Hemiceratoides avimolestum, Zilli & Balbut & Dolwald & Lees, 2024

Hemiceratoides avimolestum sp. nov.

( Fig. 8D–F View Figure 8 )

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: A80BAF88- 447F-4204-9A01-0CEF3311B9B3.

Material examined

Holotypus: ♂ South Africa, KwaZulu Natal, Mkuze-Ndoumo Game Reserve , Ndoumo rest camp loc. 7 , 26°54 ʹ 32.8 ʹʹ S, 32°18 ʹ 52.0 ʹʹ E, 25.XI.2014, S. Dupont leg., in DNMNH GoogleMaps .

Paratypi: (6♂♂, 4♀♀) Tanzania: 1♂, Dar es Salaam, Minaki, 30.II. [19]64, NHMUK010604377 About NHMUK ; 1♂, idem, 8.I. [19]65; both (Brit. Mus. 1960-223) ; 1♀, Mal[ariological] Inst[itute] Amani, V.[19]65 (G. Pringle Coll., B.M. 1966-281); these 2♂♂, 1♀ in NHMUK. Zambia: 1♂, Loangwa R[iver] affl[uent] of Zamb[ezi] , Mpeta, xi. xii.[18]95, B[eginning] of rainy s[eason], Coryndon, in NHMUK ; 1♀, Mayukuyuku, Kafue NP , S14°54 ʹ 55 ʹʹ, E26°03 ʹ 47 ʹʹ, 1080m, 21–26.xi.2013 (Light Trap), leg. Smith, Takano and Oram, in ANHRT GoogleMaps . Mozambique: 1♀, Port[uguese] E. Africa, Ruo Valley, 2000 ft, 28.XI.1913, S.A. Neave (1914-171), NHMUK010918892 About NHMUK , slide NHMUK010316595 About NHMUK , in NHMUK . Zimbabwe: 1♀, NW Rhodesia, Mwengwa , 24.XI.1913, H.C. Dollman (1919- 79), NHMUK010604378 About NHMUK , in NHMUK . South Africa: 2♂♂, KwaZulu Natal, Mkuze-Ndoumo Game Reserve , Ndoumo rest camp loc. 9 (‘Crock from the house’) , XI.2014, (1♂: NHMUK010918891 About NHMUK , slide NHMUK010316597 About NHMUK ) ; 1♂, idem, Tembe Elephant Reserve , Dejam station loc. 10, 01.XII.2014; these 3♂♂ S. Dupont leg., in DNMNH, NHMUK.

Diagnosis: Species of Hemiceratoides closest in external appearance to H. sittaca but with very variegated forewing pattern on markedly pale ground colour and paler yellow-orange ground colour of hindwing, and no sexually dimorphic labial palpi. By virtue of the strongly expressed fuscous markings of the hindwing also similar to the Madagascan H. vadoni , which, however, has darker, less variegated forewings and longer male antennal pectinations than H. sittaca and the new species. The valvae are similar in outline to those of H. ornithopotis and H. thisbe , but they differ in the configuration of the median saccular lobes and details of the apex of valvae and their processes. In the female genitalia there is a single ventral plate of oblong shape, much extended antero-laterally to the left, covering the ostium bursae.

Description

Male: Wingspan 44–49 mm (x = 46.79 mm, N = 7). Habitus as in H. sittaca , excepted for the much paler ground colour of forewing, beige with paler sand-coloured areas, whitish sprinkles, and with more distinct pattern elements, the hindwing with less sharp fuscous markings, among which the distal band less closely approaching the termen, and the third labial palpomere short. Underside as in H. ornithopotis , with more strongly expressed fuscous pattern elements, especially distal bands of both wings.

Male genitalia ( Figs 9E View Figure 9 , 10E View Figure 10 ): General configuration as in generic diagnosis above. Vinculum inferiorly narrowed and blunt. Valvae asymmetric only in their sacculi, that of left valva with long and narrow, rectangular scale-like median lobe, that of right one with only slight hump in place of median lobe; terminal section of valva very dilated, and aligned with rest of valva, without distinct processes arising but with shortly pointed costal and anal angles, and with another short point between these; process of saccular origin proximal to anal angle long, subbasally angled, reaching the basal third of valva. Uncus thin, slightly broader based and arched. Mastigojuxta long whip-like, shortly spined all through from the middle to tip on its inner side. Phallus with short broad-based obliquely oriented coecum, large auricolate carina, long distal diverticulum and smaller ones as in Figure 10E.

Female: Wingspan 46–51 mm (x = 48.33 mm, N = 3). Habitus as in male, with filiform antenna.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 11D View Figure 11 ): General configuration as in generic diagnosis above. Tergum A8 with broad paired anterior subventral prolongations flanking ostium bursae, this covered by single asymmetrical ventral plate broadly extended antero-laterally on left side, and dome-shaped posteriorly; ductus bursae wide and rugulose.

Etymology: The name of the new species is drawn from the Latin ‘ avis, avis ’ (bird) and ‘ molestum ’ (annoying) combined altogether, to stress the pestering of a bird by this species that has been witnessed by one of the authors (L.J.D.) in Tanzania. The name is a neuter adjective agreeing in gender with the generic name.

Distribution: Widespread in Eastern and Southern Africa: Tanzania, Zambia, East Namibia ( Roland and Roland 2017), Mozambique, Botswana (https://www.afromoths.net/species/41941, as H. sittaca [accessed 20 Feb 2024]), Zimbabwe, and South Africa.

Molecular resources: None.

Remarks: A male of this species has been observed pestering an individual of Curruca communis (Latham) ( Sylviidae ) in Tanzania ( Dorward 2016) ( Fig. 1A, B View Figure 1 ). The bird was roosting at a height of approximately 4 m, and was awake and alert, presumably having been disturbed by the movements and lights of the observers. The moth was sitting on the roosting bird’s back and was observed probing the bird’s nape and face with its proboscis. After a period of around 4 min, the host moved higher into the tree and the moth dismounted on to a branch. The observation was made on the 29 December 2015, at 19:44 (approximately an hour after sunset) in a camp near Ruaha National Park (–7.746, 35.137). The surrounding area is mostly grazed dryland Acacia –Commiphora scrub with maize-based subsistence agriculture and sections of riverine woodland. The individual of C. communis was seen roosting in the same tree on the following two nights; however, there were no further H. avimolestum sightings. The distribution of this species partly overlaps with that of Hemiceratoides ornithopotis sp. nov. and H. sittaca , the latter having also been found in the same biotope in Zambia (Kafue National Park) (ANHRT).