Hypotrabala tabithae Takano & László, 2024

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 29002537-E9B4-47A5-B2AA-DAC3A185544F

(Figs 1–7)

Examined material (Fig. 1, DMNH, identified as “ joiceyi (Tams, 1925)” and “ neavei (Aur., 1915) ”): ♂, “ Zambia, Lusaka Prov., / Lusaka Dist., / Lazy J Ranch / 15°28'00.0"S / 28°22'00.0"E / Leg Stephen R D 31.iii.2001 / Coll J G Joannou Rec # 541”, “ ZAMBIA, Lusaka, / Lazy J Ranch / 15°28'S / 28°22'E / 31.iii.2001 R D Stephen”, “ex collection / J. G. Joannou / donated / July 2012 ”; ♂, “ Zambia, North Western Prov., / Mwinilunga Dist., / Mwinilunga Township / 11°45'00.0"S / 24°26'00.0"E / Leg? ex Haynes P 04.xii.2002 / Coll J G Joannou Rec # 7694”, “ Zambia, North West / Province, Mwinilunga. / 11°45'S / 24°26'E / 04.xii.2002 Kayombo F / Ex coll. Haynes P G ”, “ex collection / J. G. Joannou / donated / July 2012 ”, “Abdomen / loaned by / A.Prozorov / from / Ditsong / Museum / in 2016 / Temporary / No Las-61” (Fig. 2); ♀, “ Zambia, Copperbelt Prov., / Chilumbuwa Dist., / Chimfunshi 1288 m / 12°21'32.0"S/27°31'45.0"E / Leg Joannou J G 08.ii.2003 / Coll J G Joannou Rec # 5757”, “ Zambia, Copperbelt, / Chilumbuwa 1288 m / Chimfunshi Orphanage / Miombo Woodland / 12°21'32"S / 27°31'45"E / 8.II.2003 J Joannou”, “ex collection / J. G. Joannou / donated / July 2012 ”, “Abdomen / loaned by / A.Prozorov / from / Ditsong / Museum / in 2016 / Temporary / No Las-60” (Fig. 3); ♀, “Zambia, Southern Prov., / Choma Dist., / Fat Tree Lodge / 16°38 '00.0"S / 27°03'00.0"E / Leg Stephen R D 28.iii.2001 / Coll J G Joannou Rec # 539”, “ ZAMBIA / Choma, Fat Tree Lodge / 16°38'S/27°03'E / 28.iii.2001 R D Stephen”, “Abdomen / loaned by / A.Prozorov / from / Ditsong / Museum / in 2016 / Temporary / No Las-59” (Fig. 4).

Description. Female (Figs 3–4). Length of antenna around 7 mm, rami very short, about four times shorter than in male. Flagellum covered with straw-colored scales. Head and thorax dorsally mottled, with brown and orange scales. Abdomen dorsally mottled-straw. Forewing. Forewing length: 35–39 mm. Elongate, lanceolate, with round anal and tornal angles, slightly wavy outer margin, and protruded blunt apex. Pattern consists of mottled basal field, with dark reddish-brown and orange scales, costal area darker; two dark reddish-brown crenulate antemedial lines, with mottled interspace; dark reddish-brown medial field with sparse orange scales getting denser near costa, on veins and from CuA2 towards wing margin; dark reddish-brown reniform discal spot; two dark reddish-brown crenulate postmedial lines with almost even dark reddish-brown interspace getting mottled, with brown and orange scales near costa, on veins, and near anal angle; dark reddish-brown subterminal field with orange scales appearing near costa, on veins and from CuA2 vein towards wing margin; fragmented dark reddish-brown subterminal fascia consisting of streaks and patches; mottled reddish-cream-colored area between posterior postmedial and terminal lines rising from tornal angle towards Rs4 vein; dark reddish-brown terminal field with sparse cream colored scales getting denser towards tornal angle and orange scales on veins; dark reddish-brown dashed terminal line interrupted with dense patches of orange scales on veins. Fringe mottled, with dark reddish-brown, orange, and cream-colored scales. Hindwing. Elongate, somewhat ovoid, with slightly wavy outer margin. Basally and medially covered with yellow scales getting orangish towards outer margin; costal area mottled, with dark reddish-brown, reddish and orange scales; it bears anal patch with sparse brown scales. Fringe mottled, with yellow and orange scales, getting brown near costa. Genitalia (Figs 5–6). Papilla analis semioval, sparsely covered with thin, relatively short setae. Posterior apophysis about twice as long as anterior one. Sterigma of somewhat oval shape, strongly sclerotized, with posterior semioval hood-like extension, a pair of posterior lateral outgrowths, medioanterior ostium posteriorly covered with V-shaped fold, somewhat oval antrum connected with relatively short ductus bursae abruptly merging with corpus bursa. Corpus bursae ovoid, bears elongate, narrow transverse signum, medially less sclerotized, with lateral denticles.

Note on diagnosis. There are three other species of the genus occurring in Zambia: H. lunda (Figs 5–8; Friend et al. 2025), H. horridula (Figs 9–12), and H. dollmani (Figs 13–14). Only the first one may be confused with H. tabithae, but “can easily be separated based on external and genital morphology” (Takano & László, 2024: 42). Hypotrabala tabithae differs from H. lunda by relatively stable instead of varying wing coloration in adult males (compare Figs 1–2, also Takano & László, 2024: 53, Figs 35–36 and Figs 5–6), slightly darker females (compare Figs 3–4 and 7–8), basally wider socii, shorter serrated plates on vesica, thicker body of the eighth sternite, shorter and wider distal processes on it (compare Figs 17 and 20), thinner signum with more minor lateral dents (compare Figs 16 and 18–19).

Distribution and Biology. Adults were collected in February–March and October–December from altitudes of 1200–1400 m (Fig. 8) within the Zambezian Baikiaea woodlands, central Zambezian wet miombo woodlands, and dry miombo woodlands ecoregions in Zambia (Fig. 9; Olson 2001, Dinerstein et al. 2017).