Lecithocera triasgonia Park, 2024

Park, Kyu-Tek, Yu, Tae-Uk & Jeong, Su-Yeon, 2024, The genus Lecithocera (Lepidoptera: Lecithoceridae: Lecithocerinae) in Kenya and Tanzania, with descriptions of six new species, Zootaxa 5538 (6), pp. 575-588 : 579-580

Lecithocera triasgonia Park , sp. nov.

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( Figs 4 , 9 )

Type specimen. Holotype male, Tanzania, Morogoro Distr. & Town, 550−600 m, 9 iv 1993, leg. L. Aarvik, gen. slide no. CIS-7173, in MNHO.

Diagnosis. The new species is superficially similar to L. hadroidia Park & Heppner, 2023 which was described from Malawi, but can be distinguished from the latter by the forewing with the costa arched beyond 2/3 and rounded apex, and by the male genitalia: basal lobes of uncus semi-ovate; cucullus narrowed toward apex beyond 3/4, juxta with small, thumb-like median process (whereas in L. hadroidia , it is triangular); cornuti consisting of a long rectangular, sclerotised plate beyond middle (whereas in L. hadroidia , with two spine-like processes at middle).

Description. Male ( Figs 4, 4a, b ). Wingspan 14.0 mm.

Head: vertex shiny, mustard brown, with pale-orange appressed scales on lateral sides. Antenna about 1.2 times longer than forewing; scape slightly dilated laterally, dark-brown dorsally; flagellum dark brown, paler towards apex. Second palpomere thickened, slightly arched, greyish orange on the outer surface, paler on the inner surface; 3rd palpomere shorter than 2nd, strongly upturned, yellowish orange dorsally and dark brown ventrally.

Thorax: tegula and notum yellowish brown, concolourous with the forewing ground colour. Forewing ground colour yellowish brown, densely scattered with evenly distributed dark-brown scales; costa arched beyond basal 3/4; apex rounded; termen convex medially; fringe concolourous with ground colour; venation with R 4 and R 5 stalked for basal 3/5; R 5 to apex; M 1 close to R 4+5 at base; CuA 1 and CuA 2 short-stalked. Hindwing greyish whites, scattered with brownish scales 4; venation with M 3 and CuA 1 stalked for basal 1/3; apex rounded; fringe concolourous with ground colour.

Abdomen ( Fig. 9c ): segment VII with short linear processes laterally; sternite VIII deeply concave on caudal margin.

Male genitalia ( Figs 9a, b ): uncus basal lobes semi-ovate, emarginated medially on caudal margin. Gnathos basal plate triangularly produced distally; median process slender, gently turndown beyond 2/3. Tegumen weakly sclerotised, gently concave on anterior margin. Costal bar narrow, sharply angled medially. Valva with broad basal part; cucullus narrowed beyond 2/3 toward apex, densely setose, with minute conical spines along ventral margin; sacculus broadened, followed by a crescent line from before termination. Vinculum broad; saccal zone more or less rounded. Juxta with short, thumb-like, sclerotised median process and with large latero-caudal membranous processes which is strongly bent outward apically; anterior margin slightly produced. Aedeagus somewhat stout, as long as valva; cornuti consisting of a long, rectangular plate with heavily sclerotised lateral margins, and several rows of irregular spines situated apically.

Female unknown.

Distribution. Tanzania ( Morogoro Distr.).

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Greek word, -trias (= three) and - gonia (= angle), referring to the triangular signum in the female genitalia.

Figures

FIGURES 4–6. Adults: 4, Lecithocera triasgonia Park, sp. nov. (male, holotype): 4a, head, dorsal view; 4b, labial palpus; 5, L. majorella Park, sp. nov. (female, holotype): 5a, head, dorsal view; 5b, labial palpus; 6, L. namizimuensis Park & Heppner, 2023 (female); 6a, head, dorsal view; 6b, labial palpus.

FIGURES 9–10. 9. Male genitalia of Lecithocera triasgonia Park, sp. nov. (holotype, gen. slide no. CIS-7173): 9a, aedeagus; 9b, close-up central part of genitalia; 9c, pregenital segments. 10, female genitalia of L. namizimuensis Park & Heppner, 2023 (gen. slide no. CIS-7172). Scale bar: 1.0 mm.