Hyleina kaphetea, Bartsch, Daniel, 2017

Bartsch, Daniel, 2017, Hyleina kaphetea, a new genus and species of clearwing moths from tropical Africa (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae: Sesiini), Zootaxa 4286 (3), pp. 425-430 : 427-428

Hyleina kaphetea new species

( Figs 1–3, 6 , 7 )

Holotype ♂ ( Fig. 1 ): Zambia, East Province , Nyangombe, Savanna Biome, 14°14'59''S, 31°10'02''E, 1013m, 28.Dec.2010, A.J. Gardiner leg. ( SAMC).

Paratypes: 1♂, Zambia, Northwest Province, vic. Ikelenge, Hillwood Farm , 01.Jan.2011, A.J. Gardiner leg. (CJB, later in SAMC) ( Fig. 2 ) ; 1♂, same data as holotype ( Bartsch gen. prep. 2016–51) ( SMNS) ; 1♂, Zambia, Northwest Province, Zambezi Rapids , 11°07'34''S 24°11'29''E, 1213 m, 01.Jan.2011, A.J. Gardiner leg. ( Fig. 3 ) ( SMNS) ; 3♂, Malawi, Lilongwe District, Dzalanyama Forest , 13°27'S, 33°39'E, 18.-21.Feb.2004, 1300 m ( Fig. 4 ) (Bartsch gen. prep. 2017–08) (CDK) ; 1♂, Elisabethville [Congo, Katanga, Lubumbashi ], Janvier 1937, Ch. Seydel ( Fig. 5 ) (Bartsch gen. prep. 2006–02, Fig. 8 ) ( ZSM) ; 1♂, Zambia, Western Province, street M 10 between Katima Mulilou and Mongu Silumba, 990 m, 21.Dec.2012, at light 19–20 h, 16°57.0'S, 23°52.3'E (CJF) ; 2♂, Mukuyu, Kigoma T. T. [ Tanzania, Kigoma Territory, Mukuyu Hills east of Kabogo ], Dec.1963, Japanese Primate Expedition (Bartsch gen. prep. 2008–15, Fig. 7 ) ; 1♂, same locality, Oct.1962 ( Fig. 6 ) (Bartsch gen. prep. 2016–50) ( NMKN) .

Etymology. The name of this species derived from the ancient Greek word: kaphetēs = brownish.

Description. Head: Labial palpi pale grey with bright pearly gloss, tufted scales darker grey with light bluish gloss; frons smooth, pale grey with pearly gloss; scales of vertex short, slightly rough, pale grey; pericephalic scales pale grey, laterally white; antennae brown, distally blackish-grey, scape pale whitish-grey.

Thorax: pale brown-grey with pearly, ventrally more intensive bright purple gloss. Legs pale grey; fore leg with bright purple; mid and hind leg with whitish-pearly gloss; mid and hind femur dark grey, ventral edge whitish; spurs whitish. Wings with well developed transparent areas; veins, margins, discal spots and fringes as well as apical area of forewing brownish-grey; the latter consisting of longitudinal, wedge-shaped, basad pointing spots in venous interspaces; hindwing distally with similar but much smaller spots in venous interspaces.

Abdomen: pale brown-grey, tergites 1 and 2 somewhat darker, more brownish; anterior and posterior margin of tergite 1, as well as posterior margin of tergite 2 narrow black; anterior margin of tergite 2 indistinctly white.

Male genitalia ( Figs 7–8 ): tegumen slightly bend ventrally; uncus about half as long as tegumen, lobes scarcely covered with hair-like setae; gnathos long, minutely bend distally. Valva with dorsal margin rather short and straight, distal margin long and straight, ventral margin long and arcuate, thus appearing pentagonal; apical area of thorn-like setae round-oval; area of multifurcate setae extend over dorsal half. Saccus narrow, relatively short. Phallus ( Figs 7 b, 8b) straight, about as long as valva; coecum penis bilobed, lobes latero-distally with a small appendage; vesica covered with numerous fine spines.

Variation. The species varies considerably in size with wingspan 21–30 mm, forewing length 9.5–14.0 mm, antenna 4.0–7.0 mm, body 9–17 mm, but only minutely in coloration as well as in extension of the transparent areas. One specimen from Zambia, Northwest Province, vic. Ikelenge and one from Malawi, Dzalanyama Forest has the whitish markings of the first abdominal segments more prominent and sternite 2 completely white ( Fig. 2 ). The smallest specimen from Malawi, Dzalanyama Forest has apical area of forewings and distal margin of hindwings somewhat broader. Individual differences in shape of valva and number and arrangement of its setae may represent intra-specific variation, e.g. the specimen from Elisabethville has the apical area of thorn-like setae of the valva smaller and the tooth-like protrusion of its dorsal margin less distinct ( Fig. 8 ).

Distribution. The Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Hyleina kaphetea new gen. & new sp., ♂ specimens. 1. Holotype (underside right). 2 – 6. Paratypes. 2. Zambia, Northwest Province, vic. Ikelenge, Hillwood Farm (underside right). 3. Zambia, Northwest Province, Zambezi Rapids. 4. Malawi, Lilongwe District, Dzalanyama Forest. 5. Congo, Katanga, Lubumbashi. 6. Tanzania, Kigoma Territory, Mukuyu Hills east of Kabogo. Scale 10 mm.

FIGURES 7 – 8. Hyleina kaphetea new gen. & new sp., ♂ paratypes, genitalia structures. b, phallus. c, terminal abdominal segments. 7. Tanzania, Kigoma Territory, Mukuyu Hills east of Kabogo. 8. Congo, Katanga, Lubumbashi. Scale 1 mm.