Lophocampa albitegula Vincent

Vincent, Benoit, 2011, Description of two new Lophocampa Harris from the Dominican Republic (Arctiidae, Arctiinae), ZooKeys 75, pp. 69-78 : 73-74

Lophocampa albitegula Vincent sp. n. Figs 511

Type material.

Holotype - ♀, Dominican Republic, Pedernales, track from los Arroyos to El Aguacate pK 5,2, 1990m, 11-VIII-2007, 18°16.269'N, 71°43.496'W, J. Haxaire and O. Paquit leg. prep gen BV 386, Barcode ID ARCTB 638-08, Sample ID BEVI0548, HQ682631. Deposited in [MNHN]. Paratypes. 2 ♀, same data as holotype, Barcode ID ARCTB 648-08, Sample ID BEVI0558, HQ682630, prep gen BV 369, Barcode ID ARCTB 639-08, Sample ID BEVI0549, HQ682629; in [BVC].

Etymology.

The name reflects the white tegulae of the species.

Diagnosis.

This species is superficially most similar to Lophocampa albiguttata (Boisduval, 1870) (Fig. 6).It has a dark ground colour on the forewings, a subterminal band formed by irregular and flattened spots, a postmedian band formed by spots rounded at the costa then similar to those of the subterminal band. The legs are ringed brown and white. Female genitalia have posterior apophysis shorter than the anterior (longer than the anterior apophysis in Lophocampa albiguttata ) and a smaller bursa(Figs 11 and 12).

Description.

Head. Labial palpi dark, the third segment largely shorter than the two first. Frons dark, vertex white. Scape whitish. Antenna bipectinate, dark except the two first articles which are ochre.

Thorax. Collar white except a wide median dark spot on the anterior side. Tegulae white, hairy, with the internal side dark and the center marked with a wide dark spot. Dorsal side dark with a central white spot and the median axis whitish on the posterior side. Legs dark with some whitish spots.

Forewing. Length: 25 mmGround colour light beige, largely speckled with brown and ornamented with bands of white rounded spots underlined with brown.Basal band formed by an unique spot on the costa. Postbasal, antemedian, median, postmedian and subterminal bands formed by an alignment of white spots underlined with brown and intercalating between veins. Postbasal band broken. Antemedian formed by two white spots and two brown spots. Median band formed by two spots on the reniform spot. Postmedain almost straight and complete. Terminal band formed by irregular white spotssometimes fused with the sinuous subterminal spots.

Hindwing. White, semi-translucent; anal margin more densely scaled with brown scales. The fringe is checkered white and brownish from apex to vein CuA2.

Abdomen. Abdomen greyish.

Female genitalia. Pseudopapillae analeswholly fused. Papillae anales trapezoidandstrongly setose. Anterior apophysis straight, 1 mm in length.Posterior apophysis with a long basis, 1,2 mm. Ductus bursaenarrow, non-sclerotized, reduced and wrinkled at the insertion with the corpus bursae. Corpus bursae large, ovoid, smooth without sigma.In its median area, insertion of a large ductus seminalis.

Male genitalia. Unknown.

Biology and distribution.

It is reasonable to think that Lophocampa albitegula sp. n. is a species restricted to high elevations of the Sierra de Bahoruco in the Dominican Republic. It is probable that the new taxon could be present in the Sierra de Neiba. Previous exploration in this two area in April and May 2004 failed to find this taxon. The habitat is montane cloud forest. Early stages and foodplants are unknown.

Remarks.

Lophocampa albiguttata (Boisduval, 1870) is treated as a synonym of Lophocampa alternata (Grote, 1867) by Watson and Goodger (1986: 23). A comparison of the type material shows a clear difference in these two taxa, in particular the forewing pattern (fig. 4 and 6). Lophocampa albiguttata (Boisduval, 1870) р stat. rev. is therefore raised from synonymy. In the original description, Boisduval does not indicate the number of syntypes, based on specimens from Honduras. A female specimen from the Boisduval collection, conserved in the BMNH, bears a label “Oaxaca”, [Mexico] and a red “TYPE” label. This specimen from Oaxaca may be a syntype of Lophocampa albiguttata , although the species was described from Honduras. A locality error in the original description or labelling error could explain this contradiction. As there is some doubt about the status of this supposed type, the designation of a lectotype or neotype is currently not possible. It is also possible that a syntype is stored in another collection. Finally, no specimens from Honduras have been located to serve as potential neotype. Unfortunately, it was not possible to sequence CO1 on a recent specimen of this rare taxon and to compare it with Lophocampa albitegula sp. n.

Lophocampa alternata was described and illustrated based on a single female specimen ("Number 743, Gundlach’s MS. Catalogue" Grote 1867: 319) from Cuba, and the holotype was in the ANSP. Jason Weintraub, collection manager of this Institution, provided pictures of a female specimen labelled "TYPE n° 7695 by A.R. Grote" and "HOLOTYPE ♀ by A[llan] W[atson] 1967". This specimen not currently in the ANSP. It may have been transferred to CMNH by mistake, during a major exchange of specimens between ANSP and CMNH in the mid-1960s (J. Weintraub, pers. comm.). The presence of this specimen, and other type specimens described by Grote from Cuba, is not yet confirmed by the CMNH’s curator.