Pollanisus worimi, Mollet & Tarmann, 2023

Mollet, Bernard & Tarmann, Gerhard M., 2023, Revision of the genus Pollanisus Walker, 1854 (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae: Procridinae), Zootaxa 5281 (1), pp. 1-72 : 36-37

Pollanisus worimi sp. n.

Material examined ( Table 8), all from New South Wales. Larvae collected on Hibbertia scandens .

Holotype: 1♁ (978) ( Figs 118, 121 ), Barrington Tops N. P., main track, 31°53′42.4″S, 151°36′08.6″E, 1130 m, 25.II.2013, S. & B. Mollet leg. ( BMC).

Paratypes: 2♁, same data as holotype.

Female: unknown

Discussion and differential diagnosis. P. worimi (without ochreous spots) and P. incertus are similar in habitus, their head ratio data are slightly different ( Table 17 ) and P. worimi is localized in New South Wales at Barrington Tops, while P. incertus is localized in Northern Queensland. The head ratio data of P. worimi sp. n. are different than those of P. trimacula and P. kalliesi sp. n. ( Table 8), which justifies describing this new species.

Description. Male holotype. Length of body: 6.2 mm; length of forewing: 8.8 mm; breadth: 3.2 mm; length of hindwing: 6.3 mm; breadth: 3.1 mm; length of antenna: 5.8 mm; distance between compound eyes in frontal view 1.10 x the breadth of compound eye and 0.77 x the height ( Table 8); compound eye black, almost circular in lateral view; ocellus slightly ovoid; chaetosemata of triangular shape, long and narrow occupying all the space between the compound eye and the ocellus. Antenna: brown with satin sheen, segments 1 to 32 bipectinate, 33 to 44 biserrate, pectinations of maximum length at segment 10, about 5.5x longer than breadth of shaft in dorsal view. Body: frons brown with gold metallic sheen, vertex brown, an edging of greenish gold metallic scales bordering the compound eyes, proboscis yellowish brown, labial palps brown and upcurved; patagia and proximal part of tegulae covered with coppery metallic scales; thorax brown dorsally, with strong blue metallic sheen ventrally; abdomen brown, segments 2–8 coppery, with metallic sheen dorsally, brown ventrally. Forewing: brown with satin sheen on upperside, light brown at underside; four whitish ochreous spots on upper side and slightly visible on underside. Hindwing: brown with a large slightly translucent area medially, underside with shiny greenish blue scales anteriad of medial stem and at anal angle. Legs and coxae: legs brown, coxae with strong green metallic sheen.

Male genitalia. ( Fig. 37 ). Valva very large, distally straight, dorsally with pointed apex, distal margin convex, ventral margin convex. Phallus nearly 3 x longer than broad, cylindrical, slightly upcurved, cornutus as long as phallus.

Phenology and bionomics. Larvae of Pollanisus worimi . sp. n. were collected ( Fig. 126 ) on Hibbertia scandens along the main track at Barrington Tops N. P. on the edge of dense forest, just before the gate that delimits the subalpine area above.

Etymology. This species is named in honour of the Worimi Aboriginal community for whom the Barrington Tops area is their traditional country (Hunter Living Histories 2018).

Figures

FIGURES 117–123. Pollanisus species, upperside and frontal view. P. trimacula. 117, 120. male, Huskisson. P. worimi sp. n.. 118, 121. Holotype male, Barrington Tops. P. kalliesi sp. n.. 119, 122. Holotype male, Barrington Tops, Polblue; 123, Paratype female, same locality as holotype. (scale bars: 1 mm).

FIGURES 34–40. Male genitalia of holotypes. 34. Pollanisus jumbun sp. n. (993). 35. Pollanisus yugambeh sp. n. (772). 36. Pollanisus horakae sp. n. (1412). 37. Pollanisus worimi sp. n. (978). 38. Pollanisus kalliesi sp. n. (836). 39. Pollanisus jirrbal sp. n. (818). 40. Pollanisus nocturna sp. n. (948). (scale bar: 1 mm)

FIGURES 124–126. Pollanisus trimacula, larvae. 124. At Lamington N. P. 125. At Huskisson. P. worimi sp. n., larva. 126. At Barrington Tops N. P.