Metarctia (Metarhodia) lunda sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 49DE8603-9C1B-438A-B0E4-6D8C9F930FC0

(Figs 3–6, 15–16, 21)

Holotype. ♂, “ ZAMBIA 1300m / Nyangombe Falls / (Miombo / Riverine forest mosaic) / 11°48'25"S, 24°32'12"E / 15–17.xi.2018 MV Light Trap / Aristophanous, M., Derozier, V., / Laszlo, G., Oram, D. Leg. / ANHRT:2018.40” // unique ide.: ANHRTUK 00067062, gen. slide No.: LG 6448 (ANHRT).

Paratypes. Zambia. 1 ♂, with the same data as the holotype; 10 ♂♂, 1 ♀, same site, 17–23.xi.2019, Actinic and MV light trap, leg. Bashford, M., Miles, W., Mulvaney, L., Smith, R., ANHRT:2019.25, gen. slide Nos: AV6378 (♂), LG 6445 (♂), LG 6447 (♂), LG 6450 (♀); 1 ♀, Nkwaji, Mwinilunga, 1316m, 11°36'22"S, 24°33'17"E, 3–10.xi.2017, MV light trap, leg. Carter, M., Lloyd, A., Miles, W., Oram, D., Smith, R., ANHRT:2017.32; 1 ♀, Hillwood, Ikelenge, 1400m, 11°16'02"S, 24°18'59"E, 25– 27.xi.2014, light trap, leg. Smith, R. & Takano, H., ANHRT:2017.12, gen. slide No.: LG 6449; 1 ♂, Camp near Kanyama, (Miombo/Riverine/Dambo mosaic), 1375m, 11°25'36"S, 24°40'00"E, 4– 7.xii.2019, MV Light Trap, Bashford, M., Miles, W., Mulvaney, L. leg., ANHRT:2019.25; 2 ♂♂, Jiwundu Swamp, 1340m, 11°51'54"S, 25°33'20"E, 21–24.xi.2014, light trap, leg. Smith, R. & Takano, H., ANHRT: 2017.12, gen. slide No.: LG 6446 (ANHRT).

Description.

External morphology of adult (Figs 3–6).

Forewing length 15–18 mm in male, 21–22 mm in female. Antenna pale cream, bipectinate in both sexes, rami twice as long as diameter of antenna shaft in male, rami in female half as long as in male. Head small, compound eyes relatively large. Proboscis absent, labial palps short, porrect. Labial palps, frons, vertex, collar, uniformly dark brown, tegulae, mesothorax and legs slightly lighter greyish-brown; index of very short spurs 0-2-2. Forewing elongate, costal and anal margin straight, termen evenly arcuate, apex rounded; ground colour dark brown with variable extent of reddish-brown patches, distal end of cell often with dark grey blotch. Transverse lines absent except for very thin, continuous, grey terminal line; fringe brownish-grey. Forewing underside uniformly greyish-brown. Hindwing short and narrow, elongate with rounded apex and anal margin; uniformly ochreous pink without transverse lines and discal spot, intensity of pinkish hue varying; female hindwing darker than that of male, with grey fringe. Hindwing underside as of upperside with slightly darker greyish dorsal area. Abdomen uniformly dark brown without marking.

Male genitalia (Figs 15–16).

Uncus stout, proximal half slightly bulged dorsad, setose, distal half dilated dorsoventrally into a longitudinal dorsal crest with margin distally curved ventrad, ventrally with two short longitudinal lateral lobes, apex truncate. Tegumen moderately long and narrow. Juxta rather large, somewhat Xshaped with short, broad apically truncate anterolateral, and larger, triangular posterolateral lobes enclosing a V-shaped medial incision with heavily sclerotised, rugged ridge-like margin. Vinculum short, saccus short and narrow, rounded. Valva moderately broad basally, split into three elongate lobes: costal process elongate-triangular bearing a cluster of long, needle-like setae apically; cucullus (medial process) ca. 2.5 times longer than costal process, slightly arched, gradually tapered in proximal half, distal quarter slightly dilated, apex rounded with dense group of fine, long, acute setae, gradually shortening proximad on ventral margin; saccular process almost as long as cucullus, narrow digitiform, very slightly dilated distad, apically rounded and with ventral side covered in fine setae. Phallus short and narrow, straight; coecum with elongate-quadrangular process taking up ca. one-third the length of entire phallus possessing two short rounded lobes apically; carina absent. Vesica with short, slightly inflated basal section possessing a very short pocket-like ventral diverticulum, and two small, sack-like dorsolateral diverticula; area around base of vesica ejaculatorius with a small grain-like cornutus and fine scobination continued on proximal section of vesica ejaculatorius.

Female genitalia (Fig. 21).

Ovipositor very short, moderately broad, papilla analis rounded-quadrangular, very weakly setose; pseudopapillae short and narrow, rounded-triangular; apophysis posterioris short, as long as papilla analis, thin, apically rounded. Eighth tergite very short, narrow belt-like, apophysis anterioris very short (ca. one-quarter the length of posterior one), triangular with slightly curved distal section and pointed apex. Sterigma highly modified and heavily sclerotised, dorsoventrally swollen, somewhat U-shaped pointing craniad and continued in ribbon-like lateral sclerotisation with ridged surface connecting distal end of sterigma with ventral margin of narrow ostium bursae. Antevaginal plate divided into a pair of short, rounded lateral plates connected to anterior margin of sterigma. Ductus bursae moderately broad, short tubular (ca. one-third the length of corpus bursae) projecting caudad from ostium bursae then bent craniad; corpus bursae ovoid, membranous with very fine scobination dorsally; signum bursae absent.

Diagnosis. The closest relative of the new species is M. (M.) jordani Kiriakoff, 1957 described from Mount Moco in western Angola. However, the two species are readily distinguished by the following characters: Metarctia (Metarhodia) lunda sp. n. is larger in size (forewing length of M. (M.) jordani is 12 mm) and it lacks the conspicuous pinkish ochreous spots at the anal vein, in the cell and between M1 and M2 veins, displaying dark grey-brown patches instead; furthermore, the similarly pale cream rami are ca. 25% shorter in the new species. In the male genitalia, M. (M.) lunda sp. n. has a shorter, dorsoventrally more dilated uncus, a somewhat longer costal process and cucullus (medial process), a considerably longer saccular process of the valva and a larger juxta with markedly wider laterodistal lobes compared to those of M. (M.) jordani.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the Lunda people, the largest ethnic group in the Northwestern Province of Zambia where the new species was discovered. The name is a noun in the nominative case.

Distribution (Fig. 23). Metarctia (Metarhodia) lunda sp. n. is known exclusively from northwestern Zambia where it was collected in mosaics of Miombo woodlands, riverine forests (mushitu) and marshlands.