Karschiola ndzou, László & Volynkin, 2023

László, Gyula M. & Volynkin, Anton V., 2023, A new species of Karschiola Gaede from Mozambique and Zimbabwe (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae) with updated information on the distribution of the genus, Zootaxa 5375 (2), pp. 214-226 : 219-223

Karschiola ndzou sp. n.

( Figs 1–4 , 9–11 , 15–17 , 21–22 , 25 )

Holotype. ♂, “ MOZAMBIQUE 630m / Manica Province, Chimanimani / National Reserve, Moribane Forest / Ndzou Camp ( Moist Forest ) / 19°44’01.4”S, 33°20’15.1”E / 3–5.viii.2018 MV Light Trap / Laszlo, G., Miles, W., Vetina, A. leg. / ANHRT:2018.30” // “ANHRTUK / 00046929” // “SAMPLED FOR: / DNA (2022)” / “Gen. slide No. / LG 6065 ♂ / prep. by Gy. M. Laszlo ”, DNA barcode/BOLD process id: ANHRTUK00046929/ANLMO296- 23 ( ANHRT).

Paratypes (5 ♂, 3 ♀ in total). Mozambique . 2 ♂, 1 ♀, same data as holotype, gen. slide Nos : LG 6124 (♂), LG 6240 (♀), DNA barcode/BOLD process ids: ANHRTUK00046928/ANLMO295-23, ANHRTUK00046930/ ANLMO297-23 (males) ( ANHRT) ; 1 ♂, same data but collected by LepiLED Light Trap , gen. slide No.: LG 6123, DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: ANHRTUK00050649/ANLMO351-23 ( ANHRT) ; 1♀, same data but collected by Actinic Light Trap ( ANHRT) ; 1 ♀, Sofala Province, Gorongosa N.P., Mt Gorongosa SE slope, (Riverine Forest / Grassland ), 937m, 18°28’58.9”S, 34°02’40.6”E, 8–9.viii.2018, Actinic Light Trap, László, G., Miles, W., Vetina, A. leg., ANHRT:2018.30, gen. slide No.: LG 6066, DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: ANHRTUK00075693/ ANLMO723-23 ( ANHRT) . Zimbabwe. 2 ♂, Manicaland, Chipinge Highlands, Chirinda Forest , 1170m, 20°24.604’S, 32°41.962’E, 4–5.iii.2017, leg. A.J. Kingston & P. Schmit ( RCAK) .

Additional material examined. Malawi. 1 ♀, Nyasaland , Mt. Mlanje. 2.v.1913, leg. S.A. Neave. Gen. slide No.: Arctiidae 3589 ( NHMUK) .

Diagnosis. Karschiola ndzou sp. n. is nearly identical to K. holoclera in habitus, but smaller in size (the forewing length of the new species is 25–29 mm in males and 29–32 mm in females, whilst in K. holoclera they are 30–33 mm and 32–36 mm, respectively) with a noticeably shorter forewing than in its congener. The configuration of the male genitalia of the Karschiola species share a similar ground plan, but the new species has a markedly narrower, posteriorly less dilate uncus with a somewhat shorter ventromedial lobe and a longer and narrower constricted medial section ( Figs 15–20 ). The distal tapered part of the valva is considerably narrower and the valva apex is more pointed in the new species; in addition, K. ndzou sp. n. has a markedly narrower and apically more pointed sacculus and a narrower and smaller saccus compared to those of K. holoclera ( Figs 9–14 ). The vesica configuration is very similar in the two species, however K. ndzou sp. n. has a somewhat smaller inflated medial chamber and a ca. 50% shorter terminal cornutus of the distal tubular diverticulum compared to those characters of K. holoclera ( Figs 9– 14 ). In the female genitalia ( Figs 21–24 ), K. ndzou sp. n. has apically more pointed pheromone gland with markedly wider medial notch between arms, a shorter anterior apophysis, a smaller inverse-triangular postvaginal plate with rounded anterior apex in contrast to the rounded-rhomboidal postvaginal plate of K. holoclera , a somewhat shorter and narrower antrum, a markedly less extensive sclerotized basal plate of the appendix bursae and considerably smaller sclerotized areas of the signum bursae complex. This latter feature seems to vary in both species in terms of the number of the sclerotized streaks ranging from three to four.

Description.Adult ( Figs 1–4 ). Forewing length: 25–29 mm in males, 29–32 mm in females. Sexual dimorphism moderate, expressed by more elongate forewing, broader postmedial fascia and less developed tornal projection of forewing and larger whitish basal area of hindwing of females compared to those of males. Tip of abdomen entirely bright pink in females, black in males due to valvae covered in black scales overreaching pink distal abdominal segments. Head. Antenna filiform in both sexes, black; scapus and pedicellus barrel-shaped, uniformly covered in black scales; flagellum with sparse, very thin and short ciliae. Frons slightly arched, black with sparse suffusion of white scales; vertex black with groups of white scales near antenna and patagium base.Compound eye relatively small, globular; proboscis well-developed. Labial palp porrect, first segment curved dorsad, segments of approximately same length, covered in short black scales, with group of white scales at posterior end of each segment. Thorax. Patagium rather long, pale yellow with small black subbasal dot medially, anterior side of patagium covered in pink scales; tegula and mesothorax black with sparse admixture of white scales; ventrolateral side of thorax covered in long pink hairs with groups of fine bluish-purple and pale brown hairs. Leg. Fore, mid- and hindleg uniformly dark brown with small, narrow groups of white scales, index of spurs: 0-2-4 with inner spur ca. twice as long as outer one. Forewing. Moderately elongate triangular in males, conspicuously more elongate in females, apically rounded, costal margin straight in its proximal two-thirds, then slightly curved; ventral margin almost straight; tornus slightly produced into short rounded lobe, tornal lobe of males larger than that of females; termen gently arched. Ground colour uniformly blackish-brown with wide, straight, oblique, pale yellow postmedial fascia stretching between distal two-thirds of costal margin and ventral two-thirds of termen, slightly tapering ventrad; fascia of females ca. twice as broad as that of males. Hindwing. Rounded triangular; apex broadly rounded; outer margin evenly arched; anal margin almost straight with conspicuously long, pale yellow androconial tuft. Ground colour off white basally with triangular semitransparent area in males, gradually darkened to blackish brown posteriorly; basal area of females fully covered in white scales, ca. twice as large in extent as that of males. Underside as upperside, but somewhat paler. Abdomen. Tergites 1–5 uniformly blackish-brown, sternites 1–5 blackish-brown with large whitish lateral patch on each segment; segments 6–8 bright pink; in males, tip of valvae overreaching 8 th segment covered in black scales forming a black triangular tip of abdomen.

Male genitalia ( Figs 9–11 , 15–17 ). Uncus of complex configuration: broad at base with rounded, medially notched antero-ventral margin, then gradually tapering into narrow neck-like section followed by moderately dilated inverse-triangular shield-like plate terminated in short but robust, pointed apical process; dilated postmedial plate with short, rounded, medially notched plate directed ventrad. Tuba analis membranous, without sclerotized scaphium and subscaphium. Tegumen ca. as long as vinculum, relatively narrow; saccus short and broad, rounded triangular. Valva narrow, dorsal margin straight in basal half, then evenly curved or angled, posterior quarter of valva gradually tapered, apically pointed; ventral margin gently concave in posterior quarter, medial section almost straight, basal quarter slightly convex. Valva costa narrow, moderately sclerotized; sacculus heavily sclerotized and very sparsely setose, broad at base, gradually tapering distad, apically pointed, dorsal margin evenly concave. Harpe absent; juxta unmodified, membranous. Phallus short, ca. as long as sacculus, moderately thick, tubular, slightly curved medially; vesica largely inflated medially with three diverticula: a very short, basally broad, hump-like medio-lateral diverticulum lacking cornuti, a long, narrow tubular posterior one possessing a short but robust apical cornutus and a broad-based triangular ventro-distal diverticulum bearing an elongate spinulose plate apically; base of vesica ejaculatorius with a small bilobate sclerotized structure.

Female genitalia ( Figs 21–22 , 25 ). Ovipositor moderately broad and short, ca, twice as long as pheromone gland, papilla analis rounded quadrangular with small digitiform postero-medial process; apophysis posterioris as long as papilla analis, thin, apically pointed. Pheromone gland bilobed with long and moderately thick arms with pointed apex; medial notch between arms wide, arms not parallel. Eighth tergite ribbon-like; apophysis anterioris short and thin, apically pointed, one-third as long as apophysis posterioris. Lamella postvaginalis small, inverse triangular with concave margins and rounded anterior tip. Ostium bursae broad, enclosed by broadly sclerotized, arcuate distal margin of seventh sternite. Antrum short and broad, goblet-shaped, heavily sclerotized; ductus bursae short and narrow, membranous. Appendix bursae short and conical, connected to corpus bursae by an extensive sclerotized plate running across entire width of posterior section of bursa copulatrix; anterior part of corpus bursae ovoid, ca. three times larger than posterior section, finely rugose; signum bursae consisting of an elongate amorphous heavily sclerotized longitudinal plate connected with sclerotized base of appendix bursae, and a pair of very narrow, scobinate, parallel longitudinal streaks at middle of bursa copulatrix.

Genetic information ( Fig. 27 ). The new species has been assigned the BIN URI BOLD:AFF9085, BIN sharing with K. holoclera . The intraspecific divergence based on the five sequenced specimens is 0%, while the pairwise distance between K. ndzou sp. n. and K. holoclera is 0.77%. Although the divergences between the Mozambican and Tanzanian populations are small, the two taxa recovered in the neighbour joining tree in isolated clusters supporting the taxonomic distinction based on morphological features.

Etymology. The new species is named after its type locality, the Ndzou Camp in Moribane Forest, a community run eco-tourism lodge established by the Micaia Foundation ( Figs 29–30 ). The noun “ndzou ” means “elephant” in the Shona language. A noun in the nominative singular standing in apposition to the generic name.

Distribution ( Fig. 28 ). During this study, we examined K. ndzou sp. n. specimens from the Chimanimani Mountains ( Figs 29–30 ) and Mount Gorongosa in central Mozambique and from the Chipinge Highlands in Zimbabwe. The single female specimen from the Zimbabwean side of the Chimanimani Mountains published by Dubatolov (2009, 2011) almost certainly belongs to this species as well as the single female specimen from Malawi housed in the NHMUK. Heppner (2021) provides detailed morphological information on male and female genital structures of specimens collected in the Mount Mulanje in southern Malawi. For the first look, the valva shape figured in Heppner’s paper seems to differ from both K. holoclera and K. ndzou n. sp., however it is due to the differently mounted clasping apparatus. In the same figure, a conspicuously tapered, neck-like medial part of the uncus and a very short cornutus vesicae are seen, alike in K. ndzou n. sp. In the female genitalia figure, the apically pointed and parallel lobes of pheromone gland, a very small postvaginal plate, a short and narrow antrum, a short, elongate sclerotized basal plate of the appendix bursae and very narrow sclerotized streaks of the signum bursae clearly indicates the conspecifity of the Mulanje specimen with K. ndzou n. sp. Furthermore, the size of the illustrated specimens (the forewing length is 28 mm in the male and 30 mm in the female calculated from the figures) also matches well with the features observed in the type series of K. ndzou n. sp., thus it can be stated with confidence that the Karschiola population in the Mount Mulanje belongs to the new species.

Figures

FIGURE 27. Unrooted neighbour joining tree based on DNA barcodes of the COI-5P gene region.

FIGURE 28. Distribution of the genus Karschiola in Africa based on specimens examined during the present study combined with literature data.

FIGURES 1–8. Adults. 1. Karschiola ndzou sp. n., HT, ♂ (ANHRT). 2. Idem, PT, ♂ (ANHRT). 3. Idem, ♀ (ANHRT). 4. Idem, ♀ (ANHRT). 5. K. holoclera, ♂ (ANHRT). 6. Idem, ♂ (MWW). 7. Idem, ♀ (ANHRT). 8. Idem, ♀ (MWW).

FIGURES 9–14. Male genitalia, a. clasping apparatus, b. phallus. 9. Karschiola ndzou sp. n., HT, LG 6065 (ANHRT). 10. Idem, PT, LG 6123 (ANHRT). 11. Idem, LG 6124 (ANHRT). 12. K. holoclera, AV 6315 (ANHRT). 13. Idem, LG 6122 (ANHRT). 14. Idem, LG 6118 (MWW).

FIGURES 15–20. Male genitalia, details of uncus. 15. Karschiola ndzou sp. n., HT, LG 6065 (ANHRT). 16. Idem, PT, LG 6123 (ANHRT). 17. Idem, LG 6124 (ANHRT). 18. K. holoclera, AV 6315 (ANHRT). 19. Idem, LG 6118 (MWW). 20. Idem, LG 6122 (ANHRT).

FIGURES 21–24. Female genitalia. 21. Karschiola ndzou sp. n., paratype, LG 6066 (ANHRT). 22. Idem, paratype, LG 6240 (ANHRT). 23. K. holoclera, LG 6120 (MWW). 24. Idem, AV 6316 (ANHRT).

FIGURES 25–26. Female genitalia: ovipositor, pheromone gland (pg) and postvaginal plate (pvp). 25. Karschiola ndzou sp. n., paratype, LG 6240 (ANHRT). 26. K. holoclera, LG 6120 (MWW).

FIGURES 29–30. Habitat images (photos by Gy.M. László). Moist forest around the Ndzou Camp in the foothills of the Chimanimani Mountains, Mozambique, type locality of K. ndzou sp. n.