Ocnogyna mooseri, Müller & Saldaitis & Volynkin, 2022

Müller, Günter, Saldaitis, Aidas & Volynkin, Anton V., 2022, Ocnogyna mooseri, a new peculiar species from Libya (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae), Ecologica Montenegrina 50, pp. 23-27 : 24-26

Ocnogyna mooseri sp. n.

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:486D6983-85F7-4C1D-B2B3-6FB0E6D3FBFE

( Figs 1 , 10 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 1 , 10 ): female, [ Libya, Cyrenaica , vicinity of Marawah] “Libyen | Cyrenaika | Umg. Marawah | 780m 29.12.[19]74 | Leg. Dr. Schulte ” / “Slide AV6486 ♀ A. Volynkin ” (GMF- B).

Note. Since the male of the new species is unknown while the female is morphologically different from all known Ocnogyna species-groups, its placement in the genus is debatable. The slender body and the forewing shape and pattern of O. mooseri sp. n. ( Fig. 1 ) are reminiscent of Tajigyna Dubatolov, 1990 ( Fig. 9 ) endemic to the West Pamir Mts in Tajikistan and closely related to Ocnogyna ( Dubatolov 1990, 2010). However, since the female of the only species of Tajigyna , T. gansoni is unknown and for biogeographic reasons as well, we place the new species in Ocnogyna and not Tajigyna .

Diagnosis. The forewing colouration and pattern of the female of the new species ( Fig. 1 ) is most similar to those of males of O. advena ( Figs 4–6 ) females of which are brachypterous ( Figs 2, 3 ). Nevertheless, the female genitalia of O. mooseri sp. n. ( Fig. 10 ) are similar to those of the externally dissimilar taxa of the O. parasita species group ( Fig. 11 ; also illustrated by Witt et al. (2011)) but differ in a number of diagnostic features. The antrum of the new species is broad and funnel-shaped whereas in the O. parasita species group, it is nearly rectangular with a medial posterior depression, and only slightly broader than the ductus bursae. The ductus bursae of O. mooseri sp. n. is markedly longer and somewhat narrower than in the O. parasita species group. The corpus bursae of the new species is significantly longer and broader than in the O. parasita species group, and the distal section of the appendix bursae is conspicuously longer and broader. Additionally, the apophysis anterioris of O. mooseri sp. n. is very short and thick whereas it is narrower and elongate in the O. parasita species group. Compared to O. advena ( Fig. 12 ), the female genitalia of O. mooseri sp. n. have a broad ostium bursae and a broad and heavily sclerotised antrum whereas in O. advena , the antrum is absent and the ostium bursae is narrow with membranous margins. The ductus bursae of O. mooseri sp. n. is long, broad and heavily sclerotised whereas it is very short, narrow and weakly sclerotised in O. advena . The corpus bursae of the new species is broad sack-like with an area of weak sclerotisation postero-laterally, whereas that of O. advena is teardrop-shaped and fully membranous. Additionally, the appendix bursae of O. mooseri sp. n. is markedly longer and broader than in O. advena , and the apophysis anterioris is thicker and much shorter.

Description. External morphology of adult female ( Fig. 1 ). Antenna deep brown, shortly serrate. Body slender. Head deep brown. Thorax deep brown; patagia deep brown with thin creamy fringe; tegula deep brown with wide longitudinal medial creamy stripe. Forewing broad, triangular with rounded apex and convex outer margin. Forewing ground colour brown with creamy suffusion. Basal stripe creamy, narrow, bifurcate with longer distal branch. Antemedial area with small creamy spot on costal margin. Postmedial line sinuous, interrupted into three various sized pale orange spots posteriorly, large trapezoid pale orange discal spot, and wide creamy spot on costal margin touching the discal spot. Subterminal line zigzagged, interrupted into narrow pale orange spot at tornus, large irregular pale orange spot on Cu 1, small pale orange spots medially and subanteriorly, and creamy spot on costal margin. Cilia brown. Hindwing ground colour orange with pink suffusion outwardly and intense blackish-brown suffusion basally and subbasally along A veins. Terminal band wide, brown, interrupted into several large irregular spots touching each other at apex. Cilia orange with admixture of brown scales medially and at apex. Abdomen monotonous deep brown.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 10 ). Androconial glands elongate and narrow, longer than ovipositor. Papilla analis broad, trapezoid, with rounded corners, weakly setose. Apophysis posterioris elongate, thick, apically rounded. Apophysis anterioris very short and thick, tubercle-like. Antrum heavily sclerotised, broad, funnel-shaped with broad but shallow medial depression ventrally. Ostium bursae moderately broad. Ductus bursae heavily sclerotised, elongate, somewhat dilated anteriorly, dorso-ventrally flattened. Corpus bursae broad, sack-like, with area of weak sclerotisation postero-laterally on left side. Appendix bursae positioned postero-laterally on right side, with broadly conical basal section, narrow and twisted medial section and long, broad and distally dilated distal section with ductus seminalis originating medio-laterally.

Male unknown.

Distribution. The new species is known only from its type locality in north-eastern Libya. Etymology. The new species is dedicated to the memory of the late Mr. Josef Mooser (Freising, Germany), a dedicated Lepidoptera collector and friend of the senior author.

Figures

Figures 1–9. Ocnogyna (1–8) and Tajigyna (9): adults. Depositories of the specimens: 1 and 2 in GMF-B; 3–8 in MWM/ZSM; 9 in WIGJ.

Figures 10–12. Ocnogyna: female genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 10 in GMF-B; 11 and 12 in MWM/ZSM.