Auripoloma, Taberer, 2023

Taberer, Tabitha R., 2023, Revision of the family Chrysopolomidae Aurivillius, 1895 (Lepidoptera: Zygaenoidea) with the description of three new genera, Bonn zoological Bulletin 72 (1), pp. 1-23 : 21

Auripoloma gen. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1C5D6A5B-5BEA-4F7F-B622-1CE1D970FBD1

Figs 23 , 42

Type species. Chrysopoloma nigrociliata Aurivillius, 1905

Syntypes. 1 ♂, 1 ♀.

Type locality. Hossere Miringi [ Nigeria] ( MfN).

Genus description. Medium size. Antennae bipectinate, scaling along flagellum yellow in basal third and then dark grey distally. Ground colour of thorax and abdomen beige; head and collar golden. Forewing broad, rounded, grey/silver in basal half and beige distally with straight, dark brown postmedial line, sometimes gently concave along the Cu veins. Small black scale spots along costal margin giving a speckled appearance up to postmedial line. Costal margin golden; fringe long, golden slightly darker than ground colour. Hindwing yellow-beige, fringe long, golden, slightly scalloped towards anal margin; distal portion of cilia black between vein M1 and the anal margin. Underside. Ground colour and legs golden; hindtibia with two pairs of spurs. Both wings beige, with faint postmedial line on hindwing which is slightly expanded towards costal margin; indistinct black scaling along costal margin. Male genitalia. Posterior process of transtilla medially split forming two, relatively thick, apically rounded processes; anterior process of transtilla very broad, apically hammerhead-shaped. Valve very wide, short, gradually tapering, distally rounded with slight concavity on distal edge. Juxta strongly sclerotised, square, with two rounded lateral processes and longer, central process. Phallus relatively short, strongly sclerotised and ridged distally, with short membranous vesica.

Diagnosis. At first glance, the single species of Auripoloma with its forewing postmedial line is somewhat reminiscent of Scotinocerides species but it is considerably smaller in size and the black fringe near the anal margin is distinctive. In the male genitalia, the Auripoloma species possesses a very large, broad transtilla which is apically hammer-head shaped, the valve is much wider at the base and the gnathos lobes are narrower and not fused apically.

Distribution. The single known species of this genus is distributed in the forest-savanna mosaics of West and northern Central Africa.

Etymology. This genus is dedicated to the Swedish entomologist Christopher Aurivillius, who described the family Chrysopolomidae after noticing that Chrysopoloma could not be placed in either Lasiocampidae or Limacodidae , and further added ten distinct taxa to the family including the only known species of this genus. The suffix ‘poloma’ is maintained in reference to Chrysopoloma , the genus from which the family name is formed.

Species content

A. nigrociliata ( Aurivillius, 1905) comb. n.

Figures

Figs 18–23. Adults. 18. Hamartia medora, South Africa (NHMUK). 19. Erythropteryx roseotincta, DRC (RMCA). 20. Achrocerides theorini, Liberia (ANHRT).21. Strigivenifera eborea, Sierra Leone (ANHRT). 22. Diquishia ansorgei, Angola (NHMUK). 23. Auripoloma nigrociliata comb. n., Togo (ANHRT).

Figs 39–42. Male genitalia (a = clasping apparatus; b = phallus). 39. Achrocerides theorini, Gabon, genitalia slide No. TT 131 (ANHRT).40. Strigivenifera venata, Gabon, genitalia slide No. TT 119 (ANHRT). 41. Diquishia ansorgei, Angola, genitalia slide No. NHMUK 010317733 (NHMUK). 42. Auriopoloma nigrociliata, Togo, genitalia slide No. TT 187 (ANHRT).