Trichophysetis samueli, Agassiz, 2022

Agassiz, David, 2022, The tribe Cybalomiini (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea, Crambidae, Glaphyrinae) of sub-Saharan Africa, Zootaxa 5174 (2), pp. 101-156 : 118

Trichophysetis samueli sp. n.

Imago (fig. 20) Wingspan 13–15 mm. Head white, labial palpus porrect, in male nearly twice diameter of eye, clothed laterally with brownish scales, in female three times diameter of eye, slender and pointed, segment 3 sparsely scaled; Antenna pale fulvous, about half length of forewing. Thorax and tegula whitish, suffused golden brown posteriorly. Forewing base of costa with dark brown scales, basal area whitish bounded by curved subbasal fascia, fulvous scales increasing to antemedian curved fascia, then whitish near costa before curved postmedian fascia, fulvous before subterminal line which is inwardly edged white, termen and fringe fulvous. Hindwing whitish with curved fasciae at ⅓ and ⅔ the latter conspicuously double, more darkly scaled towards dorsum, termen whitish, fringe fulvous. Abdomen segments 1–2 whitish, 3–6 brown, 7–8 whitish.

Male genitalia (fig. 62): Uncus broad, almost squared, gnathos narrow digitate, valva with sacculus broadly claw-shaped, a central sclerotised structure with a pair of sinuate arms. Aedeagus simple without cornuti.

Female genitalia (fig. 93): Ostial plate sclerotised, ostium surrounded by a sclerotised ring, ductus short, corpus bursae at first scobinate, then ovate, without signum.

Diagnosis: Similar to the Asian species cretacea Butler , terminal line of forewing straight near apex, not sinuate as in whitei , uncus of male genitalia broad.

Life history: not known.

Derivation: named after my grandson Samuel.

Distribution: Angola, Cameroon, Kenya, Ethiopia, Yemen, Oman.

Type material: Holotype ♂ KENYA, Rift Valley , Gilgil 2100 m 0° 29’ S 36° 22’ E 23.ix.2008, D. Agassiz, L. Aarvik & A. Kingston . 13 paratypes: 12♂ 1♀ same locality as holotype, 27 and 28.xi.2005, 2.ix.2006 (5), 3.xi.2006, D.J.L. Agassiz, 22.xi.2008 (2) D.Agassiz, L.Aarvik & A.Kingston, 20.x.2019 D. Agassiz, A.Kingston & M.Ngugi; ( DJLA) .

Other material examined: ETHIOPIA: 1♀ Dire Dawa iv.1935 Ulenhuth ; ANGOLA: 1 specimen João de Almmeida 29.iii.1972 Southern Africa Expedition ( NHMUK) ; 2♂ Bruco 26.ii. – 2.iii.1972 inc. BMNH Pyr slide 23252 ; 1♀ CAMEROON: North Province, Faro River Camp 275 m 8° 23’ N 12° 49’ E 1.v.2005 J & W De Prins ; OMAN: 3♂ 20 km N. Salalah 2.x.2014 D.J.L. Agassiz ( NHMUK) ; YEMEN: 1♀ 7.xi.1996 13.57/43.57 2100 m lbb 1.5 km W Jiblah leg. H. Hacker ( MfN) .