Revision of the clathratum complex (: Arctiidae)

Rob de Vos

The Nyctemera clatrathum complex (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae, , Callimorphini) is revised. It consists of seven , occurring on New Guinea and surrounding islands, of which three are new to science: Nyctemera giloloensis sp. n., N. oninica sp. n. and N. dauila sp. n. Two taxa are synonymized: Leptosoma absurdum Swinhoe, 1892 syn. n. of Leptosoma clathratum Snellen van Vollenhoven, 1863 and Deilemera pratti Bethune-Baker, 1904 syn. n. of Nyctemera mesolychna Meyrick, 1889. Lectotypes are designated for Deilemera pratti Bethune-Baker, 1904 and Deilemera absurdum latimargo Rothschild 1915. Adults and genitalia of all species are figured and distribution maps are presented. Rob de Vos, Zoölogisch Museum Amsterdam, dept. Entomology, Plantage Middenlaan 64, NL-1018 DH Amsterdam, The Netherlands. [email protected].

Introduction genitalia and the wing pattern. The N. clathratum The Nyctemera Hübner, [1820] s.l. is a large complex is distinguished from the baulus complex heterogeneous taxon with many species in South- by the more or less slender and short valva proc- east Asia. The few species in Africa that previously esses of almost equal length, while in the baulus were considered to belong to Nyctemera recently complex the costal process and apical process are have been revised and seem to belong to other genera much larger and thicker (and curved towards each (Dubatolov 2006). Apart from the taxa which have other, resembling the claws of a lobster) than a recently been shown to belong to Hübner, third and smaller process on the sacculus. Further- [1819] (De Vos 2007), Nyctemera s.l. can be di- more the banded pattern on the abdomens of the vided into several subgenera and species groups. species of the clathratum complex is brown-white The taxonomical problems and mysteries are far (the white only narrow), while in the baulus com- from unravelled, although a start has recently plex the species have black-yellow-white banded been made (De Vos 1995a, 1995b, 1996, 1997a, abdomens (the white bands much broader than in 1997b, 2002, De Vos & Cerny 1999). the clathratum complex). In the present study the Nyctemera clathratum com- Externally, some species are so hard to distinguish plex is revised. It is a group of seven species found that they easily could be considered conspecific, on New Guinea and the surrounding islands. whereas other species are so different that they Three species are new to science and described seem to belong to different species groups. How- below. Based on genitalic morphology these spe- ever, study of the genitalia revealed that all seven cies clearly belong to the nominotypical subgenus species indeed belong to a single complex, because Nyctemera s.s. The valves in the male genitalia all they all share diagnostic male and female genitalic possess three processes. The N. clathratum com- characters. In most cases, they have complemen- plex is closely related to the baulus species group, tary, not overlapping distributions. which is shown by the general structure of the

Tijdschrift voor Entomologie 150: 39–54, Figs 1–62. [ISSN 0040–7496]. http://www.nev.nl/tve © 2007 Nederlandse Entomologische Vereniging. Published 1 June 2007. 40 Tijdschrift voor Entomologie, volume 150, 2007

Materials and methods 1.9.1 software on a Macintosh Power PC G4 with operating system 10.4.1. Material Wing length was measured from wing base to apex For this study 249 specimens were examined in the in males and females. following 12 collections: Morphological terminology of the external struc- BMNH Natural History Museum (formerly British tures (excluding the genitalia) mainly follows Scoble Museum for Natural History), London, UK (1992) and Holloway et al. (2001). The terminology BPBM Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Gressitt Center of the genitalia mainly follows Jordan (1939), Tuxen for Research, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA (1970) and Kôda (1987), see also Figs 1–4. KSP Koleksie Serangga Papua (Private collec- tion Henk van Mastrigt), Jayapura, Papua, Indonesia Results CKC Private collection Karel Cerny, Zirl, Nyctemera Hübner sensu stricto Austria CMWM Museum Thomas Witt (assigned to Zo- As mentioned above, the group of species presently ologische Staatssammlung München), considered to form the genus Nyctemera, still is rather Munich, Germany heterogeneous. Study of the genitalia of the approxi- ISNB Institute Royal des Sciences Naturelles de mately 65 Indo-Australian species show that at least Belgique, Brussels, Belgium six species groups (termed “subgenera” hereafter) can OXUM Hope Entomological Collections, Univer- be recognized. The nominotypical subgenus Nyctem- sity Museum, Oxford, UK era, is in the male genitalia distinguished from all RMNH Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum others by the rather short valvae with three process- Naturalis, Leiden, The Netherlands es, while the other subgenera have only one or two SNSD Staatliche Naturhistorische Sammlungen, processes. Androconial scales and hairs can be found Dresden, Germany on and around the ciliated process of the sacculus WAU Agricultural University, Wageningen, The (i.e. in Coleta Roepke, 1949 these scales are in a brush Netherlands on the foreleg, in Arctata Roepke, 1949 as long hairs ZMAN Zoölogisch Museum, University of at the dorsum of the hindwing and shorter scales on Amsterdam, The Netherlands the sacculus, and in Deilemera Hübner, [1820] as ZMHB Museum für Naturkunde der Humboldt very long hairs in a modified fold on the the rounded Universität, Berlin, Germany dorsum at the underside of the hindwing). Further- more it is recognized by its wing pattern with a clear- Methods ly defined spool- or oval-shaped fascia, often crossed Genitalia preparations were made according to by darker veins, and longitudinal white stripes in the the standards of the Natural History Museum in basal field of the forewing but this is also common London (Robinson 1976). At least one male and feature in some other subgenera. The shape of the female specimen for each species was dissected, from forewing is stretched triangular (in Coleta and Try- N. clathratum, leopoldi and mesolychna some more. pheromera Butler, 1881 broader triangular, in Arctata After dissection the genitalia were macerated for 12 even longer stretched and in Deilemera almost oval- hours in cold KOH 10%, cleaned in ethanol 30% shaped in males). and stained with chlorazol black which was dissolved It is clear that the genus needs a thorough revision, in absolute ethanol. The genitalia were temporarily not only on the species level but also on (sub)genus stored in ethanol 70% to allow the study of the three level. The complexity of the of Nyctem- dimensional structure. Finally the genitalia were era s.l. is emphasized by the recognition of species mounted on glass slides in euparal. groups within the subgenera. One of these groups Most of the adults were photographed with a con- in the nominotypical subgenus Nyctemera is the ventional Nikon F400 camera, with Sigma AF52 Nyctemera clathratum complex. Macro-objective and Sunpack ring flashlight, using Fuji 100 ASA colour transparency film. The speci- The Nyctemera clathratum complex mens of Nyctemera giloloensis and the holotype of N. leopoldi were photographed with a digital Nikon Diagnosis D50 camera with the same lens and flashlight. Head and patagia are yellow with a black dot on The genitalia were photographed through a Leica each. Male antennae are bipectinate with long cilia, MZ16 binocular microscope with a fixed DFC 320 in females, these cilia are much shorter. The shaft digital camera which is controlled by Leica Firecam is covered with black scales in both sexes. Ground