Eretmocera hafeetensis, Roberts & Bengtsson, 2023

Roberts, Huw & Bengtsson, Bengt A., 2023, Description of Eretmocera hafeetensis sp. nov. from UAE (Lepidoptera, Scythrididae), Nota Lepidopterologica 46, pp. 135-144 : 135

Eretmocera hafeetensis sp. nov.

Type material.

Holotype: • 1♂; UAE, Al Ain, Ain Al Waal; 24.067°N, 55.748°E; alt. ca 255 m; 15 May 2020; Huw Roberts leg. (at Aerva javanica / sweep net) - NHMAD.

Paratypes: • 2♂, 5♀; UAE, Al Ain, Ain Al Waal; 24.067°N, 55.748°E; alt. ca 255 m; 15 May 2020; Huw Roberts leg. (at Aerva javanica / sweep net) - males with genitalia slides BÅB 2348X & 2349X. - NHMAD and HRCA. • 4♀; UAE, Al Ain, Ain Al Waal; 24.067°N, 55.748°E; alt. ca 255 m; end of May, 2014, Huw Roberts leg.; 78168-78171 [journal number in coll. BÅB]; genitalia on slides BÅB 2273X & 2274X. - In coll. BÅB, HRCA, and NHMAD. • 3 ♀; UAE, Al Ain, Ain Al Waal; 24.067°N, 55.748°E; alt. ca 255 m; 25 May 2020; Huw Roberts leg.; genitalia on slides BÅB 2333X. - In coll. HRCA and NHMAD. • 3 ♀; UAE, Al Ain, Ain Al Waal; 24.067°N, 55.748°E; alt. ca 255 m; 15 May 2020. 87698-70; Huw Roberts leg. - In. coll. HRCA and NHMAD.

Additional material.

• 1 ♀; UAE, Al Ain , Ain Al Waal; 24.067°N, 55.748°E; alt. ca 255 m; 17 May 2022. Huw Roberts leg. - In. coll. HRCA .

Diagnosis.

Eretmocera hafeetensis sp. nov. (Figs 2 , 3 , 4 ) is readily recognised in position of repose by the pale, X-shaped marking combined across the two forewings, most evidently in females. These markings are not observed in any other species in the genus. In contrast to most other species in Eretmocera , the antennae in the new species are only insignificantly thickened. The male genitalia are similar to those of e.g. Eretmocera arabica (Amsel 1961), but the structure of the gnathos differs in its diverging posterior prongs. They also resemble those of E. bradleyi (Amsel 1961), but the uncus is furnished with a row of sclerotized teeth. The female genitalia are characterised by the sclerotized structure in segment 8 with a pair of posteriorly directed extensions furnished with long bristles, and anteriorly displaying narrow, sclerotized “pockets”.

Description.

Male (Fig. 5 ): Wingspan 9-10 mm. Head, collar, and thorax blackish brown with semi-metallic shine. Labial palp slender, up-curved, ivory; second and third (pointed) segment of equal length. Antenna black and slightly thickened in basal part (segment 1-6) and with indication of erect scales on segments 4-10; length 0.7 of forewing length. Forewing dark brown or blackish brown, markings yellow: at base a short oblique patch; at one fourth a longer patch directed outwards; near tornus a round spot; and near apex a dorsal round spot. Hindwing with pale yellow tinge, covered by dark brown scales, denser apically. Ventral side of forewing ochreous yellow with faint markings, mirroring the markings on the dorsal side. Ventral side of hindwing ochreous yellow, darkening apically. Fringes in both wings dark fuscous, in hindwing with faint cilia line and richer brown basally. Coxa yellow; femur yellow with many dark brown scales; tibia dark brown with a broad yellow ring in middle; tarsal segments dark brown with few pale scales basally. Abdomen rich yellow-orange, segment 2-4 (5) with a blackish brown ring, in some specimens almost covering the whole segment, segment 5-6 with some blackish scales in middle, last segment black with yellow hair scales in middle.

Female (Fig. 6 ): Size, colouration, and markings as in male but antenna simple without indication of erect scales.

Male genitalia (Fig. 7a, b ): Uncus thick, thorn-shaped. Gnathos large, V-shaped in posterior half. Tegumen conical. Valva slender, claviform, in posterior third densely bristled. Phallus slender, slightly sigmoid, tapered to a point. Vinculum large, spatular. Sternum VIII trapezoid with posterior indentation. Tergum VIII trapezoid, posteriorly and anteriorly concave.

Female genitalia (Fig. 8a, b ): See Diagnosis.

Etymology.

The species is named after the mountain (Jebel Hafeet) on which it has been found, Jebel being the Arabic word for mountain.

Distribution.

The majority of specimens were found on the west flank of Jebel Hafeet, a mountain that straddles the border between UAE and Oman. This isolated anticlinal massif springs up dramatically to over 1,140 metres from a ‘pancake’ -flat surrounding area just south of Al Ain, in Abu Dhabi emirate. The type locality is given as 24.067°N, 55.748°E (Figs 9 , 10 ). The species was found on plants at elevations of ca. 255-370 m. Two other locations for this species are included in its known distribution, Ain Al Fayda Ladies’ and Children’s Park (historical), at 24.092°N, 55.719°E (elevation 242 m) and Wadi Nahyan, at 24.096°N, 55.751°E (elevation 290 m).

The discovery was made in the context of an ongoing faunal study of an area measuring 900 meters by 700 metres, at Ain Al Waal (Figs 9 , 10 ). The study area is sandwiched between the mountain and a raised road that provides a barrier between it and a recently built housing area. It is characterized by mature trees ( Ziziphus spina-christi (L.) Desf., Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce and the non-native, invasive species Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) DC.) in the lower lying central area, giving way to scrub land with smaller plants such as Physorrhynchus chamaerapistrum (Boiss.) Boiss and Ochradenus arabicus S.Chaudhary, Hillc. & A.G.Mill on higher ground. Several wadis feed into this area, including one that features a series of semi-permanent pools, that have in the past been supplemented to render them permanent (for the benefit of a small population of wild Arabian Tahr, Arabitragus jayakari (Thomas, 1894) on the mountain). Also, deep holes and caves punctuate the landscape in many locations.

The lack of disturbance in this area over time has undoubtedly helped it to evolve a rich biodiversity. The city’s expansion from being an oasis town with population of around 1,500 in 1950 to the fourth largest city in the UAE with a population of around 630,000 in 2022 (Worldpopulationreview.com 2022) has until recent years concentrated in areas at least 10 km to the north. Even since 2014, as thousands of houses were being built nearby, security, via a border police presence and a security gate operated by the construction site’s general contractor, kept the Ain Al Waal area free of human disturbance.

Climate, habitat and biology.

The climate of the region is characterized by high temperatures and low rainfall. In summer, the mean temperature is 36.4 °C (Climate Data 2022), although daytime temperatures often exceed 50 °C. With an average of 17.7 °C, January is the coldest month. Rainfall is erratic, although in most years, there is some rain in January and February, which encourages the growth and proliferation of spring flowering plants.

From late April to June, in most years of average winter rainfall, the new species was found in good numbers, especially on Aerva javanica . It was also found once during November. Although the larvae and host plants were not identified during the study, adults were collected on the following plants:

Aerva javanica (Burm.f.) Shult. ( Amaranthaceae ) 15.iv.2010, 28.v.2012, 8.ii.2019, 19.v.2020, 21.v.2020, 28.v.2020 & 11.xi.2022 (Figs 3 , 11 )

Chrozophora oblongifolia (Delile) A.Juss. ex Spreng ( Euphorbiaceae ), 30.iv 2013 & 21.v.2014 (Figs 2 , 4 , 12 )

Calotropis procera (Aiton) W.T.Aiton ( Apocynaceae ) 1.vi.2019 & 5.vi.2020 (Fig. 13 )

Ochradenus aucheri (Boiss) (in Resedaceae ) 21.iii.2022, 4.iii.3022, 8.iv.2022 & 17.iv.2022 (Fig. 14 )

Salvadora persica L. ( Salvadoraceae ) at a nearby park, Ayn Al Fayda 3.v.2010 (Fig. 15 )

Figures

Figure 5. Holotype male of Eretmocera hafeetensis sp. nov.

Figure 6. Adult female of E. hafeetensis sp. nov. leg. HR, Ain Al Waal, 17. v. 2022.

Figure 9. Type locality of Eretmocera hafeetensis: Ain Al Waal, Al Ain, UAE (24.067 ° N, 55.748 ° E).

Figure 10. Coverage area of Ain Al Waal study. Map data 2019 (C) Google.

Figures 2 - 4. 2. E. hafeetensis sp. nov. in resting position on Chrozophora oblongifolia (Ain Al Waal, 27. v. 2012). 3. E. hafeetensis sp. nov. in position of repose on Aerva javanica. (Ain Al Waal, 15. iv. 2010). 4. E. hafeetensis sp. nov. in resting position on Chrozophora oblongifolia (Ain Al Waal, 21. v. 2014).

Figures 7, 8. 7 a. Male genitalia of E. hafeetensis sp. nov. (ventral view) (BAB 2349 X); 7 b. Male genitalia S 8 (left) & T 8 (right) of E. hafeetensis sp. nov. (ventral view) (BAB 2348 X). 8 a. Female genitalia S 8 and the ostium region of E. hafeetensis sp. nov. (ventral view) (BAB 2274 X); 8 b. Female genitalia of E. hafeetensis sp. nov. (ventral view) (BAB 2274 X).

Figures 11 - 15. Plants on which Eretmocera hafeetensis was found. 11. Aerva javanica (Burm. f.) Shult. (Ain Al Waal, 20. xi. 2014). 12. Chrozophora oblongifolia (Delile) A. Juss. ex Spreng (Ain Al Waal, 22. v. 2014). 13. Calotropis procera (Aiton) W. T. Aiton (Ain Al Waal, 14. iv. 2021). 14. Ochradenus aucheri (Boiss) (Ain Al Waal, 7. iv. 2023). 15. Salvadora persica L. (Ain Al Waal, 16. vi. 2014).