Meyameta, Prozorov & Volkova & Saldaitis & Prozorova & Sulak & Yakovlev & Traore & Revay & Müller, 2024

Meyameta View in CoL gen. n.

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( Figs 5–10 View Figures 2–14 , 16–20 View Figures 15–20 , 23–24 View Figures 21–24 )

Type species: Glocia straminea Aurivillius, 1921 , Annals of the South African Museum, 18 (2), 237, by present designation .

Description. Male ( Figs 5–7, 9–10 View Figures 2–14 ). Head, thorax and abdomen light-colored. Forewing. Somewhat triangular with smooth outer margin and blunt apex. Background color light. Pattern vague or absent. Fringe light-colored. Hindwing. Somewhat oval with smooth outer margin. Background color varies. Fringe light-colored. Genitalia ( Figs 16–20 View Figures 15–20 ). Vinculum a wide band with a pair of finger-like socii. Cucullus elongated, claw-shaped. Sacculus compact, sparsely covered with setae. Juxta small, ventrobasally fused with aedeagus. Aedeagus c-shaped. Vesica small, semispherical. Vinculum ventrally expands into somewhat trapezoid saccus. Female ( Fig. 8 View Figures 2–14 ). Similar to male but larger. Genitalia ( Fig. 23–24 View Figures 21–24 ). Papillae anales oval, densely covered with setae. Posterior apophyses about ¼ longer than anterior ones. Antevaginal plate a semioval fold covering ostium. Postvaginal plate medially membranous, divided into two somewhat trapezoid parts. Ostium wide, somewhat round. Ductus bursae short. Corpus bursae medium-sized, ovoid.

Diagnosis. The type species of Meyameta gen. n. – South African G. straminea – was considered within the Madagascan genus Napta with the type species N. serratilinea . Here we establish a new genus Meyameta gen. n. for G. straminea because its adults have sexual dimorphism only in size, they are light-colored with vague wing pattern ( Figs 5–10 View Figures 2–14 ), have saccus with claw-like extensions but lack cubile in male genitalia ( Figs 16–20 View Figures 15–20 ), and weakly sclerotized sterigma in female genitalia ( Figs 23– 24 View Figures 21–24 ); while adults of N. serratilinea have sexual dimorphism in size, color and forewing shape, and they are overall darker ( Figs 2–4 View Figures 2–14 ), have cubile instead of saccus in male genitalia ( Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ), and wellsclerotized sterigma in female genitalia ( Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ).

Meyameta gen. n. is morphologically similar to the monotypic South African genus Henometa with the type species H. clarki (De Prins & De Prins, 2011–2024). Adults of Meyameta gen. n. are light-colored with reduced wing pattern ( Figs 5–10 View Figures 2–14 ), have less bent aedeagus in male genitalia ( Figs 18–20 View Figures 15–20 ), and membranous fold-like antevaginal plate in female genitalia ( Figs 23–24 View Figures 21–24 ); while adults of Henometa are dark-colored with well pronounced pattern ( Figs 11–12 View Figures 2–14 ), have more bent aedeagus in male genitalia ( Fig. 15 View Figures 15–20 ), and semi-round sclerotized antevaginal plate in female genitalia ( Figs 21–22 View Figures 21–24 ).

Etymology. The name is devoted to Wolfram Mey ( Berlin, Germany), an outstanding entomologist who extensively collected insects in South Africa and Namibia ( e.g. Mey, 2011); Meyameta roberti sp. n. described below is one of many species he exclusively obtained. The name also includes connecting - a - with ending - meta like in other lasiocampid genera: Dinometa Aurivillius, 1927 ; Gonometa Walker, 1855 ; Henometa ; Leptometa Aurivillius, 1927 ; Oplometa Aurivillius, 1894 ; Pachymeta Aurivilius, 1906 ; and Pseudometa Aurivillius, 1901 .