Report on species of the genus Tumicla Wallengren, 1863 in Gabon (Lepidoptera Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini) Author Durante, Antonio Museo di Storia naturale del Salento. S. P. Calimera-Borgagne, Km 1, 73021 Calimera, Italy Author Apinda-Legnouo, Emelie Arlette Institut de Recherches sur l’Écologie Tropicale, Libreville, Gabon text Zootaxa 2020 2020-10-23 4868 1 90 116 journal article 8936 10.11646/zootaxa.4868.1.5 8305ddf8-87ba-43a3-bfa6-08f4d2f41e6a 1175-5326 4417344 8F47F225-496D-47FB-B3E4-0CE95E7D7AC3 Tumicla whitensis Durante n. sp. ( Figs. 10H , 18 ) Holotype : GABON • ♂ ; Makokou , Ipassa , 500 m ; 0°30’43”N 12°48’13”E ; 14/ 24-3-2015 , Durante leg. Gen. sl. n. 912 MAD . In coll. MSNS . Diagnosis. Species easily distinguishable from minima n. sp. by the darker wing colour of the latter; from parvipunctata n. sp. , which has smaller dots on the thorax; from bongorum n. sp. , which has more intense pinkish shades on the underside of the forewings. Certain features of the forewing pattern (reddish scales, shape of the dot on the head vertex, shape of the discal dot and the bands not reaching costal margin—see description below) are currently considered accidental and of poor diagnostic value because of the scarcity of the examined material, although it is remarkable that the red scales along the edges of the grey-brown bands are present in no other Gabonese species (only parvipunctata n. sp. has them, but in a negligible density). The genitalia are, however, sufficiently diagnostic. With respect to latipunctata n. sp. , the small size and shape of the cornutus are comparable, but the tornus and distal margin of the valva as well the shape of the uncus are clearly diagnostic. T. whitensis is also similar to T. atricraspeda , but this species is normally larger (wingspan) and has dark scales at the apex of the hindwings; and to T. eala , but this species has a longer uncus, and the tornus of the distal margin of the valva is distinct (roundish in whitensis n. sp. ; conical in eala ) and the cornutus is thorn-like, bearing a long appendage proximad which is absent in eala ) are also diagnostic. The small size of whitensis n. sp. is distinctive with respect to all other species outside Gabon The apex of the valva at an approximate right angle in whitensis n. sp. is somewhat similar only to that of T. mutabilis , but the slender uncus and the C-shaped cornutus of the aedeagus in the latter well distinguish it from whitensis . Description. Wingspan 14.5 mm . Forewing upperside ground colour ochreous yellow, with a number of red scales along the pattern bands, more concentrated at the wing base; pattern grey-brown. Costa ochreous yellow, with a dark streak at the base not reaching the basal band. One basal dot; transversal bands not reaching the costal margin; basal band zigzagged, touching the median band only at cell level; median and postmedian bands zigzagged, vaguely touching each other under the posterior vein of the cell; postmedian band with conspicuous proximal concavity at the end of the cell, inside which is the angled discal dot; submarginal series of eight streak-like dots, the posterior four obsolescent. Fringes grey-brown. Forewing underside ground colour ochreous yellow. No trace of pattern. Hindwing upperside and underside ground colour straw yellow. No pattern. Fringes concolorous. Body concolorous with the wings, with pattern grey-brown. Head with a v-shaped (diagnostic?) dot on the vertex (one third the width of the vertex); antennae ciliated; labial palpi porrect, slender, not extending beyond the frons. Tegulae with two large patches, the anterior one smaller and roundish, and hairy scales reaching just over half of the length of the scutum. Mesoscutum with two fairly large anterior dots; the probable mesoscutellar dot is not present due to the lack of scales. Legs concolorous with the hindwings; fore- and mid-legs with praetarsi, distal portion of femur and tibia grey-brown; hindlegs lacking the grey-brown on the distal portion of the femur only. Abdomen with no pattern. Genitalia ♂ . Uncus quite large, curved backwards, distally pointed; tegumen triangular, twice as long as the eighth tergite (dorsal view); tuba analis membranous; vinculum V-shaped (ventro-caudal view), smaller than the other Gabonese species, with slender arms; saccus shallow; juxta pentagon-shaped with a small cavity in the middle of the dorsal side; fultura superior rectangular with dorsal corners bent and connected to the arms of the transtilla. Valva quite long (about 2.3 longer than wide); costa slightly undulate, convex in the middle; apex just over 90°; termen straight, with broad irregular indentations; tornus roundish. Processus distalis plicae appearing as a small swelling at the start of the distal third of the valva, membranous, with 10-12 small setae. Aedeagus quite long, with a median concavity hosting a strong thorn-like cornutus, bearing a long appendage proximad; coecum penis very small. Vesica small, damaged, probably roundish. FIGURES 15–16. FIG 15. Tumicla minima n. sp. A . Genitalia, lateral view, gen. sl. n. 920 MAD. B . Genitalia, ventral view, gen. sl. n. 920 MAD. C . Uncus, gen. sl. n. 920 MAD. D . Valva, gen. sl. n. 883 MAD. D1 , termen of valva, gen. sl. n. 920 MAD. E . Cornutus, gen. sl. n. 883 MAD. F . Fultura superior, dorsal view, gen. sl. n. 883 MAD. G . Juxta, gen. sl. n. 883 MAD. FIG 16. Tumicla pallida n. sp. A . Genitalia, lateral view, gen. sl. n. 617 MAD. B . Genitalia, ventral view, gen. sl. n. 617 MAD. C . Uncus, gen. sl. n. 615 MAD. D . Valva, gen. sl. n. 617 MAD. E . Aedeagus, gen. sl. n. 617 MAD. E1 . Group of small thorn-like cornuti on the vesica, gen. sl. n. 617 MAD. F . Fultura superior, dorsal view, gen. sl. n. 615 MAD. G . Juxta, gen. sl. n. 615 MAD. FIGURES 17–18. FIG 17. Tumicla parvipunctata n. sp. A . Genitalia, lateral view, gen. sl. n. 909 MAD. B . Genitalia, ventral view, gen. sl. n. 879 MAD. C . Uncus, gen. sl. n. 879 MAD. D . Valva, gen. sl. n. 879 MAD. D1 . Termen of the right valva, gen. sl. n. 879 MAD. E . Aedeagus, gen. sl. n. 909 MAD. E1 . Cornutus, gen. sl. n. 879 MAD. E2 . Cornutus, gen. sl. n. 909 MAD. E3 . Apical cluster of thorns, gen. sl. n. 909 MAD. E4 . Apical cluster of thorns, gen. sl. n. 879 MAD. F . Fultura superior, dorsal view, gen. sl. n. 909 MAD. G . Juxta, gen. sl. n. 909 MAD. FIG 18. Tumicla whitensis n. sp. A . Genitalia, lateral view. B . Genitalia, ventral view. C . Uncus. D . Valva. E . Aedeagus. F . Fultura superior, dorsal view. G . Juxta. All pictures from gen. sl. n. 908 MAD. Etymology. This species is named after the Minister of Waters and Forests (Ministère des Eaux et Forêts) of Gabon , Lee White, for his efforts, passion and achievements in a very complex role. The name derives from the Latinisation of the surname White with the addition of the Latin suffix -ensis, meaning “belonging to”.