Hypotrabala ophioglossa, Takano & László, 2024

Takano, Hitoshi & László, Gyula M., 2024, Descriptions of new Hypotrabala Holland, 1893 (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae: Lasiocampinae: Selenepherini) in the collections of the African Natural History Research Trust, with notes on allied genera and the description of a new genus, Ecologica Montenegrina 72, pp. 19-63 : 39-40

Hypotrabala ophioglossa sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1FF3F0C8-D51B-4FB8-B2B6-F117FC644518

( Figs 30 , 71 )

Holotype ♂ ( ANHRT):

“ GABON 430m / Mikongo ( Rougier ), Monts / de Cristal (Anthropised Forest) / 0°29’47”N, 11°10’42”E / 28.vii-12.viii.2019 House light / Albert, J-L., Aristophanous, M., / Bie Mba, J., Dérozier, V., / Moretto, P. Leg. / ANHRT:2019.17 // ANHRTUK / 00132263 // Gen. slide No. / LG 6287 ♂ / prep. by Gy. M. Laszlo [black border; partially handwritten]”

Description.

Forewing length: 21 mm.

Upperside. Ground colour of head and thorax mahogany, the head irrorated with paler scales (although difficult to ascertain due to the grease); tegulae and abdomen buff. Antenna bipectinate, brown. Forewing pointed at apex, outer margin gently arcuate. Ground colour mahogany with pale orange markings basally and anteriorly. Antemedial fascia mahogany, bilineate, crenulate, arising perpendicularly from costa, and gently angled to terminate perpendicularly along anal margin. Discal spot reniform, cream, as wide as the widest part of the cell. Postmedial fascia dark brown, bilineate, crenulate, indistinct with only the costal and anal sections visible, leaving what appear as pale orange spots in between the two lines. Subterminal fascia indicated by pale orange patches on its outer edge largest between veins M1 and M3. Fringe dark greyish-brown. Hindwing outer margin arcuate, almost angled at vein CuA2; ground colour warm buff becoming darker towards anal fold. Costa and a small patch between vein CuA2 and tornus with mahogany scaling. Fringe pale buff becoming mahogany between CuA1 and tornus. Underside. Ground colour of head and thorax buff; forelegs darker. Abdomen buff with mahogany tufts medially on each segment. Ground colour of wings warm buff. Forewing with mahogany costal and distal margin. Discal spot ovoid, pale yellow. Subterminal band well-defined, broadly parallel to the outer margin, interrupted in space M2. Terminal area strongly bisected by golden scales along veins. Hindwing ground colour warm buff, costal margin with mahogany scaling from base to Sc+R1 vein and around tornus.

Male genitalia. Socius very long, ca. four-fifths the length of valve, arms broad at base, almost straight, gradually tapered, with clubbed apex, arising far from each other, diverging at ca. 100°. Tegumen short, relatively broad, inner margin slightly arched. Valve short, relatively broad at base, medially constricted and curved dorsad, dilated postmedially, tapered apically to thorn-like pointed apex; ventral valve margin with short, rounded process postmedially, broadly rounded subapically; distal half densely covered in long setae on dorsal margin. Juxta with very small, pointed posteromedial process. Vinculum narrow ribbon-like medially, with short, rounded-quadrangular lateral plates. Phallus very short, coecum penis large, as long as sclerotised part of phallus, membranous sack-like, tightly attached to juxta; sclerotised section of phallus gradually tapered, curved dorsad, apically pointed. Vesica not inflated, very small, membranous without cornuti or serrate plate. Sclerotisation of eighth sternite with relatively broad, chevron-like anterior apodemes gradually tapering to pointed apex and a heavily sclerotised, thick, snake tongue-shaped posteromedial process having a V-shaped bifid apex with pointed tips.

Diagnosis. Phenotypically, H. ophioglossa superficially resembles H. joiceyi but in the latter, the dark and pale halves of the forewing are better-defined. The male genitalia is however quite different; in the latter, the socii are short and broad, the valves are longer and gently arcuate, and the eighth sternite lacks a sclerotised process. The differences between H. ophioglossa and the not dissimilar sympatric H. volynkini are outlined in the diagnosis section of the latter.

DNA divergences. Unavailable.

Derivatio nominis. The new species derives its name from the unique shape of the sclerotised eighth sternite which evokes a serpent’s forked tongue.

Figures

Figures 29–38. Hypotrabala species: 29. H. volynkini sp. n., holotype ♂. 30. H. ophioglossa sp. n., holotype ♂. 31. H. lydiae sp. n., holotype ♂. 32. Id., paratype ♂. 33. H. tabithae sp. n., holotype ♂. 34. Id., paratype ♂. 35. H. lunda sp. n., holotype ♂. 36. Id., paratype ♂. 37. H. neavei (Aurivillius, 1915), ♂, Malawi, Mzuzu Wildlife Sanctuary [ANHRTUK 00270070]. 38. Id., holotype ♂ of Pachymeta neavei Aurivillius, 1915 [NHMUK 0010292291].

Figures 66–71. Male genitalia of Hypotrabala species, a: clasping apparatus, b: lateral view of phallus, c: eighth sternite, d: dorsal view of phallus (a, b, c to scale, d magnified). 66. H. exquisita sp. n., holotype [LG 6307]. 67. H. extenuata sp. n., holotype [LG 6309]. 68. H. pruinosa sp. n., holotype [LG 6285]. 69. H. indefinita sp. n., holotype [LG 6324]. 70. H. pallens sp. n., holotype [LG 6293]. 71. H. ophioglossa sp. n., holotype [LG 6287].