Tumicla tsonga Volynkin & László 2018, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Volynkin, Anton V.
name: László, Gyula M.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Erebidae
Tumicla
Tumicla tsonga

description: Tumicla tsonga Volynkin & László, sp. nov.
(Figs 3–5, 18, 26)
Type material. Holotype (Figs 3, 18): ♂, Mozambique, 15m, Maputo Special Reserve, Ponta Milibangalala, (Dune Forest), 26°26'58.6''S, 32°55'29.8''E, 25–30.V.2017. Actinic Light Trap. Aristophanous, M., Laszlo, G., Miles, W., Vetina, A. leg., slide No.: AV3035♂ (coll. ANHRT).
Paratypes 2 ♂, 11 ♀ in total from Mozambique, Maputo Special Reserve: 1 ♀, 11m, forest clearing campsite (Sand Forest), 26°17'24''S, 32°45'45''E, 9–12.VI.2017, MV Light Trap. Aristophanous, M., Laszlo, G., Miles, W., Vetina, A. leg., slide No.: AV3036 ♀; 1 ♀, same data, but collected with an Actinic Light Trap; 2 ♂, 1 ♀, 22m, West Gate, (Sand Thicket), 26°30'14.2''S, 32°42'59.6''E, 21–30.XI.2016. Light Trap. Aristophanous, M., Cristóvão, J., Laszlo, G., Miles, W. leg., slide Nos: AV3265 ♂, AV2979 ♀; 8 ♀, 9m, Mangrove Camp (Mangrove–Woodland Mosaic), 26°19'35.9''S, 32°42'35.7''E, 7–9.XII.2016. MV. Aristophanous, M., Cristóvão, J., Laszlo, G., Miles, W. leg., slide No.: AV2980 ♀ (coll. ANHRT and NHMM).
Diagnosis. T. tsonga sp. nov. (Figs 3–5) is externally similar to several other species of Tumicla like T. rubea, T. sagenaria, T. gigantea, T. doa, T. mutabilis and T. rosea (Figs 6–14, 20–25, 28–35), but clearly differs from them by its considerably darker hindwings. However, the clear distinctive characters are expressed in the configuration of the genitalia.
The male genitalia (Fig. 18) is similar to those of T. rubea (Fig. 20), T. sagenaria (Figs 24, 25), T. similis (Fig. 21) and T. arktos sp. nov. (Fig. 19) due to the absence of thorn-like carinal process, but differs clearly by the configuration of vesica which has three diverticula basally and subbasally. In addition there is a distal row of robust, slightly curved, thorn-like cornuti in T. tsonga sp. nov., whereas there are two bunches of considerably finer cornuti of vesica in T. sagenaria, much fewer, straight cornuti in T. arktos, much finer, and more numerous cornuti in T. rubea and no cornuti on the vesica of T. similis. Due to the similar basic configuration of uncus, valvae and cornuti of vesica, the new species’ closest relative is most probably T. rubea, although the relationships between species within the entire genus could be clarified most reliably by application of molecular / biological methods.
The female genitalia of T. tsonga sp. nov. (Fig. 26) is similar to those of T. doa (Fig. 28) and T. rosea (Fig. 29), but differs by its more strongly sclerotized, anteriorly and posteriorly broadened, more or less hour-glass shaped ductus bursae, which is rather funnel-like in the related species. The laterally situated, globular shaped corpus bursae of the new species is considerably smaller than that of T. doa and T. rosea situated proximally in both species. In addition the new species has a rounded, scobinated signum bursae, whereas signum bursae is absent in both related species; the appendix bursae of the new species is the largest in the group, with conspicuous lateral sclerotization, while the appendix bursae of T. doa and T. rosea is fully membranous.
Description. Adult (Figs 3–5). Forewing length 10–11 mm in males and 12–16 mm in females. Male antennae ciliate, female antennae filiform. Intraspecific variability rather low, expressed only by the different thickness of the elements of forewing pattern, especially the ante-, postmedial and medial lines.
Head: brick-red, frons blackish.
Thorax: brick-red, with four black spots mediolaterally; Forewing moderately broad, broader in female, with rounded apex and oblique tornus; forewing ground colour brick-red in males, pale brick-red in females; wing pattern blackish, consists of two large subbasal spots, zigzagged ante-, postmedial and medial lines connecting each other, semilunar discal spot, and interrupted subterminal line consisting of dashes of various length; cilia black. Hindwing dark brick-red in males, paler in females, cilia blackish around apex and orange-red posteriorly.
Abdomen: brick-red, in male with admixture of blackish hair scales.
Male genitalia (Fig. 18). Uncus moderately long, narrow, distally curved, hook-like, apically pointed; tuba analis broad, scaphium thin, weakly sclerotized, subscaphium represented by a field of fine spinulose scobination; tegumen moderately long and broad; juxta broad, shield-like; vinculum short, V-like, apically rounded; valva elongated, medially broadened, its distal half slightly curved ventrally, apically strongly tapered, with rounded tip; costal margin with short irregular dentation at apex; sacculus short, narrow, weakly setose, without processes. Aedeagus short, straight; vesica broad and long, directed ventrally, with one basal and two lateral subbasal diverticula and a distal row of robust, curved, thorn-like cornuti of different length.
Female genitalia (Fig. 26). Ovipositor short and broad; papillae anales rectangular, with rounded angles; apophyses anteriores and posteriores moderately long, thin, and equal in length; ostium bursae very broad with slightly arched margin; ductus bursae broad, dorso-ventrally flattened, medially laced, heavily sclerotized, rugose at connection with corpus bursae; appendix bursae larger than corpus bursae, directed anteriorly, moderately sclerotized laterally, with ductus seminalis originating apically; corpus bursae small, globular, situated laterally, membranous, with a medium large, more or less rounded weakly scobinated plate of signum.
Distribution and bionomics. Tumicla tsonga is currently only known from the southernmost part of Mozambique. All specimens of the type series were collected at mercury vapour light and by actinic light trap in various habitats of the Maputo Special Reserve, i.e. in dune forest (type locality, see Fig. 40), sand thicket, open woodland and sand forest. The specimens have been collected during the beginning of the wet season and in the dry season as well, the species is most probably polyvoltine. Food plant and early stages unknown.
Etymology. Tsonga is the name of a major ethnic group in southern Mozambique.
description: Published as part of Volynkin, Anton V. & László, Gyula M., 2018, On the taxonomy of the genus Tumicla Wallengren, 1863 with description of two new species from Mozambique (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae), pp. 293-306 in Zootaxa 4442 (2) on pages 300-304, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4442.2.6, http://zenodo.org/record/1303149