43. Manoneura forcipis Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov.

(Figs 2, 9, 33, 95, 96)

Type material. Holotype: ♂, PERU, Dept. Apurimac, 47: 12 km N Abancay, Cerro Turonmocco, elevation 3500 m, 17–18.iii.1987, O. Karsholt, genitalia slide no. RA 552♂ (ZMUC) .

Diagnosis. The combination of a shiny, coppery brown forewing, highly specific valva, unique pseudotranstilla, and narrow phallus with long carinae in the male genitalia distinguishes M. forcipis from all other Nepticulidae including congeneric species.

Male (Fig. 33). Forewing length about 2.7 mm; wingspan about 5.9 mm. Head: palpi brownish grey; frontal tuft brown; collar and scape coppery brown; antenna slightly longer than half the length of forewing; flagellum with 46 segments, brown, glossy. Thorax, tegula and forewing shiny coppery brown with some purple iridescence; forewing narrow, with narrow subapical fascia of silvery shiny scales; fringe coppery brown; underside of forewing dark brown, without spots or androconia. Hindwing and its cilia pale coppery brown, little glossy on upper side and underside, without spots or androconia. Legs glossy, grey-brown, with some purple iridescence.

Female. Unknown.

Male genitalia (Figs 95, 96). Capsule much longer (575 µm) than wide (285 µm). Vinculum very large, widely rounded, without lateral lobes. Uncus and gnathos form a lock (see fig. 96). Valva 175–180 µm long, 55–60 µm wide, with one large apical process, triangular inner lobe and elaborated basal part; basal processes of valvae extremely long, connected with a very large, wrinkled plate (named here as a pseudotranstilla, see fig. 95). Phallus (Figs 95, 96) 645 µm long, 75–95 µm wide, with four carinae and extraordinary long, tube-like cathrema.

Bionomics. Adults fly in March. Otherwise biology unknown.

Distribution (Fig. 9). This species occurs in the Peruvian Andes (Peru: Apurimac Departamento) at altitudes about 3500 m.

Etymology. The species name is derived from Latin forcipus (tongs) in reference to the tongs-like valva and tweezers-like phallus in the male genitalia.