Isoplenodia kisubiensis, Sihvonen, Pasi & Staude, Hermann S., 2010

Sihvonen, Pasi & Staude, Hermann S., 2010, Revision of Isoplenodia Prout, 1932 with new records from continental Africa (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Sterrhinae), Zootaxa 2453, pp. 25-41 : 37-39

Isoplenodia kisubiensis sp. n. Sihvonen & Staude

Figs. 6 , 15–17

Material Examined. Holotype: 3, labelled: “ HOLOTYPE / Isoplenodia kisubiensis / Sihvonen & Staude [red rectangular label]; Uganda, Entebbe, Kisubi / lake shore, / 00°06'32.4''N /32°32'48.1' / 'E, 1159 m, Lake Victoria / moist forest, 25-11-2005, / H. S. Staude; Uganda / Entebbe / Kisubi lake shore / 32.32.481E 00.06.324N / 25.XI.2005 1159 m / H. S. Staude / HSS D000.DB 10469; Genitalia prep. / No. 1326 / Pasi Sihvonen [blue rectangular label]; [in TMP]”.

Description. Wings. Male wingspan male 17 mm (forewing length 9 mm) (n=1). Wings straw brown, markings brown, with tint of red in costa at base and apex. Antemedial line absent, medial and postmedial lines clear; antemedial line weakly undulating; postmedial line with large curve, turning towards base at costa; medial area wide, tinted with brown, darker than rest of wing; terminal area tinted with brown near termen; terminal line brown, continuous; fringes concolorous with wings. Medial and postmedial lines weak, narrow in hindwings. Discal spots absent. Wings colored below as above, postmedial line distinct, medial area darkest. Head. Labial palpi short, upturned, brown. Proboscis developed normally. Frons and vertex uniform dark brown, smooth scaled; collar brown. Dorsal surface of the antennae rust brown, mixed with black scales except in base. Male antennae bipectinate. Thorax. Concolorous with wings; tegula chocolate brown at base, light brown at apex; legs concolorous with wings, slightly mixed with rust brown; foreleg tibial spurs absent; midleg tibia with two terminal spurs, of unequal length; male hindleg tibia enlarged, with hair pencil; tarsomeres of male hindleg tarsus fused, pretarsus absent. Abdomen. Concolorous with thorax and wings. Tympanal organs large, round; structure of ansa unknown because tympanal organs broke off from rest of abdomen. Sternites 3–7 of male weakly sclerotized, unmodified; anterior margin of male sternite 8 approximately straight, base of sternite shallow (i.e. distance between base and cerata short); mappa bare, round; cerata slightly curved, symmetrical, equal length, without apical brushes; tergites 2–8 of male weakly sclerotized, unmodified. Male genitalia. Small, fused, roundish. Uncus absent; caudal margin of tegumen elongated medially; socii rudiment, present as a group of setae only; dorsal lobe of valva (valvula) soft, setose, long; ventral lobe of valva (sacculus) rudimentary, upturned medially, sacculus margin covered with short setae, short coremata laterally; juxta weakly sclerotized, with narrow wing-like processes; vinculum wide, ushaped. Aedeagus rather thick, bent ventrally less than 90 degrees; caecum long, round; distinct, keel-shaped extension in ventral part; vesica unsclerotized. Female genitalia. Unknown.

Etymology. The name kisubiensis is derived from the type locality, Kisubi in southern Uganda.

Biology and Distribution. I. kisubiensis is only known from a single specimen collected in southern Uganda ( Figs. 41 , 44 ), on the ecotone of tropical Lake Victoria secondary forest and adjacent wetland (a Papyrus dominated habitat). The immature stages are unknown.

Figures

FIGURE 41. Map of Africa and Madagascar displaying the known distribution of Isoplenodia species.

FIGURE 44. Type locality habitat of Isoplenodia kisubiensis: southern Uganda, Ziika forest, Kisubi on the shores of Lake Victoria near Entebbe. Photo H. S. Staude.

FIGURES 2 – 8. Adults of Isoplenodia spp. Diagnostic features indicated. 2. I. arrogans Prout male, Madagascar, early October 1934 (BMNH). 3. I. arrogans Prout female (syntype), Madagascar, February – April (BMNH). Photo courtesy of the Natural History Museum, London, UK. 4. I. vidalensis male (holotype), South Africa, 13 November 1999 (TMP). 5. I. vidalensis female (paratype), South Africa, 13 November 1999 (HSS). 6. I. kisubiensis male (holotype), Uganda, 25 November 2005 (TMP). 7. I. arabukoensis male (holotype), Kenya, 21 July 2002 (TMP). 8. I. arabukoensis female (paratype), 21 July 2002 (HSS). Scale bar = 10 mm.

FIGURES 15 – 20. Male genitalia of Isoplenodia spp. Diagnostic features indicated. 15. I. kisubiensis (holotype), genitalia. Prep. No. 1326 / Pasi Sihvonen (TMP). 16. I. kisubiensis (holotype), 8 th sternite. Prep. No. 1326 / Pasi Sihvonen (TMP). 17. I. kisubiensis (holotype), aedeagus. Prep. No. 1326 / Pasi Sihvonen (TMP). 18. I. arabukoensis (holotype), genitalia. Prep. No. 1329 / Pasi Sihvonen (TMP). 19. I. arabukoensis (holotype), 8 th sternite. Prep. No. 1329 / Pasi Sihvonen (TMP). 20. I. arabukoensis (holotype), aedeagus. Prep. No. 1329 / Pasi Sihvonen (TMP).