Lemonia batavorum, Šumpich & Jagelka, 2021

Šumpich, Jan & Jagelka, Martin, 2021, Lemonia batavorum sp. nov. from the Netherlands, an overlooked sibling of L. dumi (Lepidoptera: Brahmaeidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 61 (2), pp. 483-494 : 484-490

Lemonia batavorum sp. nov.

( Figs 1–5 , 16–17 , 20–21 , 24 )

Lemonia dumi [misidentification]: SCHAFFERS (1995), VOS et al. (2007, 2008)

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♂ ( NMPC), NETHERLANDS: GELDERLAND: De Veluwe, Nationaal Park De Hoge Veluwe , ix. 2016 (ovo), reared x.2017, cultivated by M. Jagelka, collector unknown . PARATYPES: 7 ♂♂ 11 ♀♀ (1 ♂ 3 ♀♀ JAG, 6 ♂♂ 8 ♀♀ NMPC): the same data as holotype, gen. prep. Šumpich 19904 (♀), 21286 (♂), 21287 (♀), 21289 (♂), (Barcode NMPC-Lep-0130, NMPC-Lep-0170, NMPC-Lep-0261) .

Description. Adult. Male ( Figs 1–3 , 30 ). Wingspan 41–45 mm. Head rusty brown, palpi labialis very short, densely covered with hairs of the same colour on tip but dark brown near base. Antenna dark brown, bipectinate, not ciliate. Eyes round, black. Thorax and abdomen with long rusty hairs. Forewing triangular with pointed apex. Ground colour dark brown with rusty hairs near base, fringes very short, rusty yellow. Discal spot usually small, round. Transverse line in two thirds of wing, very narrow, usually with sharp edges. Hindwings of the same ground colour but distinctly lighter near base, fringes short but longer than those of forewings, rusty yellow. Transverse line leads almost through middle of wing, broader, tapering posteriorly. Ventral side of both wings dark brown between transverse lines and margins of wings, basal area rusty-yellowish in forewing, darker in hindwings. Venation sometimes slightly suffused with yellowish scales.

Female ( Figs 4–5 , 29 ). Wingspan 44–52 mm. Similar to males, but larger wingspan and antennae with shorter arms.

Variation. None.

Male genitalia ( Figs 16–17 , 20–21 ). Uncus cask-shaped, comparatively long, tapering posteriorly, near base slightly narrowed, distinctly bilobed. Valvae nearly rectangular, dorso-apically rounded, ventral-lateral margin nearly right-angled. Juxta wide, only slightly bulging. Aedeagus straight, without cornuti.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 24 ). Papilla analis broad, semioval, posterior apophysis 1.9× longer than anterior apophysis. Antrum cup-shaped with nearly straight edges, expanding proximally, distal part without sclerotized termination. Ductus bursae comparatively short, approximately of the same length as bursa copulatrix, membranous without sclerotization. Bursa copulatrix oval, without signa.

Larva ( Figs 27–28 ). Caterpillars in final stage are coloured similarly to those of L. dumi ( Figs 31–32 ) but have more brightly developed yellowish white stripes on body segments. Differential diagnosis. Lemonia batavorum resembles L. dumi in external appearance ( Figs 6–15 , 33 ), but the latter is generally paler and with ochre brown ground colour (rusty brown in L. batavorum ), broader and yellow transverse lines of both wings (rusty yellow in L. batavorum ), discal spot of different size and shape (round in L. batavorum ), usually yellow basal part of costa (always dark in L. batavorum ), brown submarginal bands usually not reaching wing margin on upper side, and mainly apex of forewing darker in lighter specimens (whole submarginal band dark in L. batavorum ); this is more significant in females. In male genitalia, L. batavorum differs in the shape of uncus (shorter and more convex laterally in L. dumi ), valva (dorso-apical part more pointed in L. dumi ) and juxta (rounded, distinctly more prominent in L. dumi ) ( Figs 18–19 ). In female genitalia, L. batavorum differs in the shape of antrum (bulbous and with sclerotized terminations in L. dumi ), papillae analis round, posterior apophysis approximately 1.5× longer than anterior apophysis, and ductus bursae comparatively longer in L. dumi ( Fig. 25 ).

Molecular data. BIN BOLD:AEA3525 (n = 3). The average intraspecific divergence of the barcode region is 0.0 %. Distance to the nearest neighbour is 1.92 %. ( L. dumi [BIN BOLD: AAD9009; n = 13 (7 public); records from Finland, Sweden, Czechia, Slovakia, Ukraine, Russia; the average intraspecific divergence of the barcode region is 0.37 %, maximum 0.64 %]). For other details see Fig. 26 and Conclusions.

Etymology. The species name batavorum is given after Batavi, an ancient Germanic tribe that once inhabited the Gelderland region in the Netherlands (formerly called Batavia), from where the new species is described; noun in apposition.

Biology. In the National Park De Hoge Veluwe it occurs in sunny meadows and heathlands surrounded by pine trees, and on sandy soil with sparse grass, herbs and mosses according to SCHAFFERS (1995, as L. dumi ). Hypochaeris radicata , Hieracium pilosella and Taraxacum officinale are mentioned as the food plants in the Netherlands ( VOS et al. 2008, as L. dumi ). In our breeding we gained the following knowledge of the species bionomy: eggs are rounded and similar to those of L. dumi but a little bit darker and comparatively larger in size. They are laid by females in several batches around the stems or twigs of dry plants close to the ground or even on the ground. Eggs overwinter and caterpillars hatch in March and April.After hatching from eggs, the caterpillars move a lot to find suitable plants to feed. We used Taraxacum sp. , Sonchus sp. and Lactuca virosa as foodplants in captivity. Caterpillars feed during the day and night as well. Most of the time they are hidden on the ground where they are very well camouflaged. When mature, they bury themselves under the ground where they make a small chamber for pupation. We used a box with a layer of clay about 10 cm thick which was sufficient for pupation. Pupa is reddish brown. The moths hatched after 4–5 months but overwintering of pupa is probably also possible as it is sometimes seen in L. dumi . In our big “butterfly room” adults hatch in the morning hours, usually around 10:00 a.m. Flight period is in October, in nature depending on the weather.Adults have been seen flying even in very low temperatures (around +6°C). Males mostly fly around midday and they look for calling females. Males are much stronger and faster fliers than those of L. dumi and their flight is faster. Mating is short, lasting only 10 to 20 minutes. Females fly off after copulation and start to lay eggs. Unfortunately, breeding failed to continue for more than one generation.

Distribution. The Netherlands ( SCHAFFERS 1995, VOS et al. 2008, this paper). It looks that the current distribution area is located only in the small north-western part of the country delimited by large rivers – the Waal in the south and the Ijssel in the east. In the past, L. dumi was reported also from Noord-Brabant in the south of the Netherlands but it has not been confirmed there since 1895 ( VOS et al. 2008). According to SCHAFFERS (1995) the last occurrence of L. dumi in the Netherlands before discovery in Hoge Veluwe originated from Swalmen in the Limburg region from 1956. However, most probably all these records belong to L. dumi , not to L. batavorum , similarly to the records from Belgium and northern France (cf. LEBRUN 2007, JOSEPH & JUGAN 2012). We also did not find any voucher specimens of L. batavorum from northwest Germany. The moths from Denmark definitely belong to L. dumi . We examined several specimens of L. dumi from a small area in North Zealand (coll. ZMUC) where it occurred in a large population in the past but it has not been collected there since 1980, and at present this species is considered most probably extinct within the whole Denmark (recent records from Denmark are based on more or less doubtful observations, without voucher specimens) (O. Karsholt, pers. comm.).

Remark. Lemonia dumi has not been protected in the Netherlands so far ( VOS et al. 2008) although the species was very rare and potentially endangered there. Currently it occurs only in De Hoge Veluwe National Park ( SCHAFFERS 1995; VOS et al. 2007, 2008) where it has been recorded on several sites (https://www.vlinderstichting.nl/vlinders/ overzicht-vlinders/details-vlinder/herfstspinner). Considering that the current Dutch populations are here placed to a separate species, its strict protection and especially active support of its habitats (or sites of its potential occurrence) is absolutely necessary to save its gene pool.

Figures

Figs 1–5. Habitus of Lemonia batavorum sp. nov., Netherlands, De Veluwe, x.2017, ex ovo (NMPC). 1 – holotype, male. 2–5 – paratypes: 2–3 – males; 4–5 – females (a – dorsal view, b – ventral view).

Figs 16–17. Male genitalia of Lemonia batavorum sp. nov., paratypes. 16 – gen. prep. SU21289; 17 – gen. prep. SU21286 (a – detail of socii, b – detail of the tip of aedeagus).

Figs 20–23. Comparison of uncus (a) and juxta (b) in male genitalia. 20–21 – Lemonia batavorum sp. nov.; 22–23 – L. dumi (Linnaeus, 1761).

Figs 24–25.Female genitalia of Lemonia sp. 24 – L. batavorum sp. nov., paratype, gen.prep. SU19904; 25 – L. dumi (Linnaeus, 1761), Czechia, Moravia, Brno, gen. prep. SU21288. a – detail of ostium.

Figs 27–33. Comparative presentation of larvae and adults in natural position. 27–30 – Lemonia batavorum sp. nov.; 31–33 – L. dumi (Linnaeus, 1761) (a – larva in dorsal view; b – larva in lateral view; c – adult, female; d – adult, male).

Figs 6–10. Habitus of Lemonia dumi (Linnaeus, 1761), males. 6 – Czechia, Bohemia, Jirny, 16.x.1932, F. Gemperle leg. (NMPC). 7 – Czechia, Moravia, Kuřim, 24.ix.1979, L. Traxler leg. (NMPC). 8 – Austria, Wien, 10.x.1940, F. Fischer leg. (NMPC). 9 – Switzerland, Menziken (without faunistic details) (NMPC). 10 – Denmark, Tibirke Bk., Sjaelland RT, 16.x.1980, R. Torp (ZMUC) (a – dorsal view, b – ventral view).

Figs 11–15. Habitus of Lemonia dumi (Linnaeus, 1761), females. 11 – Czechia, Bohemia, Jirny, 10.x.1933, A. Silbernagel leg. (NMPC). 12 – Czechia, Moravia, Kuřim, 16.ix.1979, L. Traxler leg. (NMPC). 13 – Slovakia, Gbelce, 27.x.1966, J. Marek (NMPC). 14 – Germany, Walheim (without faunistic details) (NMPC). 15 – Denmark, Tibirke Bk., Sjaelland RT, 13.x.1955, H. K. Jensen (ZMUC) (a – dorsal view, b – ventral view).

Figs 18–19. Male genitalia of Lemonia dumi (Linnaeus, 1761). 18 – Czechia, Moravia, Kuřim, gen. prep. SU21301; 19 – Slovakia, Plášťovce, gen. prep. SU21285 (a – detail of socii, b – detail of the tip of aedeagus).

Fig. 26. Neighbor-joining tree based on public DNA barcodes of the Lemonia specimens with Sabalia picarina Walker, 1865 (Brahmaeidae) as an outgroup species (for sources see Material and methods).