Strigocossus ralffiebigi Yakovlev, 2021

Yakovlev, Roman V., 2021, Strigocossus ralffiebigi sp. nov. (Lepidoptera: Cossidae: Zeuzerinae) from Democratic Republic of the Congo and Republic of Uganda, Ecologica Montenegrina 45, pp. 1-5 : 2-5

Strigocossus ralffiebigi Yakovlev sp. nov.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:38A856A8-14EA-42F8-9821-D02B5912E188

Figs 1−7

Material. Holotype. Male , Uganda Western , Semliki NP, Border Semliki NP, 2 km E Semliki, Visitor Centre Old Road, N 00º55.33′′, E 30º10.157′′, 22.iii.2013, LF, 900 m, leg. R. & S. Fiebig & D. Stadie ( RFC later ZSM, Genitalpräparat Ralf Fiebig RF-599.2020) . Paratypes. 2 males, [ Democratic Republic of the Congo], Sankuru [Province], Katoko-Kombe [3.35150 S, 24.41494 E], 27.xii.1951 and 15.i.1952, Dr. Fontaine, Genital slide Coss /MRAC 2015/22 ( RMCA) ; 3 males, [ Democratic Republic of the Congo], [Upper] Uele [Province], Paulis [Isiro, 3.29020 N, 27.55681 E], 29.ii.1956, 9.iii.1956, 12.iii.1956, Dr. M. Fontaine ( RMCA) .

Description. Length of fore wing 51 mm in holotype, 50−52 mm in paratypes. Antenna bipectinate in proximal half, simple (without setae) in distal half. Thorax and abdomen densely covered with grey scales. Fore wing grey with dense pattern of strokes throughout all wing, crescent black band in submarginal area, big brown spots with blurred margins in discal area, wide lightened portion discally. Fringe mottled, light between veins, dark at veins. Hind wing light-brown, with dense reticulated dark-brown pattern, wide longitudinal strokes between veins. Fringe mottled, light between veins, dark at veins.

Male genitalia ( Figs 3−5 ). Uncus long, narrowing to apex, apically round; gnathos arms very short, thick, narrowing from base to apex, not fused; valve relatively short, costal and saccular edges poor;y curved, apically rounded; juxta robust, basally semicircular, with two long robust lateral processes, directed dorsally; saccus large, semicircular; phallus very robust, with distinctly expressed longitudinal folding, almost straight, vesica with big finger-like spindle-curved cornutus in lateral surface.

Female unknown.

Diagnosis. Most close to Strigocossus moderata (Walker, 1856) (= S. leucopteris Houlbert, 1916 , = S. vosseleri Gaede, 1930 ) (holotypes illustrated in Yakovlev & Murphy 2013), from which it differs in the much darker color, the poorly curved costal edge of the valve, very robust lateral processes of the juxta and the much more robust phallus.

Habitat ( Fig. 6 ). Equatorial polydominant forest.

Flight time. December – March.

Distribution. Known only from Democratic Republic of the Congo (Sankuru and Upper Uele Provinces) and Western Uganda ( Fig. 7 ).

Etymology. The species is named after Ralf Fiebig, Germany, for his merits in the exploration of African moths.

Acknowledgment

The author is grateful to Ralf Fiebig (Rossleben, Germany) for interesting material from Uganda, Belgian colleagues Didier Van den Spiegel, Alice Buset, Jurate and Willy De Prins for providing the possibility of comfortable working in the Royal Museum of Central Africa, to Anna Ustjuzhanina (Tomsk, Russia) for the help in translation of the paper and to Harmuth Strutzberg (Weimar, Germany) for the excellent genital preparation.

Figures

Figure 6. Type locality (photo by R. Fiebig).

Figure 7. Distributional map of Strigocossus ralffiebigi Yakovlev sp. nov.

Figures 1−2. Strigocossus ralffiebigi Yakovlev sp. nov., males: 1. Holotype (RFC); 2. Paratype, Congo, Sankuru, Katoko-Kombe, 27.12.1951, Dr. Fontaine (RMCA).

Figures 3−5. Male genitalia of Strigocossus ralffiebigi Yakovlev sp. nov. (Holotype): 3. Armature, lateral projection; 4. Armature, ventral projection; 5. Phallus, lateral projection.