Metarctia (Hebena) haraldsulaki Fiebig, László, Volynkin & Taberer, 2023

Fiebig, Ralf, László, Gyula M., Volynkin, Anton V. & Taberer, Tabitha R., 2023, Integrative taxonomic revision of the Metarctia Walker, 1855 subgenus Hebena Walker, 1856, with descriptions of six new species and one new subspecies (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Syntomini), Zootaxa 5339 (4), pp. 301-354 : 326-327

Metarctia (Hebena) haraldsulaki Fiebig, László, Volynkin & Taberer sp. n.

(Figs adults 9a–f, 21, 31; genitalia 48a–b, 58; habitats 72–76)

Holotype. male “ Angola, Cuanza Sul prov., rd. Quibala-Mussende , ca. 80km E Quibala, 10°35’43,7” S / 15°38’38,7” E, 1352 m, 22.xi.2017, leg. Sulak, Naumann & Ott, DNA barcode id.: BC ZSM Lep 111921, BOLD process id.: GWOUH525-21, gen. slide No.: GP 36.789 ( RCRF later ZSM)

Paratypes (109 males, 4 females). Angola. 6 males, same date as the holotype ; 6 males, Huambo Province, rd. Ganda —Huambo, ca. 2 km S Calenga, S12°52.214 E015°28.126, 1970m, 27.III.2014, leg. Sulak, Naumann & Ott, DNA barcode id.: BC ZSM Lep 111920, BOLD process id.: GWOUH524-21, gen. slide No.: GP 28.679 ; 21 males, 1 female Cuanza Sul Province, 26 km E Cassongue , S11°52.257 E015°09.320, 1650m, 28.III.2014, leg. Sulak, Naumann & Ott, DNA barcode id.: BC ZSM Lep 111918, BOLD process id.: GWOUH522-21, gen. slide No.: GP 28.684; GP 28.688 ; 19 males, Bié Prov., rd. Mussende-Andulo , ca. 5 km N Sao Lucas, 10°49’53.8”S 16°06’51.53”E, 1690m, 23.xi.2017, leg. Sulak, Naumann & Ott, DNA barcode id.: BC ZSM Lep 104706, BOLD process id.: GWOUH518-21, gen. slide No. : GP 36.563, DNA barcode id.: BC ZSM Lep 111895, BOLD process id.: GWOUH518-21, gen. slide No.: RF GP 36.763; GP RF 663.2021 ; 9 males, Bié Prov., rd. Andulo-Kuito, NW Chibanda , 12°08’26.0”S 16°42’41.5”E, 1778m, 24.xi.2017, leg. Sulak, Naumann & Ott, DNA barcode id.: BC ZSM Lep 111890, BOLD process id.: GWOUH499-21, gen. slide No.: RF 36.762; GP RF 664.2021 ; 37 males, 3 females, Huambo prov., 6 km N Chnigenge, Serra do Dembi , 1400m, 1246.681’S, 1454.377’E, 26.iii.2014, leg. S. Naumann, E. Ott, & H. Sulak, DNA barcode id.: BC ZSM Lep 111906, BOLD process id.: GWOUH518-21, gen. slide No. : GP 28.683, DNA barcode id.: BC ZSM Lep 111922, BOLD process id.: GWOUH526-21, gen. slide No.: GP 36.792 (female); GP RF 660.2021 (female); GP RF 661.2021; GP RF 650.2021; GP RF 2022.327; GP 28.683 ; 1 male, Huambo prov., btw. Cacula & Benguela, 1447m, 1449.302’ S, 1413.690’E, 22.iii.2014, leg. S. Naumann, E. Ott, & H. Sulak ; 1 male, Benguela prov., btw. Ganda & Dende, 1210m, 1307.773’S, 1442.033’E, 25.iii.2014, leg. S. Naumann, E. Ott, & H. Sulak, GP RF 641.2021 ; 1 male, Benguela Province, rd. Cutembo—Caluquembe , ca. 14 km E Cutembo, S1347.905 E01401.928, 1047m, 23.iii.2014, leg. S. Naumann, E. Ott, & H. Sulak ( RCRF, RCHS, MWM / ZSM, ISEA PAS) ; 1 male, N’Dalla Tando, N. Angola , 2,700 feet, 2.xi.1908, Dr. W.J. Ansorge leg., gen. slide No.: AV 6395; 6 males, same site and collector, but collected at 5.xi.1908, gen. slide Nos: AV 6396, AV 6397, AV 6398 ; 1 male, same site and collector, but collected at 12.xi.1908 ( ANHRT, ex coll. R. Smith) .

Diagnosis. Metarctia haraldsulaki sp. n., the West Angolan sibling of M. smithi is readily distinguished from its Zambian congener by the broader and more quadrangular base of the uncus, the markedly narrower and more pointed lateral process of the tegumen, the considerably narrower and longer terminal process of the valva and the narrower vinculum. In the female genitalia, M. haraldsulaki has a thicker V-shaped distal sclerotization of the 8 th sternite, a considerably narrower lamella postvaginalis, a distally more pointed lamella antevaginalis and a noticeably longer ductus bursae compared to those of M. smithi .

Description. Adult. Forewing length 19–22 mm in males, 22–24 mm in females. The external characters of M. haraldsulaki are identical to those of M. smithi .

Male genitalia. Uncus short, basally with a swollen dorsal bulge, medially gently curved, apically pointed with apex directing ventrad. Uncus base rounded-quadrangular with dentate margin. Tegumen short and narrow bearing a pointed, narrow triangular lateral projection, ventral margin finely dentate, arms fused below uncus base. Valva very broad at base, transtilla short, dorsal margin convex, without projection and setae; valva costa directly continued in an elongate, medially narrow, distally dilated, apically bifid terminal process of valva bearing a short, rounded ventral process and a longer, pointed dorsal process. Sacculus short and very narrow, distally with a setose gently arcuate crest. Anellus (fultura superior) large, more or less quadrangular, fused with inverse Y-shaped juxta (fultura inferior). Vinculum moderately long, distal section produced, apex rounded. Phallus moderately long and thin bearing a longitudinal belt of small spinules, medially slightly arched, coecum very short, rounded, apex without carina process. Vesica with slightly dilated proximal section bearing a small, densely spinulose subbasal field dorsally, and an extensive spinulose area ventrally consisting of extremely small spinules; distal section of vesica narrow, tubular.

Female genitalia. Papilla analis short, rounded-trapezoidal, weakly setose; posterior apophysis short (ca. half as long as papilla analis), thin, apically rounded. Eighth tergite very short, evenly arched, ribbon-like; anterior apophysis almost fully reduced. Eighth sternite with a very broad, V-shaped, rugose plate distally and a pair of finely scobinate, very small, sack-like projections proximally. Ostium bursae narrow with moderately sclerotized margin. Lamella postvaginalis present, narrow ribbon-like, heavily sclerotized, fully fused with triangular, rugose lamella antevaginalis Ductus bursae strongly sclerotized, relatively long and thick, tubular; cervix bursae unmodified. Tubular distal part of corpus bursae membranous, short, one-third as long as ductus bursae; dilated proximal section of corpus bursae large, spherical; signum bursae represented by a long (ca. half as long as bursa copulatrix) and narrow, strongly sclerotized, scobinate field.

Genetic information. Metarctia haraldsulaki is recovered in both genetic analyses as a distinct cluster separated from the entire, rather heterogeneous M. smithi clade. Nevertheless, this species also has two morphologically unsupported genetic sub-clusters assigned to the BIN URIs BOLD:AED5122 and AEI4819 where the infraspecific divergence is in the range of 0.00−2.19%. The nearest neighbour of M. haraldsulaki is M. smithi , diverging at 3.50−5.31%. The pairwise distances between M. haraldsulaki and M. lateritia (topotypical population: BIN URI: BOLD:AAZ9706), M. rubra , M. elleni and M. brigitta , are 6.32−7.55, 5.32−5.93, 5.00−5.97% and 5.91−6.61%, respectively.

Etymology. The species is dedicated to Harald Sulak (Weiden, Germany), renowned Lepidopterist and one of the collectors of the type series.

Distribution ( Map 3 ). Metarctia haraldsulaki is known only from the highlands in western Angola.

Figures

MAP 3. Distribution of Metarctia (Hebena) smithi smithi, M. (H.) smithi transvallesiana and M. (H.) haraldsulaki