Alucita pyrczi 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 pyrczi Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich sp. nov.

Figs 1 , 2

Type material.

Holotype • ♀, (NECJU 230701), Cameroon, Bamboo Camp, 350 m a.s.l., Mount Cameroon, 4.0879°N, 9.0505°E, 12-20.XII.2014, lgt. V. Maicher, Sz. Sáfián, Š. Janeček, R. Tropek.

Differential diagnosis.

Externally, Alucita pyrczi closely resembles Alucita lidiya Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, 2018 (known so far only from the male, also collected at Bamboo Camp) but can be distinguished by the presence of a pale orange medial band on its hind wings, the orange band on its fore wings being half as wide, and a larger wingspan. In terms of female genitalia, A. pyrczi shares similarities in the structure of antrum and the shape of papillae anales and apophyses with Alucita molliflua (Meyrick, 1927) (Figs 24 , 25 ). However, these species are clearly differentiated by the structure of the ductus, the position of the ductus seminalis, and the absence of signa in the bursa copulatrix.

External characters.

The head and thorax are covered with appressed dark-grey scales, while the tegulae appear white. Labial palpi are dark grey on the outside, with white scales on the inner side, and are twice as long as the longitudinal eye diameter. The third segment is short and white, with scattered tiny brown scales. The antenna is yellowish white. The wingspan measures 18 mm. The fore wing is brown with a distinct orange medium band and is lightened with yellowish white scales at the base. The hind wings are noticeably paler than the forewings and feature a pale orange medial band. The lobes of the hind wings have dark-brown and orange spots of scales submarginally. The fringes on the hind wings are whitish apart from sections of dark-brown hairs around the medial band and submarginal spots, and the distal half of the costa of the first lobe of the hindwing is dark brown. The hind legs are pale-yellow.

Female genitalia.

The papillae anales are narrow and elongated. The posterior apophyses are shorter than the anterior apophyses. The antrum is wide and goblet-like, sclerotised. The ductus between the ductus seminalis and antrum is narrow and short. The ductus widens significantly at the junction with the ductus seminalis and narrows at its entrance to the bursa copulatrix. The bursa copulatrix is rounded, and no signa are present.

Distribution.

The species was found in Cameroon only.

Flight period.

The species was collected in December.

Etymology.

The species is named in honour of the Polish lepidopterist Tomasz Wilhelm Pyrcz, who contributed significantly to the collection and study of butterflies and moths in many parts of the world, including Cameroon.

Figures

Figures 1, 2. Alucita pyrczi Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, sp. nov. 1 adult female, holotype, NECJU 2 female genitalia, holotype, NECJU, preparation slide no. 230701. Scale bar: 5 mm.

Figures 24, 25. Alucita molliflua (Meyrick, 1927) 24 adult female, holotype 25 female genitalia, holotype. Scale bar: 5 mm.