Alucita tonda Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, 2024

Ustjuzhanin, Peter, Kovtunovich, Vasily, Delabye, Sylvain, Maicher, Vincent, Safian, Szabolcs, Streltzov, Alexander & Tropek, Robert, 2024, Magnifying the hotspot: descriptions of nine new species of many-plumed moths (Lepidoptera, Alucitidae), with an identification key to all species known from Cameroon, ZooKeys 1193, pp. 25-48 : 25

Alucita tonda Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich sp. nov.

Figs 14 , 15

Type material.

Holotype • ♀, (NECJU 230707), Cameroon, Drink Gari, 650 m a.s.l., Mount Cameroon, 4.1014°N, 9.0610°E, 06-15.II.2016, lgt. V. Maicher, Sz. Sáfián, Š. Janeček, R. Tropek.

Differential diagnosis.

The dark colour of the wings in this species shows some similarity to Alucita acalyptra Meyrick, 1913, but the new species lacks the zigzag bands on the wings’ distal parts. In terms of the female genitalia, the new species stands out with its unusual asymmetric structure of the antrum, which has no analogues among known species.

External characters.

The head, thorax, and tegulae are dark brown. The labial palpi are short, straight, and slightly longer than the longitudinal eye diameter. The antennae are brown. The wingspan is 16 mm, and the wings are dark brown. Narrow pale longitudinal bands are present on the lobes of all wings. The fringe on the lobes of all wings is greyish brown. The hind legs are pale yellow.

Female genitalia.

The papillae anales are wide. The posterior apophyses are short, thick, and slightly shorter than the anterior apophyses. The antrum is asymmetric, sclerotised, and distally tubulate, with a small triangular notch in the middle. The medium portion of the antrum is very wide, with the right half distinctively protruding to the side, creating a structural asymmetry. The lower portion of the antrum is membranous and bears two round sclerotised plaques. The ductus is short, almost invisible, and passes into a narrow membranous bursa copulatrix, with no signa observed.

Distribution.

The species was found in Cameroon only.

Flight period.

The species was collected in February.

Etymology.

The species name is a noun in apposition, given in honour of Antonín “Tonda” Tropek, who is RT’s father.

Figures

Figures 14, 15. Alucita tonda Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, sp. nov. 14 adult male, holotype, NECJU 15 male genitalia, holotype, NEJCU, preparation slide no. 230707. Scale bar: 5 mm.