Ten New Species Of Metarbelidae (Lepidoptera: Cossoidea) From The Coastal Forests And The Eastern Arc Mountains Of Kenya And Tanzania, Including One Species From Two Upland Forests

Abstract

Ten new Metarbelidae are described. Photographs of the adults, illustrations of their wing venation and genitalia, as well as information on the floristic composition of their habitats, are presented. They are classified as endemics to various centres or subcentres of endemism. Lebedodes johni spec. nov. (potential Kenyan endemic), Metarbela shimonii spec. nov. and Salagena charlottae spec. nov. are from Arabuko-Sokoke, Kaya Muhaka and Gogoni Forest (Kenyan Coast). Salagena quentinlukei spec. nov., Ortharbela sommerlattei spec. nov. (potential East Usambara endemic), Paralebedella estherae spec. nov., Lebedodes willihaberlandi spec. nov. (potential Udzungwa endemic), Metarbela abdulrahmani spec. nov. and Metarbela chidzingai spec. nov. are from the Taita Hills (Kenya), the East Usambaras, the Uluguru and the Udzungwas (Tanzania). The genus Paralebedella is newly recorded for Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania; P. estherae spec. nov. and Lymantria leucerythra (Lymantriidae) show a disjunct distribution between the coastal forests/Eastern Arc Mountains and Mabira Forest (Uganda) indicating that both areas were probably once connected. Salagena bennybytebieri spec. nov. occurs in Ngong and Ololua “dry transitional montane forests” (Kenya). Related are submontane, montane and upper montane Salagena from Nyika National Park (Malawi), Ruwenzori Range (Uganda) and the East Usambaras (Tanzania). Closest related to S. quentinlukei spec. nov. is Salagena meyi from the Brandberg (Namibia). The author found that the Metarbelidae comprise at least 200 species in the Afrotropical Region. They are usually rare but a typical element of the African fauna. The local high diversity and endemism might be an indicator of long-term ecological stable conditions, dating back to the sudden appearance of numerous woody legumes ca. 25 myr BP

Keywords: New species, taxonomy, biogeography, host-plant relationship, endemism

Journal of East African Natural History Vol. 97 (1) 2008: pp. 43-82