Urodeta absidata, Sruoga, Virginijus & Prins, Jurate De, 2011

Sruoga, Virginijus & Prins, Jurate De, 2011, New species of Elachistinae (Lepidoptera: Elachistidae) from Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zootaxa 3008, pp. 1-32 : 4-5

Urodeta absidata , sp. n.

( Figs 1, 3, 4 , 13–22 )

Type material. Holotype: 3, CAMEROON, North Province, Faro River Camp, 275 m, 08°23’N 012°49’E, 09.v.2005, leg. J. & W. De Prins. Specimen ID: RMCA ENT 0 0 0 0 0 5274, gen. prep. MRAC / KMMA 0 0 594 ( RMCA).

Paratype: 1Ƥ, CAMEROON, North Province, Faro Riverside, 289 m, 08°23’N 012°49’E, 02.xii.2003, leg. J. De Prins. Specimen ID: RMCA ENT 0 0 0 0 0 5931, gen. prep. MRAC / KMMA 0 0 595 ( RMCA).

Diagnosis. Urodeta absidata is a small species with a white oblique streak on blackish-brown forewing ground colour. The male genitalia are highly distinctive with a very wide phallus, and particularly by the cusp-shaped spines embedded in the arched inner processes of valvae. The female genitalia are easily recognized by the unusually long and wide antrum. As such, U. absidata cannot be confused with any other known species.

Male ( Figs 13, 14 ). Forewing length 2.6 mm; wingspan 6.0 mm (n=1). Head: Frons white, vertex mottled with blackish brown; neck tuft mottled by blackish brown tips of grey scales; labial palpus very short, drooping, whitish; scape whitish, mottled with blackish brown, pecten whitish; flagellum brownish grey, basally annulated with darker rings. Thorax, tegula and forewing grey brown, mottled with blackish brown tipped scales; oblique whitish streak from 2/5 of costa to 3/5 of dorsum where it turns slightly basad at a sharp angle; small indistinct spot formed of raised blackish brown scales in middle of wing just beyond oblique streak; fringe brownish grey with irregularly scattered brownish grey scales narrowly edged with white just before blackish brown tip. Hindwing brownish grey, its fringe paler.

Female. Forewing length 3.0 mm; wingspan 6.8 mm (n=1). Similar to male, but antenna thinner.

Male genitalia ( Figs 15–20 ). Uncus short. Spinose knob of gnathos wider than long, tapered towards apex; basal arms of gnathos almost as long as width of spinose knob. Valva short and broad; sacculus strongly concave, tapering into short and curved setose cucullus; inner processes of valvae fused apically, weakly sclerotized, embedded with many small cusp-shaped spines ( Fig. 17 ) and with numerous tiny spines. Ventral shield of juxta five times longer than wide, broadest at 1/3 from base, apical end fused to phallus; juxta lobes not developed. Vinculum Ushaped, without saccus. Phallus short, broadest basally, tapered towards apex, curved dorsad, with long narrow sclerotization ventro-distally; vesica with 6 cornuti, slightly variable in size.

Female genitalia ( Figs 21, 22 ). Papillae anales short with sparse long setae except for ventral margin with dense short setae. Apophyses posteriores stout, apically dilated, length about 0.6 of papillae anales. Tergum 8 not sclerotized, apophyses anteriores basally widened, curved, extending from central part of segment and spreading apart laterad. Ostium bursae situated in integument between sterna 7 and 8. Antrum wide and long, about 2.7 times longer than wide, heavily sclerotized, especially along lateral margins and in central part; one strongly sclerotized spine as long as apophyses posteriores in proximal part; ventroposterior margin of antrum convex. Ductus bursa densely covered with coarse internal spines. Corpus bursae narrow and long, about 4 times longer than wide, without signum or internal spines.

Biology. Unknown.

Flight period. Based upon the specimens available, adults fly in early May and in early December.

Distribution. So far this species is known only from North Province of Cameroon ( Figs 1, 3, 4 ).

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin absidatus (arched) in reference to the arched inner processes of valvae.

Remarks. The head of the holotype is somewhat rubbed and antennae are partly broken, therefore the description is approximate.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. Collecting localities of the Afrotropical Elachistinae species. 1, Cameroon, North Province, Faro River floodplain; 2, DRC, Bas-Congo, Mayumbe Forest; 3, general map indicating collecting sites; 4, collecting site in Cameroon; 5, collecting site in DRC.

FIGURES 13 – 18. Urodeta absidata, sp. n., holotype. 13, adult male. Scale bar 1 mm; 14, head, frontal view; 15, general view of male genitalia (phallus removed); 16, phallus; 17, apical part of male genitalia (arrow pointing to cusp-shaped spine); 18, apical part of phallus. Gen. prep. MRAC / KMMA 0 0 594, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 0 0 0 0 0 5274. Scale bar 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 19 – 22. Urodeta absidata, sp. n. 19, male genitalia, ventral view; 20, male genitalia, lateral view. Holotype, in glycerol before permanent mounting in Euparal. Specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000005274; 21, female genitalia, caudal part; 22, ductus and corpus bursae. Paratype. Gen. prep. MRAC / KMMA 0 0 595, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 0 0 0 0 0 5931. Scale bar 0.1 mm.