Palaeugoa ndoki, Volynkin, 2024

Volynkin, Anton V., 2024, The genus Palaeugoa Durante in Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, Republic of Congo, with descriptions of two new species (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini), Ecologica Montenegrina 73, pp. 377-390 : 386-390

Palaeugoa ndoki sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3AADAD94-BABA-4B6A-A7D2-92BC0491B40D

( Figs 16–18 , 29, 30 , 35 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 16 , 29 ): male, “ Republic of Congo 372m | Nouabale-Ndoki National Park , | Mbeli camp | 02°14'23.8''N, 16°23'52.1''E | 14–20.ii.2023, actinic light trap | Bakala, N., Dérozier, V., | Kirk-Spriggs, A., László, G. leg. | ANHRT:2023.3” / “ANHRTUK | 00312053” / “Slide | AV8537 ♂ | A. Volynkin ” ( ANHRT).

Paratypes (21 males, 5 females, all in ANHRT). REPUBLIC OF CONGO: 9 males, same data as holotype, gen. prep. No.: AV8538 ; 2 males, 4 females, 365m, Nouabalé- Ndoki National Park , Mondika camp, 02°21'50.63''N, 16°16'25.82''E, 07–14.ii.2023, actinic, MV and LepiLED light traps, Bakala, N., Dérozier, V., Kirk- Spriggs, A., László, G. leg. , gen. prep. No. : AV8539 ♀; 4 males, 372m, Sangha Prov. , Nouabalé- Ndoki National Park, Mbeli camp ( Gilbertiodendron forest), 02°14'23.8''N, 16°23'52.1''E, 1–10.x.2022, LepiLED, MV and actinic light traps, Dérozier, V., Fouka, B., Kirk- Spriggs, A., Takano, H. leg. , gen. prep. No. : AV6950; 1 male, 1 female, 352m, Sangha Prov. , Nouabalé- Ndoki National Park, Ndoki formation (secondary forest), 02°12'47.7''N, 16°23'45.8''E, 29.ix.–1.x.2022, actinic and LepiLED light traps, Dérozier, V., Fouka, B., Kirk-Spriggs, A., Takano, H. leg. ; 1 male, 341m, Sangha Prov. , Nouabalé- Ndoki National Park, Bomassa camp (secondary forest), 02°12'36.9''N, 16°11'30.2''E, 10–16.x.2022, LepiLED light trap, Dérozier, V., Fouka, B., Kirk- Spriggs, A., Takano, H. leg. , gen. prep. No. : AV6949 ♂; 1 male, same locality and collectors as previous but 16–23.ix.2022, MV light trap ; 1 male, 358m, Sangha Prov. , Nouabalé- Ndoki National Park, Bomassa Forest (secondary forest), 02°11'58.1''N, 16°11'16.9''E, 17–22.ix.2022, actinic light trap, Dérozier, V., Fouka, B., KirkSpriggs, A., Takano, H. leg. ; 1 male, 349m, Nouabalé- Ndoki National Park , Makao Forest, 02°36'42.5''N, 17°09'23.8''E, 15–21.v.2023, actinic light trap, Dérozier, V., Kirk- Spriggs, A., László, G., Mvouende, S. leg. ; 1 male, 365m, Nouabalé- Ndoki National Park , Mondika camp, 02°21'50.63''N, 16°16'25.82''E, 27.iv.–06.v.2023, MV light trap, Dérozier, V., Kirk- Spriggs, A., László, G., Mvouende, S. leg.

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 8.0– 9.5 mm in males and 10.0–11.0 mm in females. Palaeugoa ndoki sp. n. ( Figs 16–18 ) is superficially similar to the Gabonese P. aristophanousi ( Fig. 20 ) with its dark, greyish-brown hindwing, and identification requires the examination of the genitalia structures, which are significantly different in their valva shape, scobination of anellus, juxta width, and vesica configuration and ornamentation ( Figs 29, 30, 32 ). The male genital capsule of the new species is most similar to the Cameroonian P. ngoko ( Fig. 31 ) but in the latter the collis is less prominent, the valva apex is broader, and the juxta is longer. Compared to P. ngoko , the phallus of P. ndoki sp. n. is straight (it is medially downcurved in the congener) and bears a shorter and narrower ventral carinal crest. The vesica of P. ndoki sp. n. is broader than in P. ngoko , has broader subbasal dorsal and ventral diverticula, and an additional, ventral diverticulum bearing a cluster of spines, which is absent in the similar congener. Additionally, in the new species, the lateral cluster of spines is narrower and consists of markedly smaller spines, and the dorsal diverticulum bears two clusters of spines while there is only one cluster in P. ngoko . The female of the new species is very similar to the male but is larger and has a slightly more convex costal margin of the forewing. As the females of other species in the P. peregrina species-group are still unknown, the female genitalia of P. ndoki sp. n. ( Fig. 35 ) were compared with the P. takanoi species-group ( Figs 33, 34 ) instead, and P. ndoki sp. n. is distinguished from the latter in the lack of the antevaginal plate, the funnel-shaped and weakly gelatinous antrum (it is sclerotised in P. asafis and absent in P. takanoi ), the broader corpus bursae, the considerably broader and longer proximal section of the appendix bursae bearing a large sclerotised plate laterally, and the markedly broader distal section of the appendix bursae. Additionally, the 7 th abdominal sternum of P. ndoki sp. n. is weakly sclerotised whereas it bears lateral sclerotisations in the P. takanoi species-group.

Distribution. Currently only known from northeastern Republic of Congo.

Etymology. The new species is named after the type locality, Nouabalé- Ndoki National Park, Republic of Congo. The name is a noun in the nominative singular in apposition.

Acknowledgements

In the Republic of Congo, the cooperative partner of ANHRT, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Congo and their employees authorised research in Nouabalé- Ndoki National Park and provided diverse administrative and technical support during the expeditions. The author expresses his gratitude to the following WCS staff: Morgane Cournarie (Program coordinator), Vittoria Estienne (Director of Research and Biomonitoring), Ben Evans (Park Director), Richard Malonga (Director), Onesi Samba (Research Assistant) and Yako Valentin (Administrative Manager). Joseph Goma-Tchimbakala (General Director of IRSEN, Institut National de Recherche en Sciences Exactes et Naturelles), Jean Bosco Nganongo (Directeur de la DFAP Direction de la Faune et des aires protégées) and the Ministère de la recherche and scientifique are acknowledged for the seamless collaboration in issuing the necessary research (permit Nos: 051/MESRSIT/IRSEN/DG/DS, 0107/ACFAP/DG/DTS) and export permits. The valuable assistance of Victor Mamonekene (Hydrobiologist, Ichthyologist, IRSEN and Marien Ngouabi University) is also highly appreciated.

The author also expresses his sincere thanks to the following for their kind assistance during visits to collections under their care: Dr Alberto Zilli and Mr Geoff Martin (NHMUK), Dr Wolfram Mey (MfN), and Axel Hausmann, Ulf Buchsbaum and Wolfgang Speidel (ZSM). Last but not least, the author is sincerely grateful to Hitoshi Takano (ANHRT) for helpful discussions and diverse assistance in preparing the manuscript.

References

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Volynkin, A.V. & László, Gy.M. (2020) Revision of the genus Palaeugoa Durante, 2012, with descriptions of seven new species (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini). Ecologica Montenegrina, 36, 53–77. http://dx.doi.org/10.37828/em.2020.36.5

Figures

Figures 13–20. Palaeugoa spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 13, 14, 16–18, and 20 in ANHRT; 15 in MfN; 19 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK).

Figures 29–32. Palaeugoa spp.: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 29, 30 and 32 in ANHRT; 31 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK).

Figures 33–35. Palaeugoa spp.: female genitalia. The specimens dissected are deposited in ANHRT.