Neomardara mondika, László, 2023

László, Gyula M., 2023, A new Neomardara Hering, 1926 (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Lymantriinae) from Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, Republic of Congo, Ecologica Montenegrina 62, pp. 26-37 : 27-34

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.37828/em.2023.62.4
publication LSID	urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8BA22FF6-95A9-47F1-835B-354B42CC9E61
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8029827
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/218CE2A6-AF3C-4B4D-9232-13FC86EF7FE0
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:218CE2A6-AF3C-4B4D-9232-13FC86EF7FE0
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Neomardara mondika
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Neomardara mondika sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:218CE2A6-AF3C-4B4D-9232-13FC86EF7FE0

Figs 7–9 View Figures 1–9 , 15, 16 View Figures 10–16 , 21, 22 View Figures 17–22 , 27, 28 View Figures 23–28 , 30, 32 View Figures 29–32

Type material examined.

Holotype. Male , “ REPUBLIC OF CONGO 365m / Nouabale- Ndoki National Park, / Mondika camp / 02°21’50.63”N, 16°16’25.82”E / 07–14.ii.2023, LepiLED light trap / Bakala N., M., Dérozier, V., / Kirk-Spriggs, A., László, G. leg. / ANHRT:2023.3” // “ANHRTUK / 00301050”, gen. slide No.: LG 6046 ( ANHRT). GoogleMaps

Paratypes (88 males, 15 females in total). 32 males, 8 females, with the same data as in the holotype, gen. slide Nos: LG 6047 (male) , LG 6053 (female) ; 39 males, 2 females, same data, but collected by actinic light trap; 17 males, 5 females, same data, but collected at MV light trap ( ANHRT) .

Description.

Adult ( Figs 7–9 View Figures 1–9 ). Forewing length 14–16 mm in male, 18–21 mm in female. Head relatively large, antenna bipectinate, rami of female antenna ca. two-thirds as long as those of male, dark brown in both sexes, dorsal side of antenna shaft creamy white; labial palp relatively short and broad, porrect, dark grey with group of pale grey scale dorso-apically; frons and vertex dark grey, collar dark grey basally, creamy white apically.

Tegula covered in long dark brown hairs with admixture of creamy hairs basally. Mesothorax creamy medially, dark brown anteriorly and posteriorly. Legs. Foreleg. Coxa covered in long creamy, femur in dark grey, tibia and tarsus in creamy grey hairs. Midleg. Femur dark grey, tibia creamy white dorsally, dark grey ventrally, tarsus blackish with group of creamy hairs dorso-basally. Hindleg. Femur pale creamy grey, tibia creamy white, tarsus creamy white basally, with patches of pale grey scales medially, pale grey distally. Abdomen cream in first two basal segments, pale creamy grey distally. Forewing moderately broad and short, costa straight in basal two-thirds, slightly arched in distal third, apex rounded, termen evenly arcuate, anal margin straight. Ground colour dark brown, with broad, cream, distally tapering subcostal band between subbasal area and two-thirds of costa leaving a narrow dark brown costal margin in basal half. Postmedial area with large, cream triangular horizontal patch pointing inwards fused with broad, oblique creamy white postmedial fascia reaching CuA2; subventral part of medial area with narrow, wedge-shaped cream longitudinal streak. Subterminal area gradually darkened from cream to grey ventrad; subterminal line interrupted, consisting of dark brown dashes between veins surrounded by semi-circular creamy patches; terminal line narrow, dark brown, interrupted in upper third. Cilia relatively short, dark brown. Hindwing cream-ochreous, slightly darkened distally; transverse lines absent; cilia short, pale brown. Underside. Forewing. Basal half of costa blackish, distal half creamy grey; inner third creamy grey subcostally, pale grey ventrally; outer two-thirds dark grey with diffuse creamy grey triangular postmedial and subapical patch; cilia as on upperside. Hindwing. Cream, with pale grey area along dorsal margin ending subapically; apex sparsely scattered with grey scales. Sexual dimorphism clearly expressed, females 10–20% larger than males with postmedial area of forewing filled almost uniformly with cream-white scales.

Male genitalia ( Figs 15, 16 View Figures 10–16 , 21, 22 View Figures 17–22 , 27, 28 View Figures 23–28 ). Uncus very short, triangular, encompassed posterolaterally by broad, distally rounded arms of gnathos having narrow proximal arms without medial dilation forming a V shape. Tegumen short and broad, trapezoidal with straight lateral, rounded distal and medially broadly depressed proximal margin. Valva moderately broad at base, gradually tapered distally, apically broadly rounded, ventral margin evenly convex and slightly setose, dorsal margin gently concave without setae; sacculus weakly sclerotized, short with gently arched distal margin, without processes Transtilla with two well-developed distal lobes, inner lobe broad, rounded triangular, outer lobe quadrangular. Juxta long, funnel-like; vinculum very long, gradually tapered in proximal half, distal half finger-like with rounded apex. Aedeagus very long, ca. 1.1 times longer than distance between tip of uncus and vinculum; coecum penis narrow, apically rounded, medial section of aedeagus slightly dilated, then somewhat constricted, distally dilated, dorsal margin finely dentate in distal third. Carina with small, distally rounded and finely dentate lateral plate; basal part of vesica with a moderately sclerotized elongate plate ventro-distally and a more heavily sclerotized elongate plate dorso-proximally. Vesica moderately dilated basally with a sack-like diverticulum near base of long, narrow tubular vesica ejaculatorius; cornuti absent.

Female genitalia ( Figs 30, 32 View Figures 29–32 ). Papilla analis short and broad, moderately setose, trapezoidal with short ovoid ventro-distal lobe and rounded rectangular, heavily sclerotized ventro-proximal plate; apophysis posterioris long and narrow, apically pointed. Eighth tergite short, ribbon-like with membranous distal and sclerotized, medially slightly notched proximal margin; apophysis anterioris long, ca. 1.1 times longer than apophysis posterioris, narrow, apically rounded. Sinus vaginalis broad and shallow with heavily sclerotized, almost straight lateral margins and narrow, rounded triangular rather shallow medial notch on distal margin of antrum. Antrum heavily sclerotized, tubular, very slightly dilated distally and proximally, medially replacing ductus bursae in entire length, distal end with broad, densely spinulose area, continued in longitudinal spinulose band reaching cervix bursae, spinules short and relatively thick, acute. Cervix bursae membranous and strongly rugose, slightly broader than antrum. Posterior section of corpus bursae very short, as long as cervix bursae, tubular, gradually dilated anteriorly; anterior section of corpus bursae large utriform, slightly curved subdistally; signum bursae represented by a very long, narrow, finely scobinate band running along the perimeter of entire bursa copulatrix.

Differential diagnosis. Neomardara mondika sp. n. is easily distinguished from N. africana , the type species of the genus, by the creamy colouration of the forewing pattern (it is white in N. africana ), the considerably broader subcostal band, the fully filled postmedial patch (it is white along its margins only, forming a horizontal V-shaped marking in N. africana ), the much smaller subventro-medial streak and the lack of the parallel, sharply defined, white subterminal and terminal lines ( Figs 1–3, 7–9 View Figures 1–9 ). In the male genitalia, the new species has a markedly broader distal and shorter proximal section of the gnathos, a considerably broader and shorter tegumen, a noticeably broader, distally wider, less tapered valva and somewhat larger distal processes of the transtilla where the inner and outer processes are similar in width in N. mondika , whilst the inner transtillar process is much wider than the outer one in N. africana . The aedeagus of N. mondika is somewhat longer and thicker than that of N. africana ; the small rounded serrate carinal plate is situated laterally in the new species, whilst it is directed ventro-distally in N. africana , continued in a considerably longer and more heavily sclerotized distal plate reaching the diverticulum of the vesica. Furthermore, the dorso-basal sclerotized plate of the vesica is markedly longer in the new species, and the longitudinal dentation of the dorsal side of the aedeagus is shorter than in N. africana ( Figs 10–12 View Figures 10–16 , 17, 18, 21–24, 27, 28 View Figures 17–22 View Figures 23–28 ). As female of N. africana was not traced during this study, the morphology of female specimens could not be compared. Externally, N. mondika is more reminiscent of N. divergens , a species endemic to the Zambian plateau, but readily distinguished by the following features: the new species has a conspicuously creamy white forewing pattern in contrast to the greyish white markings of N. divergens . The subcostal band and the postmedial area of N. mondika are markedly wider than in N. divergens , especially in females, where the uniformly cream-whitish postmedial area of the forewing is twice as wide as the more greyish white postmedial forewing area of N. divergens . The large postmedial patch of the new species is entirely filled with creamy white scales, whereas a small triangular area in the distal section of the patch is dark greyish brown in N. divergens , furthermore, the dash-like subventro-medial marking is noticeably shorter and narrower in N. mondika than in its congener, where it is rather wedge-shaped. The colouration of the hindwing of the new species is creamy white, being more similar to N. africana , whilst it is pale grey in N. divergens ( Figs 4–9 View Figures 1–9 ). In the male genitalia, the new species has considerably more broadly arched distal part of gnathos with shorter proximal arms, noticeably shorter, distally broaded tegumen with more rounded distal corners, somewhat narrower, slightly more elongate valva and slightly shorter vinculum compared to those of N. divergens . In the configuration of the aedeagus, N. mondika has the small, rounded dentate carinal plate situated more laterally compared to the more distal position of the carinal plate in N. divergens ; in addition, the new species has much larger and more sclerotized dorso-basal plate of the vesica and a less acute, dorsal dentation of the aedeagus compared to N. divergens ( Figs 13–16 View Figures 10–16 , 19–22 View Figures 17–22 , 25–28 View Figures 23–28 ). In the female genitalia, the new species has a markedly shorter and less deeply incised sinus vaginalis and a somewhat longer antrum with considerably shorter, less dense spinules compared to those of N. divergens ( Figs 29–32 View Figures 29–32 ).

Etymology. The new species is named after its type locality, the Mondika camp ( Fig. 33 View Figure 33 ), a recognised research station established to study the biology and behaviour of western lowland gorillas in the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park.

Distribution. Neomardara mondika sp. n. was collected during the dry season, however after a heavy rain, solely in the Mondika camp of the Nouabalé- Ndoki National Park, where it appeared to be one of the dominant heteroceran species. Interestingly, the species has not been captured at other sites during the expedition, possibly due to the unusual drought affected large areas of the region delaying the emergence of numerous species. Nevertheless, it is highly likely that N. mondika is distributed throughout the National Park. Further research in the surrounding areas and neighbouring countries is required to establish the exact range of this interesting taxon.