Afroarabiella namaquensis Yakovlev

Yakovlev, Roman V., 2014, A new species of Afroarabiella Yakovlev, 2008 (Lepidoptera, Cossidae) from the Republic of South Africa, including a world catalogue of the genus, Zootaxa 3793 (2), pp. 297-300 : 297

Afroarabiella namaquensis Yakovlev , sp. nov.

( Figs 2 −4 )

Type. Holotype: male, Republic of South Africa, Northern Cape, 100 km W Upington, Augrabies N.[ational] P.[ark], Orange River, S28º34’60”; E20º15’57”, 05.01.2008, leg. V. Kovtunovich & P. Ustjuzhanin. Deposited in the Zoological Institute, St.Petersburg, Russia.

Description. Antennae bipectinate; pecten long, 5X longer than diameter of bar. Thorax and abdomen densely covered with pale yellow hairs. Forewing length, 11 mm. Forewing light-grey, with wavy pattern. Costal edge of forewing and basal portion darker; middle of discal area with a thin wavy band, two thin bands situated on edge of postdiscal and discal areas (divergent at angle from one point on costal edge); one band extended to middle third of lower edge of wing (reaching cell M3-CuA1), second band extended to the tornal angle (reaching vein M3); thin transverse band in submarginal area from costal edge to vein M1; edge of wing with thin light band; fringe long, grey. Hindwing lightgrey, without pattern, with thin light band on edge, fringe long, grey.

Male genitalia. Uncus rather long, conical, with slightly pointed apex. Tegumen medium-sized. Branches of gnathos thick, medium-sized. Gnathos stout, very thickly covered by small spicules. Valva rather narrow, nearly parallel-sided, with nearly smooth edges, with indictinct transition zone between sclerotized basal portion and membranous, slightly narrowed distal portion; apex semispherical, broad. Transtilla rather stout, strongly sclerotized, processes rather slender, short, with broad base and pointed apex. Juxta medium-sized with very broad (1.5X broader than basal portion of processes of transtilla) lobe-like lateral processes, divergent at 180º. Saccus poorly developed, semispherical. Aedeagus shorter than valva, thick, even over all length, slightly arcuate in middle ⅓, with slightly pointed apex. Aperture of vesica in dorso-apical position, 1/5 length of aedeagus. Vesica without cornuti.

Female unknown.

Diagnosis. The new species differs from all other members of the genus by the male genital characters: transtilla with weakly pointed, nearly straight processes; juxta with very broad, lobe-like lateral processes; and nearly parallelsided valvae.

Etymology. Toponymic name. Namaqualand refers to the deserts in the southwestern Republic of South Africa.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. 1. Distribution map of members of the genus Afroarabiella. 2. Afroarabiella namaquensis Yakovlev, sp. nov., holotype. 3. Afroarabiella namaquensis Yakovlev, sp. nov., genitalia of holotype. 4. Type locality of Afroarabiella namaquensis Yakovlev, sp. nov. (photo by Vasilij Anikin).