Leipoxais cf. acharis Hering, 1928

Takano, Hitoshi & László, Gyula M., 2024, The Lasiocampidae (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampoidea) of Maputo Special Reserve, Mozambique: a provisional checklist with descriptions of three new species and taxonomic notes, Zootaxa 5492 (2), pp. 231-259 : 243-244

Leipoxais cf. acharis Hering, 1928

( Figs 82–84 )

[2B]— 3♂♂; [3B]— 1♂; [4A]— 4♂♂; [4B]— 3♂♂; [4C]— 3♂♂; [4D]— 14♂♂; [4E]— 2♀♀; [4H]— 1♂; [4I]— 1♂; [4J]— 1♂; [5B]— 1♂.

Remarks. Similar to many other Afrotropical Lasiocampidae genera, Leipoxais Holland, 1893 is in need of a full holistic revision. Dissections of the male genitalia of several species revealed structurally different configurations especially in the phallus-vesica complex, suggesting the genus likely comprises several genera. Pinhey (1975), Vári et al. (2002) and Krüger (2020) list only two species of Leipoxais s.l. for southern Africa of which only one, L. emarginata Aurivillius, 1911 , is described from South Africa. The other is L. peraffinis Holland, 1893 ( Fig. 85 ), the type species of the genus described from Gabon which is absent from southern Africa (current observation). Previous references (e.g., Pinhey 1975; Vári et al. 2002) to L. peraffinis likely refer to L. acharis described from Tanzania which appears to be a widespread species throughout much of Africa. However, there is a second phenotypically indistinguishable taxon found sympatrically in East Africa which can only be separated based on genital characters and the holotype of L. acharis requires dissection for confirmation.

As part of investigations into this genus, a female syntype of the little-known Lebeda mustelina Distant, 1899 from Lydenburg [=Mashishing], South Africa was examined in NHMUK and together with a photograph of a male with similar markings from Thabazimbi, South Africa in the research collection of H. Staude, Magaliesburg, South Africa, it has become apparent that this taxon is congeneric with Leipoxais s.l. resulting in the following new combination: Leipoxais mustelina ( Distant, 1899) comb. n.

A second species of Leipoxais s.l. recorded from MSR has proved to be undescribed and was recovered as sister to Rhinobombyx Aurivillius, 1879 in the barcode analysis. This result was perhaps not all that surprising—aside from its distinctive grey colouration, the habitus, wing shape, resting position and larva (see Staude et al. 2023) of the type species, R. cuneata Aurivillius, 1879 ( Fig. 86 ) are very similar to Leipoxais . Moreover, there are close affinities in the male genitalia of the two ( Figs 92–93 ), sharing the small overall size of the capsule, the short valval lobes, the robust triangular carinal process of the phallus and the unilobate configuration of the vesica. Based on the different ground plan of the genitalia in L. peraffinis , as well as the results of the barcode analysis, the new species from MSR is attributed to Rhinobombyx and described below.

Figures

FIGURES 79–86. Adults (all in coll.ANHRT and collected in MSR unless otherwise stated). 79. Rhinobombyx maputoensis sp. n., holotype ♂ (gen. slide No. LG 6261). 80. Id., paratype ♂. 81. Id., paratype ♂. 82. Leipoxais cf. acharis, ♂. 83. Id., ♀. 84. Id., ♂. 85. L. peraffinis, Republic of Congo, Nouabalé-Ndoki NP, ♂ (gen. slide No. LG 6276). 86. Rhinobombyx cuneata, Zambia, Kasanka NP, ♂ (gen. slide No. LG 6350).

FIGURES 92–94. Male genitalia (a: clasping apparatus, b: phallus) and eighth sternite (c) (all in coll.ANHRT).92. Rhinobombyx maputoensis sp. n., holotype, LG 6261 (cubile attached to abdomen). 93. R. cuneata, LG 6350. 94. Leipoxais peraffinis, LG 6276 (cubile attached to abdomen).