antenna scale tufts dark. Ventral thorax and legs pale yellow-beige, but prothorax anteriorly dark grey. Legs normal; tarsal hooks short and stout with a clear basal point; arolium melanised and U-shape. Ventral abdomen and T2-6 pale yellow beige without dark spots; T7-8 dark-grey. Posterior edge of S3-6 smooth.

Genitalia: Sternum 8 ( Fig. 41 ) small and rounded with a broadly protruded anterior margin; posterior margin with a strongly sclerotised trapezoid central projection, margin less sclerotised laterally; central hook present and similar to E. diakonoffi . Tergal lobe clearly bilobed and setose. Pseudoteguminal lobes broad and rounded, not very high; pseudoteguminal arms strongly sclerotised, both dorsal and ventral arms present; dorsal arms long and slender with a blunt tip, curved outwards (slightly recurved towards the tergal lobe in non-mounted specimens); ventral arms overall similar to E. diakonoffi , long and slender, but without 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 broad and rounded rectangular; sacculus short; a strong, sclerotised, inwards-downwards curved tooth present disto-dorsally on sacculus. Trulleum marginally bilobed at base, attached basally to the base of juxta by a very narrow, membranous connection; attached high on the ventral pseudoteguminal arms by a narrow membranous connection. Juxta deeply cup-shaped with a basal ridge. Phallus very long, approximately 4x the height of the genitalia (note: the phallus of the HT is damaged and appears shorter). Vinculum and saccus broad squarish U-shape with a dorsal flat cross-ridge and a Ushaped 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 and the paratype with the same collecting data 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 39 – 41. E. grehani, male wings and genitalia morphology. 39: Wings; 40: Genitalia, ' classic' slide preparation; 41: Sternum 8, posterior view.