Pollanisus jirrbal Mollet & Tarmann 2023, sp. n.
Creators: name: Mollet, Bernard
name: Tarmann, Gerhard M.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Zygaenidae
Pollanisus
Pollanisus jirrbal

description: Pollanisus jirrbal sp. n.
Material examined (Table 11), all from Queensland. Holotype: 1 ♁ (818) (Figs 152, 155), Tully Falls N. P., road Ravenshoe to Koombooloomba Dam, 7 km N. of Dam, 17°49′22.5″S, 145°33′34.7″E, 780 m, e. l. on Hibbertia melhanoides (Dilleniaceae), 10/19.XI. 2011, B. Mollet & G. M. Tarmann leg., (BMC).
Paratypes: 1 ♀ (1516) (Figs 154, 157), 2 ♁, same data as holotype but 30.XI.2009; 3 ♁, 1 ♀, same data but, 10/19.XI. 2011, S. & B. Mollet leg. (BMC); 1 ♁, same data but, 17.IV.2013, day, B. Mollet & G. M. Tarmann leg., (BMC); 5 ♁, same data but, 26.IV.2013, day, B. Mollet & G. M. Tarmann leg., (BMC); 7 ♁, 1 ♀, Mt Wallham, Antenna, W of Atherton 17°15′50.6″S, 145°23′35.5″E, 1310 m, 18.IV.2013, males at night, female in day, B. Mollet & G. M. Tarmann leg., (BMC); 1 ♁, Murray Upper Falls N. P., Campground, 18°09′08.9″S, 145°48′54.4″E, 120 m, e. l. on H. melhanoides, 15.IV.2013, B. Mollet & G. M. Tarmann leg., (BMC); 3 ♀ (1), Girringun N. P., Wallaman Falls, Campground NW, 18°35′54.0″S, 145°47′50.7″E, 537 m, 14.XI.2011, day, S. & B. Mollet leg. (BMC); 1 ♁ (1420) (Figs 153, 156) 8 ♁, 1 ♀, same data but, 14.IV.2013, day, including one female, e. l. on H. velutina, B. Mollet & G. M. Tarmann leg., (BMC).
(1) These females were collected around bushes of H. velutina in the habitat where males were collected later and therefore are considered to be P. jirrbal sp. n. specimens.
Paratypes examined, head ratios not included in Table 11, all from Queensland. 9 ♁, 3 ♀, Tully Falls N. P., road Ravenshoe to Koombooloomba Dam, 7 km N of Dam, 17°49’22.5″S, 145°33’34.7″E, 780 m, 30.XI.2009, day, B. Mollet & G. M. Tarmann leg., (TLMF); 1 ♀, same data but (BMC); 1 ♀, same data but, 17.IV.2013,(BMC); 4 ♁ same data but 26.IV.2013, (BMC); 3 ♀, same data but, 10/ 19.XI.2011, S. & B. Mollet leg. (BMC); 3 ♁, 2 ♀, Mt Wallham, Antenna, W of Atherton 17°15’50.6″S, 145°23’35.5″E, 1310 m, 18.IV.2013, males at night, females in day, B. Mollet & G. M. Tarmann leg., (BMC); 3 ♀, Girringun N. P., Wallaman Falls, Campground NW, 18°35’54.0″S, 145°47’50.7″E, 537 m, 14.XI.2011, day, S. & B. Mollet leg. (BMC); 13 ♁, 2 ♀, same data but 13.IV.2013, day, B. Mollet & G. M. Tarmann leg., (TLMF); 17 ♁, 3 ♀, same data, 18.IV.2013 (TLMF); 4 ♁, 7 ♀, same data but, 14.IV.2013, day, including two females, e. l. on H. velutina, B. Mollet & G. M. Tarmann leg., (BMC); 11 ♁, same locality, bred from eggs obtained from one female previously collected on 14.IV.2013, (BMC).
Pollanisus species examined (Table 11), similar to P. jirrbal sp. n., not included in paratypes. 1 ♁, 2 ♀, Walsh’s Pyramid trail, 17°07’13″S, 145°47’46.2″E, 419 m, e. l. on H. melhanoides, 30.IV.2013, B. Mollet & G. M. Tarmann leg., (BMC); 1 ♁, Paluma N. P., road to Paluma, 19°00’10.5″S, 146°16’55.3″E, 258 m, 29.IV.2013, e. l. on H. velutina, B. Mollet & G. M. Tarmann leg., (BMC).
One male from Walsh’s Pyramid and one from Paluma N. P. share slightly different head ratios from those of the P. jirrbal sp. n. populations, due to the lack of more specimens for comparison, they are temporarily excluded from P. jirrbal sp. n. paratypes.
Discussion and differential diagnosis. In group 2 this species has the smallest head ratios (Table 17) due to the very big compound eyes and so far, it is the only species whose larvae feed on H. velutina (Figs 158–160) and H. melhanoides (Figs 161–163), which are very similar in appearance. These specific characters justify the description of these specimens as a new species.
Description. Male holotype. Length of body: 6 mm; length of forewing: 7.7 mm; breadth: 3.2 mm; length of hindwing: 5.9 mm; breadth: 3 mm; length of antenna: 5.7 mm; distance between compound eyes in frontal view, 0.98 x the breadth of compound eye and 0.62 x the height; compound eye black almost circular in lateral view; ocellus slightly ovoid; chaetosemata triangular shape, long and narrow distally, occupying all the space between compound eye and ocellus. Antenna: brown with satin sheen, segments 1 to 27 bipectinate, 28 to 40 biserrate, pectinations of maximum length at segment 10, about 5.5x longer than breadth of shaft in dorsal view. Body: frons brown with greenish blue metallic sheen, vertex brown, edging of blue metallic scales bordering the compound eyes, proboscis yellow, brown labial palps upcurved; patagia, proximal part of tegulae and of thorax covered with coppery metallic scales; thorax brown dorsally with a strong blue metallic sheen ventrally; abdomen brown on segments 1-2, from segment 3 to distal part golden coppery metallic sheen dorsally, brown ventrally. Forewing: brown with satin sheen upper-side, light brown underside. Hindwing: brown with slightly translucent area medially, underside with shiny blue scales anteriad of medial stem and at anal angle. Legs and coxae: brown with strong green metallic sheen.
Female paratype. Length of body: 5.2 mm; length of forewing: 6.8 mm; breadth: 2.6 mm; length of hindwing: 5 mm; breadth: 2.6 mm; length of antenna: 4.7 mm; distance between compound eyes in frontal view, 2.0 x the breadth of compound eye and 1.23 x the height; compound eye black almost circular in lateral view; ocellus slightly ovoid; chaetosemata triangular shape, long and narrow occupying the half space between compound eye and ocellus. Antenna brown with satin sheen, segments 1 to 46 biserrate, pointed distally. Body, forewing, hindwing, legs and coxae (see male description above). Presence of an abdominal yellow hairtuft distally in female.
Male genitalia (Fig. 39). Valva with slightly rounded apex, distally straight dorsally, ventral margin straight. Phallus nearly 4x longer than broad, cylindrical, slightly upcurved, cornutus as long as phallus.
Female genitalia (Fig. 116). Ductus bursae short and translucent, leading into a praebursa with central sclerotization with one small tooth.
Phenology and bionomics. Eggs and larvae were mainly collected on Hibbertia velutina and H. melhanoides. Imagines (Figs 168–170) were collected flying when they were disturbed during their rest around their larval host-plants in daytime and at night with UV. light. The very large compound eye in the male suggests that it is a nocturnal species.
Following the distribution area of their larval host-plants H. velutina and H. melhanoides which are localized in Northern Queensland, the population of P. jirrbal sp. n. could be more widely distributed in Queensland to the North and the South. The larvae (Figs 164–167) are cream colored with some brown patterns, unlike sympatric species such as P. incertus, P. commoni and P. horakae sp. n..
Etymology. This species is named in honour of the Jirrbal Aboriginal people, for whom the district of Ravenshoe was their home prior the arrival of the Europeans.
Distribution map (Fig. 171)
description: Published as part of Mollet, Bernard & Tarmann, Gerhard M., 2023, Revision of the genus Pollanisus Walker, 1854 (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae: Procridinae), pp. 1-72 in Zootaxa 5281 (1) on pages 45-49, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5281.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7912043