Tumicla mbeghai Volynkin & László 2019, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Volynkin, Anton V.
name: László, Gyula M.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Erebidae
Tumicla
Tumicla mbeghai

description: Tumicla mbeghai sp. nov.
(Figs 9–11, 28, 29, 36)
Type material. Holotype (Figs 11, 36): ♀, “Amani P 269 4/61” / “ Tanzania: Amani, Malaria Institute, G. Pringle coll. B.M. 1966-281” / “ G. Pringle coll. B.M. 1966-281” / “ NHMUK010915998 ”, slide No.: NHMUK 010314594 Volynkin (Coll. NHMUK).
Paratypes: 1 ♂, 3 ♀, with same data as the holotype, slide No.: NHMUK 010314593 (♂) Volynkin (Coll. NHMUK); 1 ♂, [Tanzania] D.O. Afrika, Amani, II.06, Chr. Schröder S.V. / Am. 706 / T 279 / Paratypus ♂ Asura doa by: L. Kühne / L. Kühne Dauerpräparat/e 386/2004 (Coll. ZMB).
Diagnosis. Tumicla mbeghai is the closest relative of T. elephantina. The differences between the two species are discussed above in the diagnosis of T. elephantina. Female of T. mbeghai (Fig. 11) differs from that of T. doa (Fig. 8) by its larger size, broader forewing with more elongated apex, paler forewing ground colour, finer elements of wing pattern, and hindwing cilia being blackish only at apex (whereas in T. doa the cilia is blackish along the entire outer margin). Externally, T. mbeghai (Figs 9–11) is most similar to T. similis (Durante, 2008) (Figs 12–15), from which it differs by its larger size, longer postmedial longitudinal dashes and the absence of blackish dashes at hindwing apex. In the male genitalia, T. mbeghai (Figs 28, 29) differs clearly from T. similis (Fig. 31) by its narrower uncus, narrower tegumen, wider, U-shaped vinculum (that is V-shaped in T. similis), more elongated valva apex, much longer aedeagus with a sclerotised carina, and broader vesica with a robust cornutus (whereas the vesica of T. similis is narrow, lacking any sclerotised elements). The female genitalia of T. mbeghai (Fig. 36) differ from those of T. doa (Fig. 37) by their broader ostium bursae, broader and more heavily sclerotised ductus bursae having an anterio-lateral sclerotised protrusion to the appendix bursae, and the corpus bursae structure. In T. mbeghai the corpus bursae is subdivided into two sections, the anterior one is globular and membranous with weak scobination, while the posterior one is dilated, dorso-ventrally flattened having conspicuous lateral protrusions, whereas in T. doa the corpus bursae is more or less pear-like with its anterior broadened section heavily sclerotised. In addition, the appendix bursae of T. mbeghai is small, conical, heavily sclerotised, situated postero-laterally at left side, whereas in T. doa that is broadly conical, more weakly sclerotised, rugose and situated laterally at right side. In comparison with those of T. similis (Fig. 41), the female genitalia of T. mbeghai (Fig. 36) have longer and much broader ductus bursae, much broader and sclerotised posterior section of corpus bursae having sclerotised lateral protrusions, and larger and sclerotised appendix bursae.
Description. External morphology of adults (Figs 9–11). Forewing length 12–12.5 mm in males and 16–16.5 mm in females. Male antennae ciliate, female antennae filiform. Head pale mustard yellow with blackish dot on frons. Thorax pale mustard yellow, with four black spots medio-laterally and one dot medio-posteriorly. Forewing moderately broad, broader in female, with rounded apex and oblique tornus; forewing ground colour pale mustard yellow; wing pattern blackish, consists of one large subbasal spot, one short longitudinal subbasal dash, zigzagged ante-, postmedial and medial lines connecting each other, semilunar discal spot, and interrupted subterminal line consisting of long dashes of various length connected to postmedial line; cilia blackish. Hindwing pale mustard yellow, lighter than forewing; cilia as wing ground colour, sometimes with admixture of blackish scales at apex. Abdomen pale ochreous. Male genitalia (Figs 28, 29). Uncus moderately long, narrow, distally hook-like curved and slightly broadened, apically pointed; tuba analis broad, scaphium thin, weakly sclerotised, subscaphium represented by a field of fine spinulose scobination; tegumen moderately long and broad; juxta broad, shield-like; vinculum robust, U-shaped; valva elongated, medially broadened, its distal half slightly curved ventrally, apically strongly tapered, with pointed tip; costal margin convex, with short irregular dentation on its distal third; sacculus short, narrow, weakly setose, without processes, with slightly convex ventral margin. Aedeagus short, straight; carina elongated ventrally, heavily sclerotised. Vesica broad, directed ventrad, membranous, with one small subapical diverticulum and one long and robust, spine-like subbasal cornutus situated on base connected to carina by a narrow sclerotised band. Female genitalia (Fig. 36). Ovipositor short and broad; papillae anales rectangular, with rounded angles; apophyses moderately long and thin; apophyses posteriores slightly longer and narrower than apophyses anteriores. Ostium bursae broad with slightly arched margin; ductus bursae broad, dorso-ventrally flattened, slightly rugose medially, heavily sclerotised, it’s anterior left corner heavily sclerotised and protruding to posterior margin of appendix bursae. Posterior section of corpus bursae elongated, very broad, dorso-ventrally flattened, moderately sclerotised, weakly rugose, with trigonal and heavily sclerotised right protrusion latero-anteriorly, and broad but short semi-globular left protrusion laterally. Anterior section of corpus bursae globular, weakly setose. Appendix bursae short, broadly trigonal, heavily sclerotised, situated postero-laterally at left side.
Distribution. Tumicla mbeghai is only known to date from its type locality in the Usambara Mountains (northeastern Tanzania).
Etymology. Mbegha is a mythic hero of the Shambaa people inhabiting the Usambara Mountains, considered founder of the Kilindi dynasty.
description: Published as part of Volynkin, Anton V. & László, Gyula M., 2019, Four new species of the genus Tumicla Wallengren, 1863 (Lepidoptera: Erebidae Arctiinae: Lithosiini), pp. 421-434 in Zootaxa 4668 (3) on pages 424-427, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4668.3.7, http://zenodo.org/record/3449692