Revision of Saalmulleria Mabille, 1891 (Lepidoptera, Metarbelidae) from Madagascar with the description of three new genera and fifteen new species Author Lehmann, Ingo Leibniz-Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, ztm, Museum der Natur, Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany lehmannshimoni@gmail.com Author Dalsgaard, Thure Leibniz-Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, ztm, Museum der Natur, Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany t.dalsgaard@leibniz-lib.de text Evolutionary Systematics 2023 2023-05-03 7 1 133 182 http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/evolsyst.7.85204 journal article http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/evolsyst.7.85204 2535-0730-1-133 24DF15ADF8A04086AD8C60AD39C8A4AA CF6673C9B1765D47B848F9C007505762 Eberhardfischeria gen. nov. Type species of genus. Eberhardfischeria husemanni sp. nov. is designated as the type species. Autapomorphies diagnosis. The genus is defined by the following combination of characters in females: short, triangular-shaped forewings are only slightly longer than rounded hindwings, both without any vitreous patches; and large lobes are in almost vertical position, as large as ca. 35% of papillae anales, with very long setae. Differential diagnosis shared with Saalmulleria from Madagascar. The basal point of the well visible fork of R 1+R 2 has the same distance to the anterior angle of median cell as the basal point of the fork of R 3+R 4 (in contrast cf. species of Morondavania gen. nov.). Both basal points are at ca. 40-50% of the length of R 3. Diagnostic characters in females of Eberhardfischeria gen. nov. The labial palpi are two-segmented, 2 nd segment longest, slightly bent, oval, ca. 2.0 x longer than 1 st (basal) segment that is very short, rectangular and not broader, apical palpomere absent (in contrast cf. species of Morondavania gen. nov. and Saalmulleria ). The lower part of the fronto-clypeus of the head has a well sclerotized and large plate-like structure with a strongly defined dorsal ridge (Fig. 16B, D ). Strongly sclerotized and broad veins on both forewing and hindwing. Anterior apophysis has on the basal half a long, deep horizontal graben-like structure. Description. Female Head (Figs 4c, d , 5a , 7a , 13a, b , 16B, D ): Rough-scaled; long hair-like scales of light brownish-olive mixed with deep olive-buff scales on fronto-clypeus; eyes olive with black patches; a pair of tiny, rudimentary pits present on lower fronto-clypeus, a pair of conical projections absent, small oval pits behind labial palpi present; labial palpi deep olive-buff, half of eye-diameter, narrow, consisting of two segments; 2nd segment longest, slightly bent, oval, ca. 2.0 x longer than 1st (basal) segment that is very short, rectangular and not broader, apical palpomere absent. Antennae bipectinate, narrow and long branches up to 3.5 x longer than width of shaft, branches are widely separated at base with 1.5 x width of branch, dorsal and lateral sides of branches not scaled, but with many setae in pairs ventrally and laterally, dorsal and lateral sides of flagellum scaled deep olive-buff mixed with brownish-olive. Figure 14. Female postabdominal structures of a. Saalmulleria stumpffi ( Saalmueller , 1884), "Type" , female, Madagascar, Sambirano Region, Nosy Be Island, Lokobe; b. S. analameranaensis sp. nov., holotype, female, Madagascar, Western Region, Analamerana Forest, ca. 10 km to 40 km west of the Indian Ocean coastline. Thorax : Densely covered with hair-like scales of dark olive-buff with chestnut on upper half of scales on patagia, often these scales have a tiny light grey or pale olive tip, scales on patagia form a collar ring, scales on tegulae long hair-like, sepia and chestnut mixed with some scales of pale olive-buff with a light lilac glint; scale crest on metathorax pale olive-buff with a cream base, dark chestnut and sepia at center. Fore and mid legs deep olive-buff with long dense hair-like structures and a light golden glint. Epiphyses present, long, up to 2.0 mm, broad and flat. Hind legs in holotype and paratype unknown (missing). Wingspan is between 39.0 mm up to 42.5 mm. Forewing short, triangular with a rounded apex, upperside deep olive-buff and towards termen with a light golden glint, scale pattern is present, usually with a narrow, almost triangular band of dark olive-buff from costa towards end of CuA1, the latter and CuA2 are narrowly dark olive-buff, several very narrow bands and lines of dark olive-buff from costa to dorsum, termen without lunules, a dark chestnut patch is present below base of 1A+2A, up to 50% length of 1A+2A. Hindwing elongated, but rounded, termen not bent inwards, largely with short scales of deep olive-buff with a light golden glint, without any pattern. Underside with scales of deep olive-buff and cream with a light golden glint. Cilia very long with up to 1.5 mm length, deep olive-buff with a glint. Forewing venation (Fig. 5a ) with 1A+2A deeply forked at base, fork is 25% the length of 1A+2A; CuP absent, but represented by a continuous fold that is not sclerotized; CuA2 originating from near hind margin of posterior cell; CuA1, M3 and M2 separate and originating from apical angle of posterior cell; M1 originating from distal margin of median cell and not near its anterior angle; areole absent; R1+R2 originating from a long stalk (the stalk has the length of ca. 40-50% of R3) and initiating from anterior angle of median cell; R3+R4+R5 are long stalked and originating from anterior angle of median cell, the basal point of this stalk is exactly opposite of the basal point of the stalk of R1+R2; Sc more or less parallel to R1. Hindwing venation with 3A present, 1A+2A present as a strong sclerotized fold, without a small fork at base, CuP represented by a sclerotized fold; CuA2 originating from near hind margin of posterior cell; CuA1, M3 and M2 originating from apical angle of posterior cell, separated; M1 and Rs originating from anterior cell, broadly separated, with M1 at center of distal margin of anterior cell ( cf. different position of basal point of M1 in hindwing of Morondavania gen. nov.); a short bar from Rs to Sc+R1 is absent (Fig. 5a ), a vein in discocellular cell on both fore- and hindwing is present and forked distally in forewing and sometimes with a tiny fork in hindwing. The discocellular cell on the hindwing is similar in shape like a fish-tail, but the upper and lower tip are not in opposite position, and both tips are not pointed. Fringe scales very long, up to 1.5 mm, deep olive-buff with a glint. Retinaculum and frenulum absent. Abdomen : With dense hair-like scales of deep olive-buff mixed with dark olive and short abdominal tuft, ca. 20% of abdomen length. Female postabdominal structure (Figs 7a , 13a, b ) with large lobes of papillae anales, one lobe as large as 35% of papillae anales, lobes in almost vertical position; dorsal part elliptic in posterior view, covered with short and many long setae. Segment 8 represents a medium broad rectangular sclerotized band, more narrow ventrally, setose along its whole posterior margin with long setae, but without any setae on segment 8, with a narrow band attached ventrally extending to the base of anterior apophysis; anterior apophysis up to 2.3 x as long as segment 8 dorsally, on their basal half of length 2 x as broad as at tip, at middle knee-like shaped, in the basal half with a long, deep horizontal graben-like structure; posterior apophysis narrow with a three times broader base on one-third of their entire length, up to 50% the length of anterior apophysis, with medium large sclerotized base up to 30% the size of papillae anales in lateral view; ductus bursae and corpus bursae are unknown. Male : unknown. Species richness. Currently, the new genus is monotypic including one species new to science. Distribution. Species of Eberhardfischeria occur on northern Madagascar in the "Western region" and possibly in adjacent areas of the "Sambirano Region" and "Central Region" sensu Humbert (1955 , 1965 ). Species of this new genus are most probably restricted to the highly threatened primary dry deciduous forest and woodland patches within the "Madagascar Dry Deciduous Forests" ecoregion sensu Crowley (2004) and adjacent to or including parts of the "Madagascar Humid Forests" and "Madagascar Subhumid Forests" ecoregion sensu Crowley (2004) up to an altitude of 1.475 m in the Parc National de la Montagne d'Ambre . Due to the definitions of both ecoregions, the distribution range of species of the new genus extend within lowland (below an altitude of 800 m) as well as submontane areas (below an altitude of 1.800 m, cf. Du Puy and Moat 2003 ) of the "West Malagasy regional centre of endemism" sensu White (1983) . The "Sambirano Region" is a small exclave in the "East Malagasy regional centre of endemism" sensu White (1983) and a phytogeographically distinct unit with high levels of endemism in the flora particularly at lower elevations ( Humbert 1955 ; Gautier and Goodman 2003 ). Noteworthy, woody species of Leguminosae are less diverse in East Malagasy primary lowland rain forests than in the Guineo-Congolian rain forests of the African mainland ( White 1983 ); in contrast, the "Madagascar Dry Deciduous Forests" comprise highest diversities of woody Leguminosae on Madagascar ( cf. Morondavania gen. nov.). Biological traits. The biology of species of Eberhardfischeria is unknown at present. However, lowland tropical Metarbelidae species are strongly associated to habitats with a dominance of woody legumes ( cf. Shimbania and Morondavania above; Lehmann 2008 , 2019b ) of the Papilionoideae , Mimosoideae and Caesalpiniodeae that are most diverse in deciduous vegetation with a marked dry season, but possibly also occurring locally in lowland humid evergreen forests on northern Madagascar. The latter forests experience a dry season of only two or four months and an average annual rainfall that exceeds 2000 mm per year. Subhumid forests are drier with an average annual rainfall of 1500 mm. Etymology. The genus is named in honour of Professor Dr. Eberhard Fischer (University of Koblenz-Landau, Germany) for his contributions as the second supervisor on the Doctoral Dissertation of the first author in regard to botanical issues in context to the family Metarbelidae ( cf. Lehmann 2019b ). This genus from Madagascar is named also for him as Eberhard Fischer has done significant botanical research on Madagascar, cf. the chapters on the Scrophulariaceae and Balsaminaceae in the book "The Natural History of Madagascar" edited by Goodman and Benstead (2003) .