Homadaula taraktica, Mey, 2022

Mey, Wolfram, 2022, Unexpected diversity: ten new species of Homadaula Lower, 1899 from Africa and the Arabian Peninsula (Galacticoidea: Galacticidae), Metamorphosis 33 (1), pp. 21-33 : 30-31

Homadaula taraktica sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:450C8F55-311A-4BCD-B371-FBD278ECB13A

Type material: Holotype ♂, Kenya, Central, Castle Forest Lodge, 2060 m, 0°22′51′′N 36°18′35′′E, 27.x.2016, leg. D. Agassiz & K. Larsen , genitalia slide Mey 47/21, (coll. Agassiz) . Paratypes: 2 ♀, same locality, 20.xi.2009, leg. D. Agassiz , genitalia slide DJLA 1279 (coll. Agassiz), genitalia slide Mey 04/22 ( MfN) ; 2 ♀, Kenya, Central, Thika , 6000 ft., 3.xii.1999, leg. D. Agassiz , genitalia slide Mey 50/21 (coll. Agassiz) ; 1 ♂, Tanzania, Tanga Region, Lushoto District, 1600 m, Mazumbai Forest Reserve , 17– 18.xi.1995, leg. S. McKamey et al., coll. ZMUC Denmark (coll. Agassiz) ; 1 ♀, same locality, 30.xi–7.xii.1995, leg. S. McKamey et al., coll. ZMUC Denmark (coll. Agassiz) ; 1 ♂, 2 ♀, Zimbabwe, Manicaland, Bvumba , 1360 m, 19°03′33′′S 32°42′41′′E, 3–5.xi.2016, leg. D. Agassiz & K. Larsen , genitalia slide Mey 44/21, (coll. Agassiz, MfN) .

Description: Adult ( Fig. 25). Length of forewing 6-7 mm, wingspan 13.5–16 mm. Head and thorax brown, with grey-tipped scales; labial palpi straight, longer as eye diameter, ascending, proboscis long, light brown. Antennae filiform, 0.5 of forewing length, short ciliated (0.3–0.4) on ventral side. Fore and middle legs grey, with some darker scales, hind femur and tibia yellow-brown. Forewing brown, with some grey-tipped scales in apical part and in plical fold, darker scales forming indistinct streaks on costal magin and small spots on wing surface, hindwings brown, darker apically and along veins, translucent patch present, Cu1 and M3 with long stalk, female with three and male with one frenular bristles.

Male genitalia: ( Fig. 26 ). Pleural lobes of segment VIII short and flat, with long, lamellar scales, tergal plate (= segment VIII) deeply divided in dorsal view, broad and apically rounded in lateral view, ventral apices with long thick bristles; segment IX compact, ring-like structure, vinculum with narrow bridge between bases of valvae; uncus absent, gnathos arms (or derived socii) bulbous, Remarks: The species differs from all other African Homadaula species by the dark brown hindwings together with the small size of the adults displaying a maximal wingspan of only 9 mm ( Fig. 28 ). The membranous, short henia in the female genitalia is another separating character ( Fig. 29 ). The species is certainly undescribed, but should be described later at a time when the currently missing male is available.

sclerotised apically and encompassing anal tube; anellus with elongate basal part and large, distal part in form of a small gear wheel-like structure, pair of appendices of anellus present; valva long, with large, triangular dorsal lobe, valva in ventral view like the pincer of a scorpion, tips of ventral lobes rounded. Phallus short with enlarged circular base, dagger-like.

Female genitalia: ( Fig. 27 ). Sternum VII without lateral, oblique suture; henia short and straight, originating from inter-segmental membrane, bulla seminalis absent, bursa copulatrix without signa, ductus seminalis from base of short ductus bursae.

Figures

Figure 26 – Male genitalia of Homadaula taraktica sp. nov., a – lateral, b – dorsal, c – ventral, scale bar: 0.5 mm.

Figure 27 – Female genitalia of Homadaula taraktica sp. nov., a – lateral, b – dorsal side of tergum VII.

Figure 28 – Female of Homadaula spec. A.

Figure 29 – Female genitalia of Homadaula spec. A, lateral aspect.