Eugoa salomonica Bucsek & Rindoš, 2018

Bucsek, Karol & Rindoš, Michal, 2018, Description of a new species from the genus Eugoa Walker, 1858 (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae) from the Solomon Islands, Zootaxa 4504 (1), pp. 135-137 : 135-137

Eugoa salomonica Bucsek & Rindoš , sp. nov. (Figs. 2, 3, 5)

Diagnosis. As to the nearest relative of the new species, based on the morphology of the genitalia, we can consider Eugoa silvia Bucsek, 2016 (Fig. 4) from Halmahera Island, Moluccas, Indonesia. Eugoa salomonica , sp. nov. differs from E. silvia by having a slightly smaller body size, different pattern in the discal area of the forewings, where the newly described species has a dark brown subreniform spot instead of the straight strip connecting the postbasal and postdiscal stripes. Also the postdiscal stripe is without a notch on the outer margin. The male genitalia of E. silvia differs by the shape of the valve lacking an evident tip on the end and marginal serration (Fig. 6). The juxta is without a sclerotized top with spines. The phallus is smaller and less curved and the basal diverticulum has a longer and sharper tip. Type material. Holotype, male, Solomon Islands, Guadalcanal, ca. 3,5 km SE of Barana village, (clearing in secondary forest, at light), 09° 29.8' S, 159° 59.5' E, 190 m, 24. xi. - 14. xii.2013, leg. Jiří Hájek, the holotype is deposited in NMPC.

Paratype, male, Solomon Islands, Prov. Guadalcanal Isl., 6 km S Honiara, 2 km S Mbarana village , 360 m, 1.- 3.ii. 1998, ex coll. Dr. R. Brechlin, the paratype is deposited in collections of MWM, genitalia slide no. 33.359 .

Description. Wingspan: male imago 24.0 mm. Body length: male imago 8.5 mm (measured from frons to the last abdominal segment). Head: cream, antennae dark brown with a shorter pectination, frons yellowish, labial palpae dark brown with cream last segment. Thorax: Patagium of prothorax and tegula partially dark brown, thorax cream. Forewing length of a male imago 10 mm (measured from base to the apex of a left forewing), background of forewings beige with three dark brown longitudinal stripes. Dark brown spots on the base and on outer margin of basal area, dark brown subreniform spot in discal area. Postbasal and postdiscal stripes with asymmetrical sinuous margins, terminal stripe dark brown with two spikes protruding into the subterminal area and ochre cilia on the outer margin. Hindwings pale yellowbrown with a dark greyish dusting covering almost half of terminal area and with higher concentration in its apical part. Abdomen: pale yellow-brown.

Male genitalia: Uncus robust with notable hair, extended in the upper part and terminate with thin hooked spine (Fig. 5). Tegumen long glabrous tapering upwards. Valve wide with hairy cucullus, as is usual in the genus Eugoa ( Bucsek 2008) , process of cucullus narrow with serrated outer margin and spiky tip. Medial part of costa with sclerotized extension into a costal process; saccular margin smooth and rounded. Gnathos with evident cornutus; juxta sclerotized on both sides of the top and densely covered with spines. Phallus hooked with smooth and bulbous phallobase. Aedeagus wide, with evident sclerotized basal diverticulum forming a wide tip ended with spikes and granular apical diverticulum. Ventral carinal band sclerotized, curved and ended with sclerotized cornut with shape of crown.

Female morphology remains unknown.

Etymology. The new species was named after the type locality, the Solomon Islands.