Tumicla arktos Volynkin & László, 2018

Volynkin, Anton V. & László, Gyula M., 2018, On the taxonomy of the genus Tumicla Wallengren, 1863 with description of two new species from Mozambique (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae), Zootaxa 4442 (2), pp. 293-306 : 296-297

Tumicla arktos Volynkin & László , sp. nov.

( Figs 1, 2 , 19 , 27 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 1 , 19 ): ♂, Mozambique, 22m, Maputo Special Reserve, West Gate, (Sand Thicket), 26°30'14.2''S, 32°42'59.6''E, 30.V.–9.VI.2017. MV Light Trap. Aristophanous , M., Laszlo , G., Miles , W., Vetina, A. leg., slide No.: AV3042 (coll. ANHRT) .

Paratypes: 16 ♂, 20 ♀, Mozambique, Maputo Special Reserve : 4 ♂, 2 ♀, with the same data as the holotype, slide No. : AV3044 ♀ ; 3 ♂, same data but collected with Actinic Light Trap ; 2 ♂, 13 ♀, 15m, Ponta Milibangalala, ( Dune Forest ), 26°26'58.6''S, 32°55'29.8''E, 25–30.V.2017 Actinic Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., Laszlo, G., Miles, W., Vetina, A. leg., slide Nos: AV3034 ♀, AV3043 ♀ ; 3 ♂, 2 ♀, same locality, date and collectors, but Dune Grassland, MV Light Trap, slide No.: AV3033 ♂ ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, same locality, Dune Forest , 17-21.II.2018 Actinic Light Trap, Laszlo, G., Mulvaney, J., Smith, L. leg., slide No.: AV4398 ♂ ; 1 ♀, 11m, forest clearing campsite ( Sand Forest ) 26°17’24”S, 32°45’45”E, 9–12.VI.2017, Actinic Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., Laszlo, G., Miles, W., Vetina, A. leg. ; 1 ♂, 22m, West Gate, ( Sand Thicket ), 26°30'14.2''S, 32°42'59.6''E, 21–30.XI.2016, Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., Cristóvão, J., Laszlo, G., Miles, W. leg., slide No.: AV2978 ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 9 m, Mangrove Camp, ( Mangrove-Woodland Mosaic ) 26°19’35.9”S, 32°42’35.7”E, 7–9.XII.2016 MV, Aristophanous, M., Cristóvão, J., Laszlo, G., Miles, W. leg. ; 1 ♂, 17m, Futi Corridor ( Sand Forest Woodland Mosaic), S26°32’10.1”, E32°43’09.7”, 23–24.II.2018, 125W MV Light Trap Laszlo, G., Mulvaney, J., Smith, L. leg. (coll. ANHRT and NHMM) .

Diagnosis. T. arktos ( Figs 1, 2 ) differs externally from other Tumicla species by its conspicuously pale hindwings and the reduced discal spot of the forewing which is substituted by a vertical pair of dots.

The male genitalia ( Fig. 19 ) is similar to that of T. tsonga sp. nov. ( Fig. 18 ) and T. rubea ( Fig. 20 ) by the shape of valva, but differs from both of them by the structure of vesica, which has a lateral diverticulum with a row of long and robust straight spines in the new species. In comparison to that of T. arktos , T. tsonga has much more, slightly curved cornuti erected on a significantly larger diverticulum; in addition, T. arktos has apically slightly arched uncus, whereas that of T. tsonga is rather claw-like as it is conspicuously curved apically. T. rubea differs from the new species by the much more numerous bunch of spines on its vesica.

The female genitalia ( Fig. 27 ) of T. arktos is significantly different from those of other congeners. Although similar to that of T. similis ( Fig. 30 ), it differs clearly by its shorter, much broader, and rugose ductus bursae, the much larger, heavily sclerotized appendix bursae, and the presence of a large signum in the anterior section of corpus bursae, whereas T. similis has much narrower, strongly sclerotized ductus bursae, smaller, membranous appendix bursae, and lacks signum bursae.

Description. Adult ( Figs 1, 2 ). Forewing length 9–11 mm in males, 10–12 mm in females. Male antennae ciliate, female antennae filiform. Intraspecific variability surprisingly moderate, expressed only by the slightly variable thickness of the elements of forewing pattern, especially the ante-, postmedial and medial lines.

Head: pale yellowish brown, frons with a black dot.

Thorax: pale yellowish brown, with four blackish mediolateral spots. Forewing rather elongated, moderately broad, broader in female than in male, with rounded apex; forewing ground colour pale yellowish orange; pattern blackish brown, consists of two small subbasal spots, zigzagged ante-, postmedial and medial lines connecting each other, reduced discal spot consisting of a vertical pair of small dots, and slightly curved, interrupted subterminal line consisting of thin dashes of various length; cilia uniformly black. Hindwing pale creamy-yellow with somewhat darker cilia, with some blackish suffusion at apex.

Abdomen: pale yellowish brown.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 19 ). Uncus moderately long, narrow, with distal half smoothly curved, apically pointed; tuba analis broad, scaphium very thin, weakly sclerotized, subscaphium as a field of weak spinulose scobination; tegumen moderately long and broad; juxta broad, shield-like; vinculum short, V-like, with rounded tip; valva elongated, medially broadened, its distal half slightly curved ventrally with a short, rounded-triangular apical projection; costal margin with short irregular dentation at apex; sacculus short, narrow, weakly setose, without processes. Aedeagus short, curved; vesica broad and short, directed distally with a well-developed, strongly curved lateral diverticulum bearing a row of robust, straight spine-like cornuti.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 27 ). Ovipositor short and broad; papillae anales rectangular, with rounded angles; apophyses anteriores and posteriores moderately long, thin, similar in length. Ostium bursae moderately broad; ductus bursae very short, broad, quadrangular, dorso-ventrally flattened, moderately sclerotized, slightly rugose at connection with corpus bursae. Appendix bursae short, conical, apically rounded, heavily sclerotized, situated postero laterally, ductus seminalis directed posteriorly; posterior section of corpus bursae broad, rugose, moderately sclerotized laterally near base of appendix bursae; medial section of corpus bursae narrow, with weak granulation; anterior section of corpus bursae broad, elliptical, membranous, with large, rounded, moderately scobinated plate of signum bursae.

Distribution and bionomics. Tumicla arktos is to date, only known from the Maputo Special Reserve in southern Mozambique. The type series was collected at mercury vapour light and by actinic light trap in sand thicket (type locality, see Fig. 41 ), sand forest, dune grassland, open woodland, and dune forest habitats. The majority of the specimens have been collected in the dry season, however, two specimens were caught in the beginning of wet season. Food plant and early stages are unknown.

Etymology. Arktos is one of twelve Horae in Greek mythology, a goddess of sunset and night sky.

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Tumicla spp.: adults. 1, T. arktos, holotype ♂, MoZambique (ANHRT); 2, T. arktos, paratype ♀, MoZambique (ANHRT); 3, T. tsonga, holotype ♂, MoZambique (ANHRT); 4, T. tsonga, paratype ♂, MoZambique (ANHRT); 5, T. tsonga, paratype ♀, MoZambique (ANHRT); 6, T. doa, holotype ♀, [TanZania] Kwedikundi (ZMB); 7, T. dimidiata, holotype ♀, Democratic Republic of the Congo (©NHMUK); 8, T. mutabilis, holotype ♀, [TanZania] D.O. Africa (ZMB).

FIGURES 18–21. Tumicla spp.: male genitalia. 18, T. tsonga, holotype, MoZambique, slide AV3035 (ANHRT); 19, T. arktos, holotype, MoZambique, slide AV3042 (ANHRT); 20, T. rubea, holotype, South Africa, slide BMNH(E) Arct-5868 (©NHMUK); 21, T. similis, paratype, Kenya, KibweZi, slide BMNH(E) Arct-4656 (©NHMUK).

FIGURES 26–33. Tumicla spp.: female genitalia. 26, T. tsonga, paratype, MoZambique, slide AV3036 (ANHRT); 27, T. arktos, paratype, MoZambique, slide AV3044 (ANHRT); 28, T. doa, holotype, [TanZania] Kwedikundi, slide 388/2004 Kühne (ZMB); 29, T. rosea, holotype, Malawi, Nyassaland, slide BMNH(E) Arct-5855 (©NHMUK); 30, T. similis, paratype, Kenya, KibweZi, slide NHMUK010314047 (©NHMUK); 31, T. mutabilis, holotype, [TanZania] D.O. Africa, slide 387/2004 Kühne, re-mounted by A.V. Volynkin (ZMB); 32, T. dimidiata, holotype, Democratic Republic of the Congo, slide BMNH(E) Arct-5865 (©NHMUK); 33, T. rubea, paratype, South Africa, slide BMNH(E) Arct-5869 (©NHMUK).

FIGURES 40–41. MoZambique, Maputo Special Reserve, habitats of the new species of Tumicla. 40, Ponta Milibangalala, dune forest, 26°26'58.6''S, 32°55'29.8''E, 24.XI.2016, the type locality of T. tsonga (Photo by Gy. M. LásZló); 41, west Gate, sand thicket, 26°30'14.2''S, 32°42'59.6''E, 26.XI.2016, the type locality of T. arktos (Photo by Gy. M. LásZló).