Hovana distanti

HOVANA DISTANTI (BRANCSIK, 1893)

(FIGS 16, 17)

Hemidictya distanti Brancsik, 1893: 253;

Hovana distanti; Distant, 1905: 280.

Holotype: Nosy Be, Madagascar, male (HNHM). The specimen labelled as ‘type’ is considered here as holotype by monotypy (ICZN, art. 73.2.1) (Fig. 16A, B).

Diagnosis: Costal area in forewings pigmented; basal cell subpolygonal; apical area reticulated, not separated by a median line from proximal area; ulnar cell (u3) longer (twice the size) than medial cell (mc) of forewings.

Coloration: Green in live specimens, yellow in dried specimens.

Description: Male. Head (Fig. 17A) narrow, smaller than mesonotum. Lateral margin of eyes reaching the paramedian margins of pronotum, not salient relative to the lateral margins of head. Posterior margin of eyes not reaching the anterior margin of pronotum. Supra-antennal plates not prominent. Region of ocelli flat, without tubercles, lateral ocelli not higher than median. Lateral ocelli widely-spaced, the distance between them about the same distance between each lateral ocellus and eye. Postclypeus long, anterior outline V-shaped, rectangular in ventral view and slightly salient in lateral view. Labium short, reaching mesocoxae.

Pronotum (Fig. 17A) bearing a narrow and deep median grove, lateral lobes larger than the paramedian. Paranota developed. Pronotal collar wide, lateral angles truncate reaching the articulation of forewings. Mesonotum (Fig. 17A) with long triangular scutellum reaching the tergite 2 and with a central crest. Parapsidal suture and sigilla not marked. Forewings (Fig. 17B) semi-opaque and wide, covering the whole abdomen in lateral view, apex acute. Veins C and R+Sc apart from each other. Costal area pigmented. Basal cell subrectangular. Ulnar cell (u3) twice the size of medial cell (mc). Radial cell (rc) and ulnar cell (u3) of equal length. Apical area reticulated.

Abdomen fusiform. Uncus present, upper lobe of pygofer longer than anal styles, dorsal beak of pygofer present (Fig. 17C).

Measurements (mm): Type. Length of body: 20.23; width of head including eyes: 5.14; length of head: 3.11; width of pronotum including pronotal collar: 9.51; length of pronotum including pronotal collar: 3.53; width of mesonotum: 8.08; length of mesonotum: 7.35; length of forewing: 26.78; width of forewing: 14.62; length of hindwing: 15.27; width of hindwing: 7.85.

Distribution: Madagascar.

Remarks: Hovana distanti is included in clade C as sister group to Hemidictya frondosa. The species have five homoplastic synapomorphies: expansion (shelf-like) of vein C in forewings absent (31 1), vein C equal in width to R+Sc (32 1), ulnar cell (u3) longer (twice the size) than the medial cell (mc) in forewings (36 2), upper lobe of pygofer present (52 0), and dorsal beak of pygofer present (56 1).