Ghatarbela bifidunca, Yakovlev & Zolotuhin, 2021

Yakovlev, Roman V. & Zolotuhin, Vadim V., 2021, Revision of the family Metarbelidae (Lepidoptera) of the Oriental Region. II. Two monotypic genera - Ghatarbela gen. nov. and Micrarbela gen. nov. - from the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot, Ecologica Montenegrina 42, pp. 103-108 : 104-105

Ghatarbela bifidunca sp. nov.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C10D7B33-64B1-41B6-A93D-8DA8833653CF

Figs 1 , 5, 7

Material. Holotype male, S. India, Kerala, 7 km N Munnar, Eravikulam Nat. Park , 1740 m, 10°09′ N / 77°04′ E, 12−13.iv.1997, leg. Sinjaev & Schintlmeister (Genitalpräparat Heterocera MWM: 28.004) . Paratypes: 1 male, same locality (Genitalpräparat Heterocera MWM: 28.031) ; 1 male, S. India, Kerala, 6 km N Munnar, 1700 m, Kodalar Tea Estate , 10°06′ N / 77°04′ E, Mountain rain forest, 14−15.iv.1997, leg. Schintlmeister & Siniaev ( MWM) .

Description. Length of fore wing 13−15 mm; antenna yellowish; thorax, abdomen basally and apically covered with long brown scales strongly widened apically, medium third of abdomen covered with lightyellow scales. Fore wing yellowish with bright dark-brown discal spot, not numerous small dark-brown to blackish dots along costal edge, narrow dark-brown stroke along anal edge, poorly expressed blurred lightbrown portions discally and postdiscally, cilia chess mottled (yellowish between veins, brown at veins).

Male genitalia. See description of the genus.

Female unknown.

Habitat and fly period. Mountain rain forest, moths were collected on light in mid-April at the altitudes 1700−1740 m u.s.l.

Distribution. Southern India, Kerala State, Western Ghats Region.

Etymology. The new species is named after it morphological feature – uncus with very long bifurcation.

Figures

Figures 1−2. Ghatarbela bifidunca sp. nov.: 1. male holotype (MWM); 2. male genitalia (holotype: slide Genitalpräparat Heterocera MWM: 28.031).

Figures 3−7. Micrarbela minima (Hampson, 1910): 3. reproduction from the original drawning; 4. male holotype (NHMUK); 5. male, Ceylon, Mankulam (NHMUK); 6. female, Ceylon, Mankulam (NHMUK); 7. male genitalia (slide NHMUK: 010315535).