Rhotana novahiberniensis Zelazny, 2011

Zelazny, B. & Webb, M. D., 2011, 3071, Zootaxa 3071, pp. 1-307 : 91

Rhotana novahiberniensis Zelazny , sp. nov.

( Fig. 229)

Description. Forewings 1.9 times longer than wide, length about 5.6 mm. Colour stramineous to light orangebrown; labium and fore tibiae and tarsi dark reddish-brown. Forewings with eight black marks, arranged in pairs near hind margin, some round, others elongated or nearly rectangular; the marks are separated by a broad red band and some white spots (covered with white powder); a red mark around last subcostal sector; veins stramineous, but second subcostal sector orange-red; short sections of Sc and R, and the apical cross-veins between Sc, R, and M faintly orange-red. Hindwings colourless. Facial carinae well separated, rostrum not surpassing hind coxae. Forewings with a triangle at base of Ms1. Male genitalia with apical part of aedeagus short, bearing two rounded, terminal lobes of equal length; the right lobe with a rounded extension at the base which partly overlaps the left lobe.

Etymology. Derived from Nova Hibernia (New Ireland), the species name ( novahiberniensis , -iensis, -iense) is an adjective.

Type material. Holotype ♂ (forewing 5.6 mm), PAPUA NEW GUINEA, NEW IRELAND; labels: 1) NEW IRELAND ( SW)/ "Camp Bishop"/ 15 km. up Kait R./ 125 m. VII-8-1956 2) Light Trap / E.J. Ford, Jr. ( BPBM).

Distribution. New Ireland.

Diagnosis. Rhotana novahiberniensis resembles R. pavo (Bierman) from Sumatra and Borneo, as well as R. globosa sp. nov. and R. panthera sp. nov., both from New Guinea. It can be distinguished from the first two by the broad red bands separating the marks on the forewings and from the latter by the separated facial carinae, the wing markings not being of uniform shape, and the reddish-brown colour of the proboscis and fore tibiae.