Descriptions of new Hypotrabala Holland, 1893 (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae: Lasiocampinae: Selenepherini) in the collections of the African Natural History Research Trust, with notes on allied genera and the description of a new genus

Abstract

The Afrotropical lappet moth genus Hypotrabala Holland, 1893 is reviewed utilising specimens housed in the African Natural History Research Trust collections. The synthesis of morphological and DNA analyses has reconciled discrepancies in previous treatments of the genus and Hypotrabala is clearly delimited with implications on the nomenclature and taxonomy. The genus Epitrabala Hering, 1932 syn. n. is synonymised with Hypotrabala resulting in the following changes: Hypotrabala argenteoguttata (Aurivillius, 1909) comb. rev. is revived, H. horridula Tams, 1925 stat. rev. is removed from synonymy with Epitrabala nyassana (Aurivillius, 1909) and two taxa, H. horridula seydeli Tams, 1925 syn. n. and Epitrabala argyrostigma Hering, 1932 syn. n. are synonymised with it. Epitrabala nyassana is transferred to the genus Leptometa (comb. n.) as is Leptometa sanguicincta comb. n. (previously assigned to Hypotrabala), while Hypotrabala odonestioides Berio, 1937 is excluded from Hypotrabala although its generic placement remains uncertain. Based on the structures of the male eighth sternite, Hypotrabala fontainei stat. n. is raised to species status and a new genus Megatrabala gen. n. is described for the striking taxon M. regalis (Tams, 1953) comb. n. Furthermore, 19 new species are described: H. aurantiaca, H. cinereamargo, H. exquisita, H. extenuata, H. giustii, H. indefinita, H. igneata, H. lunda, H. lydiae, H. magnimacula, H. obscura, H. ophioglossa, H. pallens, H. pruinosa, H. retorta, H. smithi, H. tabithae, H. tamsi and H. volynkini spp. n. Certain incongruencies between the results of the barcode analyses and species concepts in this genus and Lasiocampidae more generally are discussed.