Vavizola, Prozorov & Prozorova & Nedoshivina & Yakovlev & Volkova & Saldaitis & Revay & Müller, 2023

Prozorov, Alexey M., Prozorova, Tatiana A., Nedoshivina, Svetlana V., Yakovlev, Roman V., Volkova, Julia S., Saldaitis, Aidas, Revay, Edita E. & Müller, Günter C., 2023, Vavizola hela - new species and genus of Afrotropic Lasiocampini (Lepidoptera, Lasiocampidae), Ecologica Montenegrina 62, pp. 55-66 : 57-63

Vavizola gen. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:06558427-344F-44B3-A355-3686BD8978B9

( Figs 1–10 , 21–22 , 28 , 34 )

Diagnosis. The detailed description of morphology is provided for the new species below, since the genus is monotypic. Habitus of Vavizola gen. n. reminds us of some other members of “ Pachypasa sensu lato ” revised by Zolotuhin & Gurkovich (2009): 1) Seydelora Zolotuhin & Gurkovich, 2009 ; 2) Gufria Zolotuhin & Gurkovich, 2009 ; 3) Lasiocesa Koçak, 2013 ; 4) Braura Walker, 1865 ; and 5) Eutricha Hübner, 1814 . Adults of all genera have a diagonal wing pattern, cubile in male genitalia and a corresponding antevaginal plate in female genitalia.

1) Seydelora includes only Seydelora semna ( Hering, 1941) from DRC. It has very dark forewings with dark brown medial, postmedial and external fields and a complex speckled white or yellow and brown external fascia; hindwings have a well pronounced dark external field ( Figs 13–14 ). Male adults of Vavizola gen. n. are overall lighter, their forewings are more elongated, medial field is more elongated towards the wing apex, postmedial fascia is developed, the medial white triangle on thorax is absent (compare Figs 5–6, 8–9 and 13 ); male genitalia of Vavizola gen. n. differ by shorter cucullus and sacculus, and smaller apodema of cubile (compare Figs 21–22 and 25 ). Female adults of Vavizola gen. n. are overall lighter, their forewings are more elongated, forewing pattern is shifted more towards the wing apex, postmedial and external lines are doubled, medial pale speckled thoracic spot is absent (compare Figs 7, 10 and 14 ); female genitalia of Vavizola gen. n. differ in the shape of sterigma and presence of cup-like antrum (compare Figs 28 and 29 ).

2) Zolotuhin & Gurkovich (2009) considered the genus Gufria to be monotypic with the only member Gufria limosa de Villiers, 1827 distributed from Southern Europe to North Africa. We suppose that European and African populations will show a genetic divergence, sufficient to be considered a separate species, similar to experiences with Lemonia philopalus ( Donzel, 1842) (see Prozorov et al., 2022b). Here, for comparison, we take adults of G. limosa from Tunisia and Morocco and call them Gufria limosa powelli ( Oberthür, 1916) – the earliest taxon from North Africa. Adults are colored in combinations of grey, creamy and brown; medial field on forewing stretches until the wing apex, postmedial field is paler than the others ( Figs 17–18 ). Male adults of Vavizola gen. n. have more elongated forewings with medial field not reaching the wing apex, and postmedial lines (compare Figs 5–6, 8–9 and 17 ); male genitalia of Vavizola gen. n. differ with shorter cucullus and sacculus, shorter distal outgrowths and lack of lateral dents (compare Figs 21–22 and 23 ). Female adults of Vavizola gen. n. have more elongated forewings, their forewing pattern consists of more elements and both wings have dark external field (compare Figs 7, 10 and 18 ); antevaginal plate in female genitalia of Vavizola gen. n. is better developed and antrum is wider (compare Figs 28 and 31 ).

3) Lasiocesa includes 4 species. Here, for comparison, we take adults ( Figs 15–16 ) and male genitalia ( Fig. 26 ) of the type-species Lasiocesa fulgurata ( Aurivillius, 1909) and female genitalia ( Fig. 32 ) of Lasiocesa lanceolata ( Hering, 1932) due to only one known bad quality slide of female genitalia of L. fulgurata , all from DRC. Adults are colored in combinations of brown and creamy, forewing has full set of fields and fasciae, while hindwing may be completely brown or creamy with brown external field. Wing pattern of both genera is very similar, however, Vavizola gen. n. is much paler and duller, have narrower postmedial field (compare Figs 5–10 and 15–16 ). Male genitalia of Vavizola gen. n. differ with shorter cucullus, larger sacculus, and lack medial ridges on processes of cubile (compare Figs 21–22 and 26 ). Female genitalia of Vavizola gen. n. differ with larger antevaginal plate and presence of cup-like antrum (compare Figs 28 and 32 ).

4) Braura includes 9 species. For comparison, we take the type-species Braura ligniclusa ( Walker, 1865) from RSA. Adults have dark brown forewings with occasionally paler medial field, hind wings dark brown or creamy with darker external field. Male adults of Vavizola gen. n. are overall lighter, but head and thorax cranially are not contrasting (compare Figs 5–6, 8–9 and 11 ); male genitalia of Vavizola gen. n. differ with smaller cucullus and basally larger sacculus, smaller caudal processes of cubile (compare Figs 21–22 and 24 ). Female adults of Vavizola gen. n. are overall lighter, but head, thorax cranially, and forewing medial field are not contrasting (compare Figs 7, 10 and 12 ); female genitalia of Vavizola gen. n. differ in better developed antevaginal plate and presence of cup-like antrum (compare Figs 28 and 30 ).

5) Eutricha includes 5 species ranging in coloration from creamy to dark brown. Here, for comparison, we use Eutricha capensis ( Linnaeus, 1767) from RSA, the type-species of the genus. Adults have well pronounced contrasting postmedial and external fasciae. Male adults of Vavizola gen. n. are overall lighter, their forewings are more elongated, medial field is more elongated towards the wing apex (compare Figs 5–6, 8–9 and 19 ); male genitalia of Vavizola gen. n. differ with smaller cucullus and sacculus, smaller apical dent of aedeagus (compare Figs 21–22 and 27 ). Female adults of Vavizola gen. n. are overall paler and duller with contrasting external field (compare Figs 7, 10 and 20 ); female genitalia of Vavizola gen. n. differ in shape of sterigma (compare Figs 28 and 33 ).

DNA comparison ( Fig. 34 ). Two specimens of Vavizola hela sp. n. were sequenced: the holotype male from Tanzania ( Fig. 5 ) and the paratype female from Kenya ( Fig. 10 ). The two have a 0.8% p -distance which is a little higher than we expected for specimens of a single species collected so closely together. It may be explained by the1200 meters difference in the altitude between collecting localities of the two. The new genus is compared with 18 sequences belonging to 12 biological index numbers (BINs) and 9 genera from the “ Pachypasa sensu lato ” group, missing Seydelora ; Pachyna Weymer, 1892 ; Beriola Zolotuhin & Gurkovich, 2009 ; Euphorea Zolotuhin & Gurkovich, 2009 ; and Sophyrita Zolotuhin & Gurkovich, 2009 (see Table 1 ). We will only compare the new genus with the others without investigation of their internal concerns such as potential polyphyly of Pachytrina Zolotuhin & Gurkovich, 2009 or polytypy of Muzunguja which follow from the tree and p -distances. These differences require a detailed investigation.

We can see that intergeneric p -distance lays between 4.7 and 12% ( Fig. 34 ), where the lowest is between Pallastica Zolotuhin & Gurkovich, 2009 and Cleopatrina Zolotuhin & Gurkovich, 2009 , and the highest is between Muzunguja and Lasiocesa . The nearest neighbor of Vavizola gen. n. (BOLD:AAV0301) found on BOLD is Eutricha morosa ( Walker, 1865) from Malawi (BOLD:ABZ6351) at 5.92%. We selected two other Eutricha species which are not much farther: 6.4 and 7.4%. Other sequences, except Pachytrina sp. at 6.1% ( Fig. 34 , 10 ), are farther than any Eutricha .

Etymology. Name of the new genus is devoted to Prof. Dr. Vadim Viktorovich Zolotuhin (1967–2021), Russian entomologist specialized on the Old World Lasiocampidae . It is formed by a combination of the first letters of his name by analogy with Tarsozeuzera vavizola Yakovlev, 2006 (Cossidae) .

Figures

Figure 34. NJ tree (Kimura-2 parameter model, built with MEGA X) based on sequence variation at COI (658 bp) and pairwise distances (%) between the sequences of some genera from the former “Pachypasa sensu lato” group (Lasiocampini).

Figures 1–4. Nomenclature of the wing pattern and genitalia of Vavizola hela. 1. Holotype male, Tanzania, Arusha (MWM/ZSM). 2. Paratype female, Kenya, Kitui (CGM). 3. Paratype male, Tanzania, Arusha, slide 1267 (CGM). 4. Paratype female, Kenya, Kitui, slide 0501 (CGM). Scale bar – 1 cm for adults and 1 mm for genitalia.

Figures 5–20. Adults of Lasiocampini. 5–10. Vavizola hela. 5. Holotype male, Tanzania, Arusha, slide 17.446, LBEOW1233-11 (MWM/ZSM). 6. Paratype male, Tanzania, Arusha, slide 1267 (CGM). 7. Paratype female, Kenya, Kitui, slide 0501 (CGM). 8. Paratype male, Kenya, Lamu, slide 20.690 (CGM). 9. Paratype male, Kenya, Taita-Taveta (ZISP). 10. Paratype female, Taita-Taveta, slide 17.447, LBEOW975-11 (CGM). 11–12. Braura ligniclusa. 11. Male, RSA, Transvaal, slide 2006-08 (MfNB). 12. Female, RSA, KwaZulu-Natal, slide 2006-24 (MfNB). 13–14. Seydelora semna. 13. Male, DRC, Katanga (RMCA). 14. Female, DRC, Haut-Lomani, slide 1448 (NHML). 15–16. Lasiocesa fulgurata, male and female, DRC, Haut-Uele (RMCA). 17–18. Gufria limosa powelli, male and female, Tunisia, Nabeul (MWM/ZSM). 19–20. Eutricha capensis. 19. Male, RSA, Western Cape, slide 2006-12 (MfNB). 20. Female, RSA, Western Cape (NHML). Scale bar – 1 cm.

Figures 21–27. Male genitalia. 21–22. Vavizola hela. 21. Holotype, Kenya, Lamu, slide 20.690 (CGM). 22. Paratype, Tanzania, Arusha, slide 17.446, LBEOW1233-11 (MWM/ZSM). 23. Gufria limosa powelli, Morocco, Tangier- Tétouan-Al Hoceima, slide 10.633 (MWM/ZSM). 24. Braura ligniclusa, RSA, Transvaal, slide 2006-08 (MfNB). 25. Seydelora semna, holotype, DRC, Haut-Katanga (RMCA). 26. Lasiocesa fulgurata, DRC, Haut-Uele, slide 2006-59 (RMCA). 27. Eutricha morosa, RSA, Western Cape, slide 2006-12 (MfNB).

Figures 28–33. Female genitalia. 28. Vavizola hela, paratype, Kenya, Taita-Taveta, slide 17.447 (CGM). 29. Seydelora semna, DRC, Haut-Lomani, slide 1448 (NHML). 30. Braura ligniclusa, RSA, KwaZulu-Natal, slide 2006-24 (MfNB). 31. Gufria limosa powelli, Morocco, Tangier-Tétouan-Al Hoceima, slide 11.544 (MWM/ZSM). 32. Lasiocesa lanceolata, Angola, Ituri, slide 2006-53 (RMCA). 33. Eutricha capensis, RSA, Western Cape, slide 2006-47 (MfNB).