Daphaenisca magnoloi Durante & Zangrilli

Durante, Antonio & Zangrilli, Maria Paola, 2016, Review of subgenus Daphaenisca Kiriakoff, 1953 (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Synthomini: Thyretina), with identification keys, and description of three new species, Zootaxa 4117 (2), pp. 151-171 : 167-168

Daphaenisca magnoloi Durante & Zangrilli sp. n.

( Figs. 18 , 25 )

Holotype. ♂ Gabon, Ipassa-Makokou; 0°30’43’’N, 12°48’13’’E; 500 m 19-2/ 11-3-2011, Durante legit. Genitalia prep.n. 684 MAD. In coll. MSNS.

Paratype. ♂ Gabon, Ipassa-Makokou; 0°30’43’’N, 12°48’13’’E; 500 m 14/ 24-3-2015, Durante legit. In coll. MAD.

Distribution. North-East Gabon (type locality only).

Diagnosis. Easily distinguishable from the other species of the subgenus Daphaenisca by the absence of yellow dots on the abdomen, dark ground colour and red median and basal areas of hindwings. Male antennae bipectinate.

Habitus. ♂. Forewing length from 12 to 14 mm (n=2); upperside ground colour greyish black. Presence of thin subcostal red line along its proximal three-fifths. Red comma-like dot at base close to inner margin. Forewings underside same colour as upperside with faded red-yellow line on proximal half of anal vein; small red dot at base just under subcostal vein. Hindwings roughly circular, upperside ground colour greyish-black with two reddish patches on median area connected at distal ending; yellow-ochre band along costa; underside greyish-black.

Fringes same colour as wings ground colour.

Frontoclypeus greyish-black with large horizontal yellow fascia under antennae; vertex yellow. Labial palpi red with yellow tips and some dark scales dorsally. Antennae beige, bipectinate.

Thorax same ground colour as wings, with two red marks on mesoscutum; one small central dark yellow ochre mark on mesoscutellum and two other red marks laterally; two small red lateral marks on metathorax; patagia greyish black with ochre posterior margin; tegulae greyish-black with small red mark anteriorly at junction with costal margin of forewing. Thorax underside greyish-black.

Legs with femurs and tibiae externally greyish-black and internally red, yellow tarsi and brown praetarsi.

Spurs formula 0-2-2.

Two falcate red marks on tergum A1. Tergites (A2–A7) covered entirely by red scales that emerge along caudal margin, under typically greyish-black scales.

A8 tergite covered by mixed red-yellow scales.

Presence of pleural tuft on each segment.

Underside of abdomen ochre-yellow.

Anal tuft dark ochre-yellow.

Genitalia. ♂. A8 tergum roughly triangular in dorsal view, almost twice as long as A7. Uncus pear-shaped with long neck and pointed distal end, in lateral view surmounting the tegumen ( Fig. 25 C), in dorsal view included in membranous lateral prolongations of tegumen (polygonal concavity; even in latter case, tegumen terminalia could be considered socii, and thus homologous to same structure in daphaena and affinis ) ( Fig. 25 D). Tegumenvinculum complex slender; saccus large, not very deep, U-shaped. Juxta membranous, dome-shaped; manica penis tubular and membranous with base dorsally reinforced. Tuba analis membranous.

Valvae roughly triangular with short costal distal processes bilobed at ends and large sacculus. Aedeagus tubular, quite stout with short coecum and heavy U-shaped crown of thorns at distal end. Vesica without cornuti. Derivatio nominis. The species is dedicated to the memory of the young folk singer Vincenza Magnolo, who recently died at the age of just 26.

Figures

FIGURE 25. Genitalia of Balacra magnoloi sp. n. ♂ Gabon, Makokou-Ipassa, 500 m, 0 ° 30 ’ 42 ” N 12 ° 48 ’ 13 ” E, 5 / 10 - 4 - 2010, Durante leg., gen. prep. n. 684 MAD. A) tegumen-vinculum complex in ventral view; B) aedeagus; C) tegumen and uncus in lateral view; D) same in dorsal view. Line in C) and D) indicates junction of uncus and tegumen. cp, costal process; pc, polygonal concavity; sa, saccus; sl, sacculus; so, socius; ta, tuba analis; te, tegumen; uc, uncus; va, valva.

FIGURES 16 – 19. Adults of Balacra (Daphaenisca) sp. Fig. 16. Holotype male of Balacra inexpectata sp. n.: upperside (left) and underside (right). Fig. 17. Paratype female of Balacra inexpectata sp. n.: upperside (left) and underside (right). Fig. 18. Paratype male of Balacra magnoloi sp. n.: upperside (left) and underside (right). Fig. 19. Holotype female of Balacra flava sp. n.: upperside (left) and underside (right).