Thaumatographa carapaceana, Heppner & Bae, 2025

Thaumatographa carapaceana , new species

( Figs. 2 View FIGURES 1–4 , 6 View FIGURE 6 )

Type material. Holotype. [ VIETNAM] ♂, Cuc Phuong N. P. ( Mac Lake ) (155m), Ninh Binh Prov., 4–7 May 2009, J. B. Heppner (gen. slide JBH-4649; adult photo 12689) ( MGCL).

Diagnosis. This species is distinctive in its maroon-orange forewing tips and basal sector, with the black-brown center interspersed with pale tan-yellow striae medially; distinguished from the similar T. melinhana sp. nov. by its dark brown thorax (brown-orange in T. melinhana ) and brown-orange head (yellow in T. melinhana ). The male genitalia are distinct in the crab-carapace-like transtilla with a large lateral spine each side (quadratic plate with caudal projections in T. melinhana ).

Description. Wing expanse: 16.6mm (n = 1).

Head ( Fig. 2a View FIGURES 1–4 ): mostly orange, with brown on vertex and frons, yellow ventrally; antenna brown with yellow band each segment, with short ventral cilia in male; labial palpus orange-yellow, with brown dorsally on apical segment; head venter yellow.

Thorax ( Fig. 2 View FIGURES 1–4 ): dark brown, with maroon longitudinal lateral line; tegula dark brown with maroon margins; venter white; legs white-yellow, with black-brown bars, except hindtibia gray and dull white mesally; spurs gray.

Forewing ( Fig. 2 View FIGURES 1–4 ): black-brown medially, with dark maroon basal 1/3 and apical 1/5; wing base with dark maroon area divided medially by a longitudinal black-brown line and similar line on anal vein, with same on costal margin; median dark region irrorated with curved stria of tan-yellow curved toward apex and ending midwing, all interrupted to form spots and bars; yellow spot at end of cell, basad of a subtornal series of several yellow spots curved toward apex; costa with five striae angled toward tornus, each margined basad with orange and apical three white on the costal margin and blended into silver mesally; wing apical 1/5 maroon, with orange at apex and subterminally; termen orange, with three black spots equidistantly spaced; fringe dark brown, with white along apex and on termen below apical 1/4; venter dark brown with dosal marks barely evident as dull orange marks, except bright white-yellow on costa near apex and along termen, with anal sector white.

Hindwing ( Fig. 2 View FIGURES 1–4 ): black-brown with pale yellow longitudinal suffusion along cell area to wing base; slight pale yellow to gray along apical section of termen; anal region light tan to light brown; costal sector white from 3/4 to wing base; venter brown-gray with a pale yellow terminal line and a white vertical line at end of cell as margin to black cell area to wing base.

Abdomen: dark brown, with tan posterior margins of tergites; venter tan-yellow; genital tufts dark brown with tan-yellow distally and ventrally; pregenital segment ( Fig. 6c View FIGURE 6 ), with caudal margin of sternite rounded laterally and with a U-shaped median invagination; short coremata laterally from invaginated corematal pouch each side.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 ): tegumen an inverted V-shape; uncus ( Fig. 6b View FIGURE 6 ), stout and short, slightly curved caudad, from small base and uniform to blunt-acute apex; hami ( Fig. 6b View FIGURE 6 ), slightly shorter than uncus, sclerotic and narrow from small base, slightly curved basally and slightly narrowing to acute apex; socii ( Fig. 6b View FIGURE 6 ), short (half uncus length) and thick, laterally flattened, densely setose; gnathos ( Fig. 6b View FIGURE 6 ), with flattened arms, barely convergent medially with knobbed ends; transtilla ( Fig. 6b View FIGURE 6 ), a complicated plate-like quadratic structure, with a proximal-dorsal round margin and lateral strong spine each side (like a crab carapace) to valval juncture, and caudally with dentate thorns on a dorsally indented projection, medially with an invaginated margin and a lateral spined process each side; juxta ( Fig. 6b View FIGURE 6 ), an ovate plate (slightly concave caudally), with dorsal margin truncated, to membranous anellus ring; aedeagus ( Fig. 6a View FIGURE 6 ), tubular of moderate length, with spinate and narrowed caudal projection, distally acute; phallobase large and decumbent; cornutus a long and thin flechette; vesica spinose; ductus ejaculatorius long, with elongated hood; valva ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 ), elongate, oblong with round termen but medially slightly acute, overall setose with longer setae near apical dorsal margin; sacculus nearly straight; vinculum U-shaped, merging to short and blunt saccus (undeveloped).

Female unknown.

Etymology. The species is named for the unusual and elaborate transilla of the male genitalia, which has the appearance of the carapace of some crab species, with lateral spines (e.g., blue crabs, Callinectes sp. , Decapoda : Portunidae ).

Biology. Unknown. Flight period: May. Habitat ( Fig. 10 View FIGURES 10–11 ) is lowland tropical forest ( Sterling et al. 2006).

Distribution. Known only from northern Vietnam.

Discussion. This species is somewhat similar to the following species, but the transtilla of the male genitalia is unique in its form, although the next species has a less developed version of transilla.