Paniculata Park, 2018

Park, Kyu-Tek, 2018, Three new genera and ten new species of the subfamily Lecithocerinae (Lepidoptera, Lecithoceridae) from Cameroon, Africa, based on material collected in 1913 - 18, Zootaxa 4415 (3), pp. 561-579 : 568-570

Genus Paniculata Park , gen. nov.

Type species: Paniculata weberi Park , sp. nov., 2017. TL: Cameroon.

Diagnosis. Paniculata Park is a monotypic, and seems to be related to Lecithocera with similar wing shape. The diagnostic characters of this new genus are: head, thorax, and forewing pale yellow throughout dorsally; basal segment of antenna with a prominent black scale-tuft ventro-apically ( Fig. 18a–b ); second segment of labial palpus slender, long, upturned; 3rd segment short, less than 1/3 of 2nd segment; forewing with R3 connate with R4+5; CuA1 and CuA2 free and hindwing with M3 and CuA1 coincident. Abdomen without spinous zones of spines on tergite; segment 6th with a pair of transverse crescentic sclerites and 7th segment with heavily scerotized rods. The prominent scale-tuft at apex of the basal segment of antenna is a shared character with Alcyphanes Meyrick, from which it is easily differentiated by the forewing color pattern and different venation: Alcyphanes has R3 stalked with R4+5, R5 to termen, M2 and M3 stalked, CuA1 stalked with M2+3. The wing venation is also similar to that of Opacoptera Gozmány with M3, CuA1 and CuA2 free in the forewing, and M3 and CuA1 coincident.

Description for venation ( Fig. 19 ): Forewing with R1 arising from before middle; distance between origins of vein R1 and R2 less than 1.5 times that between R2 and R3; R3 connate with R4+5, arising near upper corner of cell; R4 and R5 stalked near middle; R5 to termen; M1 remote from R4+5, nearly parallel to M2; M3 closer to CuA1 at base; CuA1 free; hindwing with M3 and CuA1 coincident.

Etymology. The generic name is derived from Latin, paniculus (= tuft), referring to the scale tuft of antenna. The gender is feminine.

Figures

FIGURES 18–20. Adults, venation, and male genitalia: 18, adult of Paniculata weberi sp. nov., holotype, with its label; 18a, ditto, antenna and labial palpus; 18b, ditto, lateral view of head part; 19, venation of P. weberi, paratype; 20, male genitalia; 20a, ditto, phallus; 20b, ditto, abdominal segments VI–VIII.