Cragiosia smithi, Volynkin, 2024

Volynkin, Anton V., 2024, On the taxonomy of the Afrotropical genus Crocosia Hampson with descriptions of a new genus and a new species (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini), Ecologica Montenegrina 78, pp. 47-64 : 60-64

Cragiosia smithi sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3CBE067A-E6C4-4DE1-B94C-9C06299C5FB4

( Figs 12–14 , 21 , 35 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 12 , 21 ): ♂, “ Liberia 494m | Nimba County, Nimba Mts, | ENNR, Grassfield FDA Field | Station | 7°29'32.45''N, 8°24'54.05''W | 22.xi.2018 Light Trap, Blended | Bulb (250W) | Sáfian, Sz., Simonics, G. Leg. | ANHRT:2018.43” / unique ID “ANHRTUK | 00060293” / “Slide | AV7066 ♂ | A. Volynkin ” ( ANHRT).

Paratypes. LIBERIA: 4 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀, same data as holotype, gen. prep. Nos.: AV7067 ♀, AV8565 ♂; 5 ♀♀, 530m, Lofa County, Foya Proposed Protected Area , 7˚56'36''N, 10˚16'36''W, 10– 19.xi.2017, MV light trap (125w) and 8w actinic light bucket trap, Aristophanous, M., Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G., & Smith, L. leg. ; 2 ♀♀, 865m, Lofa County, Wologizi Mts, Ridge camp, 807'10''N, 9˚57'11''W, 24–29.xi.2017, light trap (blended bulb 250w), Aristophanous, M., Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. & Smith, L. leg. ; 1 ♀, 611m, Lofa County, Wologizi Mts , base camp forest, 8˚07'17''N, 9˚57'42''W, 20.xi.–01.xii.2017, MV light trap (125w), Aristophanous, M., Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. & Smith, L. leg. ; GUINEA: 1 ♀, 700m, Guinée Forestiére, Monts Nimba UNESCO World Heritage Site , Serengbara Village to Yie River Valley (lowland forest / farmland), 07°36'56''N, 08°26'54''W, 1–8.vii.2019, 250W blended light trap, Dérozier, V., Koivagui, S., Miles, W., Sáfián, Sz., Warner, R. leg. (all in ANHRT) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 10.0–12.0 mm in males and 12.0– 13.5 mm in females. Cragiosia smithi sp. n. is superficially distinguished from C. mesosticta by the paler, brown forewing ground colour (it varies from dark greyish-brown to blackish-brown in C. mesosticta ), and the paler hindwing with slight brown suffusion at the apex and along the outer margin whereas in C. mesosticta , the suffusion is more intense, darker greyish-brown, and occupies the distal third to a half of the hindwing. The male genital capsules of the two species are very similar and display only difference in the valvellae shape, which are proximally broader and distally tapered in the new species whereas in C. mesosticta they are slightly dilated apically. The phalli of C. smithi sp. n. and C. mesosticta are alike. In the vesica, the new species differs from C. mesosticta in the narrower lateral proximal diverticulum, the longer ventral proximal diverticulum, the somewhat shorter and narrower medial diverticulum, and the somewhat longer distal diverticulum. In the female genitalia, C. smithi sp. n. can be easily distinguished from C. mesosticta by the shorter apophysis anterioris, the markedly shorter ductus bursae, and the considerably longer and more elliptical corpus bursae.

Distribution. The new species is currently known from Liberia and Guinea.

Etymology. The new species is dedicated to Mr Richard Smith, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, ANHRT, who, through organising and undertaking numerous entomological expeditions to Sub-Saharan Africa has enabled the discovery of numerous species new to science including the current one. The name is a noun in the genitive case.

Acknowledgements

The Author expresses his sincere thanks to the following colleagues for their kind assistance during visits to collections under their care: Alberto Zilli and Geoff Martin (NHMUK); and Théo Léger, Wolfram Mey and Viola Richter (MfN). The Author’s special thanks go to Hitoshi Takano (ANHRT) for helpful discussions during the preparation of the manuscript, and Si-yao Huang (Bonn, Germany) for his kind help in searching for literature.

The Author is also grateful to the following co-operative partners of ANHRT for the diverse administrative and technical assistance provided.

In Guinea, Guineé Ecologie: Mamadou Diawara, Directeur Executif Ministère de l’Environment et aux Eaux et Forêts: Colonel Layaly Camara, Directeur National; Cece Papa Konde, Directeur General; Societe des Mines de Fer de Guineé: Jamison Suter, Manager – Responsibilite Environmentale et Social.

The scientific research in Ivory Coast was authorised by the Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche Scientifique. The Office Ivoirien des Parcs et Réserves (OIPR) and the Société de Développement des Forêts (SODEFOR) is thanked for authorising access to protected forests and providing export permits.

In Liberia, the following collaborators are thanked: Ms Annika Hiller (Wild Chimpanzee Foundation, Liberia) and Mr Jerry Garteh (Society for the Conservation of Nature, Liberia) for their help in organising ground logistics of ANHRT expeditions; Mr Darlington Tuaben, Mr Mike C. Doryen, and Mr Kederick F. Johnson (Forestry Department Authority, Liberia) for issuing research permit.

Scientific research in Gabon was authorised by the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CENAREST), and collaboration with the Université des Sciences et Techniques de Masuku (USTM). Rougier Gabon is thanked for allowing access to concession forests.

In the Republic of Congo, the cooperative partner of ANHRT, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Congo and their employees authorised research in Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park and provided diverse administrative and technical support during the expeditions. The author expresses his gratitude to the following WCS staff: Morgane Cournarie (Program coordinator), Vittoria Estienne (Director of Research and Biomonitoring), Ben Evans (Park Director), Richard Malonga (Director), Onesi Samba (Research Assistant) and Yako Valentin (Administrative Manager). Joseph Goma-Tchimbakala (General Director of IRSEN, Institut National de Recherche en Sciences Exactes et Naturelles), Jean Bosco Nganongo (Directeur de la DFAP Direction de la Faune et des aires protégées) and the Ministère de la recherche and scientifique are acknowledged for the seamless collaboration in issuing the necessary research (permit Nos: 051/MESRSIT/IRSEN/DG/DS, 0107/ACFAP/DG/DTS) and export permits. The valuable assistance of Victor Mamonekene (Hydrobiologist, Ichthyologist, IRSEN and Marien Ngouabi University) is also highly appreciated.

Images of type specimens deposited in NHMUK are used with permission and are copyright of the Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London and made available under Creative Commons License 4.0, CC-BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

The Author declares that to the best of his knowledge he conforms to the national regulations and meets with the conditions and requirements of international conventions concerning collecting/export and handling of the specimens presented in this Article.

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Figures

Figures 9–16. Adults of Cragiosia gen. n. (9–14) and Cragia (15, 16) spp. The specimens are deposited in ANHRT.

Figures 20–22. Male genitalia of Cragiosia gen. n. (20, 21) and Cragia (22) spp. The specimens dissected are deposited in ANHRT.

Figures 30–35. Female genitalia of Crocosia (30, 31), Cragia (32), and Cragiosia gen. n. (33–35) and spp. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 30–32 and 34, 35 are in ANHRT; 33 in NHMUK.