Taxonomic and distributional updates on the Arabian species of the genus Palpita Hübner, 1808 (Lepidoptera, Crambidae, Spilomelinae)

The genus Palpita Huebner, 1808 presently comprises 166 valid species and is, thus, amongst the three most diverse genera in the subfamily Spilomelinae. The genus is represented in all zoogeographical main zones. In the Afrotropical zone, the genus is represented by a total of 21 species, 20 of which have been known exclusively from the Afrotropical zone to date. The Afrotropical zone reaches its northern boundaries in the southern parts of the Arabian Peninsula, which include southern Oman (province Dhofar), Yemen and the Sarawat Mountain chains in the south of Saudi Arabia. From the Arabian Peninsula, only two species are known to date, namely Palpita vitrealis (Rossi, 1794) and the recently described Palpita subflavalis Seizmair, 2022. One further species new to science, Palpita digitalis sp. nov ., is added to the fauna of the Arabian Peninsula, based on material from southern Saudi Arabia. The adults and the male genitalia are described and illustrated. The female genitalia are unknown. The new species is closest both in external and in internal morphology to the Aftrotropical Palpita irroratalis (Hampson, 1912) and Palpita tsisabiensis Maes, 2004 and to the Oriental Palpita argoleuca (Meyrick, 1938). The diagnostic characters in the male genitalia are listed. Taxonomic and distributional updates are given for Palpita subflavalis Seizmair, 2022, based on recent material from Saudi Arabia and Oman. External character states and the male genitalia are re-described. The species is reported as new to the fauna of Saudi Arabia. A determination key to the Arabian species of the genus Palpita Hübner, 1808 and to their closest Afrotropical and Oriental relatives is provided.