Homadaula deprinsorum, 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 : 25-26

Homadaula deprinsorum sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:9F10555E-3C9A-40B4-9099-396CF1DB64B7

Type material: Holotype ♂, Kenya, Kakamega Forest , 1575 m, 00°19′N 034°52′E, 31.iii.2003, leg. J. & W. De Prins (coll. K. Larsen) . ′ Paratypes. 1 ♂, same data as holotype, genitalia slide Mey 34/21 ( MfN) , 1 ♂, same locality, 1.iv.2003 (coll. K. Larsen) ; 2 ♂ 1 ♀, Uganda, Western, Budongo Forest , 3000 ft., 19.vii.2000, leg. D. Agassiz , genitalia slide Mey 51/21 (coll. Agassiz, MfN) ; 3 ♂, 1 ♀, Uganda, Western, Budongo Forest , 1°48′32′′N 31°32′44′′E, 1100 m, 13–16.iii.2013, leg. D. Agassiz & M. Ngugi , ♀ genitalia slide Mey 46/21 ( MfN) ; ♂, Uganda, Western, 27 km north of Masindi, Budongo Forest , 1°55′58′′N 31°42′40′′E, 965 m, 30.x.2014, leg. D. Agassiz, K. Larsen & M. Ochse (coll. Agassiz) .

Description: Adult ( Fig. 9 ). Length of forewing 6.5–7 mm, wingspan 13.5–15.5 mm. Head with semierect white-tipped scales; labial palpi longer than eye diameter, ascending, with short terminal brush of brown, white-tipped scales. Antennae filiform, 0.5 of forewing length, short ciliated (0.3–0.4 of flagellomere diameter) on ventral side. Fore and middle legs grey, with some interspersed Female genitalia: ( Fig. 11 ). Henia long and slender, sinuously bent in ventral view, originating at base of pocket of inter-segmental membrane, bulla seminalis present, bursa copulatrix with pair of rounded signa on dorsal side close to origin of long ductus bursae.

black scales, hind femur and tibia yellow-brown. Forewings with grey-white tipped scales from base to termen, additional grey and black scales arranged in indistinct streaks on costal magin and in small spots, giving the wing a spotted appearance, hindwings brown, translucent patch present, Cu1 and M3 with long stalk, female with two and male with one frenular bristles.

Diagnosis: The large, triangularly formed dorsal lobes of the valvae of the new species are unique in the genus. Other distinguishing characters are the long, lateral lobes originating from the base of the tergal plate reaching ventrally the valval apodemes in lateral view. In the female genitalia, the form of the henia enclosed in a membranous pocket is a species-specific character. Externally, the forewings of the new species have a spotted appearance against a grey to brown background colour. The new species resembles H. agassizi sp. nov. and H. watamomaritima .

Distribution: Kenya, Uganda

Etymology: The species is named in honour of Jurate and Willy de Prins (Antwerp), founders of the famous webportal of "Afromoths" (www.afromoths.net).

Figures

Figure 9 - Homadaula deprinsorum sp. nov., male paratype.

Figure 11 – Female genitalia of Homadaula deprinsorum sp. nov., a – lateral, b – dorsal, c – ventral, scale bar: 0.5 mm.