Khayapacha, Prozorov & Yakovlev & Prozorova & Saldaitis & Revay & Sulak & Volkova & Traore & Petrányi & Müller, 2023

Prozorov, Alexey M., Yakovlev, Roman V., Prozorova, Tatiana A., Saldaitis, Aidas, Revay, Edita E., Sulak, Harald, Volkova, Julia S., Traore, Mohamed M., Petrányi, Gergely & Müller, Günter C., 2023, A new genus and species for Afrotropic Lasiocampinae: Khayapacha danieli (Lepidoptera, Lasiocampidae), Ecologica Montenegrina 70, pp. 137-147 : 139-140

Khayapacha gen. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:BFF792F6-282A-4641-9457-D83839D3EE19

( Figs 5–9 , 12 , 15)

Type species: Khayapacha danieli sp. n., by present designation.

Description. Male ( Figs 5–6 ). Flagellum covered with brown scales. Head and thorax brown or reddish brown, abdomen fawn. Forewing. Forewing length: 19–20 mm. Short, somewhat triangular with smooth outer margin and bunt apex. Background color speckled fawn and brown. Dark brown pattern consists of discal dot, unbroken transversal ante- and postmedial lines, and fragmented vague external line. Fringe speckled fawn and brown. Hindwing. Somewhat oval with smooth outer margin. Background color speckled fawn and brown, anal field fawn. Fringe speckled fawn and brown. Genitalia ( Figs 8–9 ). Vinculum a wide band with short mediocaudal extension, laterobasally bears a pair of socii. Socii claw-shaped, sparsely covered with setae. Cucullus elongated, claw-shaped with rather blunt apex. Sacculus compact, somewhat rectangular, sparsely covered with setae. Juxta short, stem-like, ventrobasally fused with aedeagus. Aedeagus c-shaped with pointed apex. Vesica small, semispherical, dorsally bears numerous lightly sclerotized cornuti. Vinculum ventrally expands into somewhat trapezoid saccus. The eighth sternite somewhat trapezoid with mediodistal semioval concavity, and a pair of elongated laterobasal apodemes. Female ( Fig. 7 ). Reminds male but larger with more elongated fore wings and overall darker. Forewing. Forewing length: 32 mm. Genitalia (Fig. 18). Papillae anales oval, densely covered with setae. Posterior and anterior apophyses equal in size. Antevaginal plate absent. Postvaginal plate medially divided into two somewhat oval parts with wrinkles. Ostium slit-like. Ductus bursae very short. Corpus bursae medium-sized, ovoid.

Diagnosis. The following two genera are morphologically close to Khayapacha gen. n. and, thus, compared with it: 1) Gonotrichidia , 2) Henometa .

1) The genus Gonotrichidia contains 3 species ( Prozorov et al., 2023a), the type species is G. modestissima ( Figs 1–2 ). Adults of Khayapacha gen. n. have broader forewings, one known female has concavity on anal margin of forewings ( Figs 5–7 ), while the ones of Gonotrichidia have narrower forewings and lack concavities ( Figs 1–2 ). In male genitalia of Khayapacha gen. n. tegumen a wide band with sclerotized claw-shaped socii, sacculus rather rectangle, saccus wide, aedeagus apically enlarged, vesica bears small cornuti, the eighth sternite lacks distal dents but has elongated basal apodemes ( Figs 8–9 ); while in Gonotrichidia tegumen triangle with short tubercle-like socii, sacculus somewhat triangle, saccus narrow, aedeagus gradually gets thinner towards apex, vesica bears minute cornuti, the eighth sternite has distal dents and short basal apodemes ( Fig. 10 ). In female genitalia of Khayapacha gen. n. postvaginal plate medially wrinkled, ostium slit-like ( Fig. 12 ), while in Gonotrichidia postvaginal plate smooth, ostium amorphous ( Fig. 14 ).

2) The genus Henometa contains 1 species ( De Prins & De Prins, 2011 –2023), the type species is H. clarki ( Figs 1–2 ). Adult males of Khayapacha gen. n. have shorter forewings ( Figs 5–7 ), while the ones of Gonotrichidia have apically elongated forewings ( Figs 3–4 ). In male genitalia of Khayapacha gen. n. vinculum a wide band, socii elongated, saccus lacks any extensions, vesica bears cornuti, the eighth sternite with mediodistal concavity and basal apodemes ( Figs 8–9 ); while in Henometa vinculum a narrow band, socii very long, saccus bears a pair of finger-shaped extensions, vesica lacks cornuti, the eighth sternite unmodified ( Fig. 11 ). In female genitalia of Khayapacha gen. n. antevaginal plate absent ( Fig. 12 ), while in Gonotrichidia antevaginal plate cap-like ( Fig. 13 ).

Etymology. The new genus name consists of Khaya- and - pacha, where Khaya is a genus of Afrotropic trees with valuable timber, also called African mahogany, which we picked for the wing coloration of adults and - pacha – an ending part of some Lasiocampidae genera: Archaeopacha Aurivillius, 1925 ; Ceratopacha Aurivillius, 1909 (junior synonym of Eucraera Tams, 1930 ); Cryptopacha Prozorov & Zolotuhin, 2012 ; Cymatopacha Aurivillius, 1921 ; Gastropacha Ochsenheimer, 1810 ; Gonopacha Aurivillius, 1927 ; Haplopacha Aurivillius, 1905 ; Libyopacha Closs, 1920 (junior synonym of Mimopacha Aurivillius, 1905 ); Mimopacha Aurivillius, 1905 ; and Odontopacha Aurivillius, 1909 .

Figures

Figures 1–7. Adults. 1–2. Gonopacha modestissima, ♂ and ♀, DRC, Ekongo, GS 0607, 0785 (CGM/USTTB). 3–4. Henometa clarki, RSA. 3. ST ♂, Durban (SNHM). 4. ♀, Ben Lavin Nature Reserve (MWM/ZSM). 5–7. Khayapacha danieli sp. n., Kenya. 5. HT ♂, Marenche Forest, GS 13463 (CGM/USTTB). 6. PT ♂, Arabuko Sokoke National Park, GS Las-49 (DMNH). 7. PT ♀, Arabuko Sokoke National Park, GS 11-033 (MWM/ZSM). Scale bar – 1 cm.

Figures 8–9. ♂ genitalia of Khayapacha danieli sp. n., Kenya. 8. PT, Buda Forest, GS 0412 (CGM/USTTB). 9. PT, Arabuko Sokoke National Park, GS Las-49 (DMNH). Scale bars for genitalia and magnified apical part of aedeagus – 1 mm.

Figures 12–14. ♀ genitalia. 12. Khayapacha danieli sp. n., Kenya, Arabuko Sokoke National Park, GS 11-033 (MWM/ZSM). 13. Henometa clarki, Blouberg Nature Reserve, GS 17459 (MWM/ZSM) 14. Gonotrichidia modestissima, DRC, Ekongo, GS 0785 (CGM/USTTB). Scale bar – 1 mm.

Figures 10–11. ♂ genitalia. 10. Gonotrichidia modestissima, DRC, Ekongo, GS 0587 (CGM/USTTB). 11. Henometa clarki, RSA, Krüger National Park, GS Las-53 (DMNH). Scale bar – 1 mm.