Eridachtha crossogramma ( Meyrick, 1921 )

Park, Kyu-Tek & Prins, Willy De, 2019, A review of the Lecithoceridae (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea) of southern Africa, based on type specimens deposited in the Ditsong National Museum of Natural History (TMSA), with descriptions of three new species, Zootaxa 4623 (1), pp. 61-89 : 67-68

Eridachtha crossogramma ( Meyrick, 1921)

( Fig. 3C )

Corthyntis crossogramma Meyrick, 1921: 87 . TL: Rhodesia, Zimbabwe [TMSA].

Eridachtha (?) crossogramma ; Meyrick 1925: 220; Janse 1954: 367.

Adult. ( Fig. 3C ). See Janse (1954, Pl. 157, Fig. 3 - adult; Pl. 161, Figs. 8 , 9 - venation and labial palpus). Wingspan 14 mm.

Diagnosis. Male genitalia. The male genitalia are characterized by the valva with a small triangular lobe on ventral margin medially and the aedeagus strongly bent at middle (see Janse 1954, Pl. 153, Fig. 1 - photo; Pl. 161, Fig. 10 - line drawing).

Material examined. Type no. 576, ♂ (holotype), [ Zimbabwe], Rhodesia, Victoria Falls, Jan., A.J.T. Janse, gen. slide no. 3739.

Distribution. Zimbabwe ( Meyrick 1921).

Remarks. The genus Eridachtha Meyrick is characterized by the forewing venation with R 3 stalked with R 4+5, R 5 to termen, and CuA 1 and CuA 2 shortly stalked; and the hindwing with M 2 absent. However, the veins CuA 1 and CuA 2 of E. crossogramma Meyrick are remote from each other, differing from those of Eridachtha . It is considered that Meyrick (1925) probably placed crossogramma Meyrick in Eridachtha , due to a miss-reading of the veins on the forewing, especially the condition of CuA 1 and CuA 2, and Janse (1954) followed it. Also the expansible tuft of hairs on the 2 nd segment of labial palpus in crossogramma Meyrick differs from that of Eridachtha , which has a bundle of long hair-like scales. However, the male genitalia point to a placement in the genus Eridachtha . Thus, the generic position of E. crossogramma Meyrick should be considered in a future study, taking other Afrotropical species into account which do not occur in southern Africa. For the time being, the species is tentatively left in Eridachtha Meyrick.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Photos in the TMSA.A, Ditsong National Museum of Natural History (= formerly Transvaal Museum) in Pretoria; B, An exhibition at the entrance of the museum; C, Photo of A.J.T. Janse (1875–1970).

FIGURE 3. Adults of Lecithocerinae with their labels: A, Atrichozancla gymnopalpa Janse, lectotype ♂; B, Atrichozancla phaeocrossis Meyrick, paratype ♂; C. Eridachtha crossogramma (Meyrick), holotype ♂; D, Frisilia compostoma Meyrick, holotype ♂; E, Homaloxestis lophophora Janse, lectotype ♂; F, Lecithocera aenicta Meyrick, holotype ♂; G, L. binotata Mey- rick, holotype ♂; H, L. flavipalpis Walsingham, holotype ♀; I, L. ideologa Meyrick, holotype ♂; J, L. lucernata Meyrick, ♂ specimen; K, L. myopa Meyrick, lectotype ♂; L, Plagiocrossa picrodora (Meyrick), lectotype ♀.

FIGURE 8. Male and female genitalia & venation. A, male genitalia of Dragmatucha proaula Meyrick, gen. slide no. CIS- 7183/Park; B, ditto, aedeagus; C. ditto, venation, wing slide no. CIS-7138/Park; D, female genitalia of Idiopteryx discopuncta (Janse), gen. slide no. CIS-7180/Park; E, male genitalia of I. bivia (Walsingham), gen. slide no. CIS-7181/Park; F, ditto, aedeagus; G, forewing venation of Idiopteryx discopuncta (Janse), wing slide no. CIS-7182/Park (left); H, venation of I. bivia (Walsingham), wing slide no. CIS-7182/Park (right). Scale bar: 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 9. Male and female genitalia of Idiopteryx. A, male genitalia of Idiopteryx jansei sp. nov.; B, ditto, aedeagus; C, abdo- men; D, male genitalia of I. obliquella Walsingham; E, ditto, aedeagus; F, female genitalia of I. obliquella. Scale bar: 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 10. Adults and venation of Protolychnis species. A, adult of P. maculata Walsingham, male; B, P. natalensis sp. nov., holotype, male; C, P. chlorotoma Meyrick, holotype in NHMUK; D, P. maculata Meyrick, holotype in NHMUK; E, P. marginata Walsingham, holotype in NHMUK; F, venation of P. maculata; G; additional specimens of P. maculata in TMSA; H, Lecithocera flavipalpis Walsingham, female.