Afroarabiella strohlei, Yakovlev & Witt, 2016

Yakovlev, Roman V. & Witt, Thomas J., 2016, Two new species of Afroarabiella Yakovlev, 2008 (Lepidoptera, Cossidae) from Sudan and Ethiopia, European Journal of Taxonomy 240, pp. 1-8 : 5-7

Afroarabiella strohlei sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:55F15338-7A34-4FB8-9EB2-B67541E8D33C

Figs 11, 13 , 15 -16

Diagnosis

Afroarabiella strohlei sp. nov. is distinctive compared to other Afroarabiella species by virtue of its very dark wings and the male genitalia structure: the strongly tapered phallus in its basal third and the sickleshaped cornutus slightly tapered at apex.

Etymology

The new species is named after the well-known German lepidopterist Manfred Ströhle (Weiden).

Material examined

Holotype ETHIOPIA: ³, Turmi , Mango Lodge, 04º58.32 N, 036º30.54 E, 920 m, 21- 24 Jan. 2015, leg. Ströhle (collection of M. Ströhle, Weiden; Coss-MSW/2015/31 ).

Paratype ETHIOPIA: 1 ³, same data as holotype (collection of M. Ströhle, Weiden).

Description

Male

EXTERNAL CHARACTERS. Length of fore wing 12 mm, wingspan 24 mm. Front and patagia ginger brown. Antennae bipectinate. Thorax brown. Abdomen pale grey. Fore wing wide, apex rounded, color dark grey with pattern of poorly noticeable dark undulate lines and thin X-shaped band in post-discal area; pale grey portion in submarginal area; marginal band very thin (about ¼ mm), pale grey; fringe grey, unicolorous. Hind wing pale yellow with hardly expressed pattern of rare grey strokes; fringe grey.

MALE GENITALIA. Uncus long, gradually narrowing from base to apex, apex rounded; gnathos arms rather thick, of middle length; gnathos poorly sclerotized; valve slightly tapered caudally, costal and abdominal edges almost parallel, apex wide, rounded, poorly sclerotized; costal margin of valve slightly curved in basal third; transtilla process hook-likely bent, thin, with wide base and tapered apex; juxta large, saddle-lake, with two lateral processes; lateral process of juxta large, elongated, slightly widening caudally, apex rounded; saccus of middle size, semicircle; phallus slightly shorter than valve, of even thickness except for narrowing in basal third; apex of phallus rounded; phallus strongly curved in basal third; vesica aperture in dorsal-apical position, in length about ¼ of phallus; vesica with thick sickleshaped cornutus; apex of cornutus slightly tapered, cornutus located along phallus axis.

Female

Unknown.

Remarks

Paratype the same size as the holotype.

Distribution

Ethiopia (Debub Omo Zone in the Ethiopian Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR).

Flight period

January.

Figures

Figs 12-13. Afroarabiella species (male genitalia). 12. A. sulaki sp. nov., male genitalia. 13. A. strohlei sp. nov., male genitalia .

Figs 14-15. Afroarabiella species (type localities). 14. A. sulaki sp. nov., type locality (photo by H. Sulak). 15. A. strohlei sp. nov., type locality (photo by M. Ströhle).