Meyameta roberti, Prozorov & Volkova & Saldaitis & Prozorova & Sulak & Yakovlev & Traore & Revay & Müller, 2024

Prozorov, Alexey M., Volkova, Julia S., Saldaitis, Aidas, Prozorova, Tatiana A., Sulak, Harald, Yakovlev, Roman V., Traore, Mohamed M., Revay, Edita E. & Müller, Günter C., 2024, A new genus Meyameta for South African “ Napta ” straminea and description of its sister species from Namibia (Lepidoptera, Lasiocampidae), Ecologica Montenegrina 71, pp. 172-183 : 179-183

Meyameta roberti sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6F295335-FDEC-4032-AD49-FB09C17BDA7E

( Figs 9–10 , 19–20 , 25 )

Holotype: ♂, Namibia, Nasepberg , Kolke [kolks], 1647 m, 15.VI.2008, leg. W. Mey, GS 2011-027 ( MfNB) . Paratype: ♂, same data as HT, GS 2011-011 ( MfNB) .

Description. Male ( Figs 9–10 ). Flagellum, head, thorax, and abdomen light greyish white. Forewing. Forewing length: 13 mm. Short, somewhat triangular with smooth outer margin and blunt apex. Background color light greyish white. Pattern nearly absent, scattered grey scales and spots may be pronounced, especially along anal and costal margins, also white discal stroke is more or less visible. Fringe greyish white. Hindwing. Somewhat oval with smooth outer margin. Background color grey, anal field light grey. Fringe greyish white. Genitalia ( Figs 19–20 ). Vinculum a wide band, laterally bears a pair of finger-like socii. Cucullus claw-shaped with pointed apex, covered with setae. Sacculus tubercle-like, sparsely covered with setae. Juxta small, ventrobasally fused with aedeagus. Aedeagus slightly c-shaped with blunt apex. Vesica very small, semioval. Vinculum ventrally expands into somewhat trapezoid saccus. Saccus bears a pair of small distolateral triangular extensions. Female remains unknown.

Diagnosis. Comparing to M. straminea , the new species is overall smaller, has dark hindwings, and smaller extensions of saccus.

Distribution ( Fig. 25 ). Namibian savanna woodlands in Namibia.

Biology. Adults were collected in April from an altitude of 1647 m. Preimaginal stages unknown.

Etymology. The species is named in honor of Robert Ames (Babylon, New York).

Acknowledgments

We thank Hermann Staude, †Martin Krüger (DMNH), Théo Léger and Wolfram Mey (MfNB), Daniel Bartsch and Hossein Rajaei (SMNS), and Bert Gustafsson (SNHM) for providing access to the material and helping to process it.

A portion of the presented work was done by Alexey Prozorov with the financial support of the Thomas-Witt-Stiftung.

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Figures

Figure 25. Collecting localities of Meyameta gen. n. spp.: M. roberti sp. n. (grey) and M. straminea (orange). Circles with stars are for the collecting localities of primary types, other tags are for additional material.

Figures 2–14. Adults and caterpillar. 2–4. Napta serratilinea, Madagascar. 2. LT ♂ of Borocera madinika (MNHN). 3. ♀, Nosy Be (CRF). 4. ♂, Ankarana NP (CRF). 5–8. Meyameta gen. n. straminea, RSA. 5. ST ♂ of Glocia straminea, GS 10965 (SNHM). 6. HT ♂ of Pachymeta eborea, Bloemfontein (DMNH). 7. ♂, Steynburg, GS Las-2 (DMNH). 8. ♀, Vanderkloof, GS Las-3 (DMNH). 9–10. Meyameta gen. n. roberti sp. n., Namibia, Nasepberg (MfNB). 9. HT ♂, GS 2011-027. 10. PT ♂, GS 2010-011. 11–12. Henometa clarki, RSA. 11. ♂, Blouberg NP (MWM/ZSM). 12. ♀, Ben Lavin Nature Reserve, GS 17.462 (MWM/ZSM). 13–14. Caterpillar of Meyameta gen. n. straminea, RSA, Bloemfontein (SNHM). Scale bar – 1 cm.

Figures 15–20. ♂ genitalia. 15. Henometa clarki, RSA, Kruger NP, GS Las-53 (DMNH). 16–18. Meyameta gen. n. straminea. 16. ST, RSA, GS 10965 (SNHM). 17. Pachymeta eborea, drawing from Tams, 1924. 18. Vanderkloof, GS Las-1 (DMNH). 19–20. Meyameta gen. n. roberti sp. n., Namibia, Nasepberg (MfNB). 19. HT, GS 2011-027. 20. PT, GS 2010-11. Scale bar – 1 mm.