Homadaula arabica, 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

Homadaula arabica sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:61A0C1F3-BC52-4782-8FB5-541D96A2B61A

Type material: Holotype ♀, Saudi Arabia, Wadi Maraba, 142 km N of Jizan, 350 m, 13.iv. 1979, leg. [H. G.] Amsel,genitalia slide Mey 39/21, 40/21 ( SMNK).

Description: Adult female ( Fig. 7 ). Length of forewing 5.5 mm, wingspan 11.5 mm. Head and thorax white; labial palpi white, as long as eye diameter, up-curved, with short brush of white scales on tip of second segment, surrounding third segment. Antennae filiform, 0.5 of forewing length, short ciliated (0.3–0.4 of flagellomere diameter) on ventral side, dorsal side with white scales at base, scale with long pecten.Tarsus of fore and middle legs grey, hind legs white. Forewings white, with single black scales widely interspersed on wing surface, hindwings white, translucent patch absent, Cu1 and M3 with short stalk, two frenular bristles.

Female genitalia: ( Fig. 8 ). Tergum VII slightly excised on anterior margin, sternum VII with rough surface, broadly rounded apically. Segment IX and X (= oviscapt) shorter than segments VIII and IX. Henia long, tubular, with broader base situated on intersegmental membrane. Bulla seminalis absent, bursa copulatrix without signa but with short, sclerotised dorsal rim from origin of ductus bursae to middle of bursa.

Male: unknown.

Diagnosis: The species differs from other species described from Yemen by the absent bulla seminalis and the absent signa in the bursa in the female genitalia. The white forewings with scattered black scales is an additional character separating H. arabica sp. nov. from other species of the genus. The missing translucent patch in the hindwings of H. arabica is a character shared with the described species from Yemen. Therefore, the species could be placed together with these species in a separate group.

Distribution: Southern Saudi Arabia.

Etymology: The species epithet is the female adjective of Arabia.

Figures

Figure 7 – Homadaula arabica sp. nov., female holotype

Figure 8 – Female genitalia of Homadaula arabica sp. nov., a – lateral, b – dorsal, c – ventral, scale bar: 0.5 mm.