Protolychnis oculiella Park & Koo, 2021

Park, Kyu-Tek & Koo, Jun-Mo, 2021, A new genus Viperinus Park with descriptions of two new species, and two new species of the genus Protolychnis Meyrick, 1925 (Lepidoptera, Gelechioidea, Lecithoceridae) in Kenya and Tanzania, with a checklist of the world species, Zootaxa 4985 (3), pp. 359-370 : 363-366

Protolychnis oculiella Park & Koo , sp. nov.

LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:457537E4-AF3B-4884-84BE-C7AD79FF57D0

( Figs 3A–E, I )

Type specimen. • Holotype: male, Kenya, Rift Valley , Kajaido North Dist., Maasai Lodge 1,865 m, 1°23′4″S 36°49′51″E, 1 v 2015, D.J.L. Agassiz, gen. slide no. CIS-7441, COI barcode CBNU260, in NHMUK.

Diagnosis. This new species is similar in superficial and male genital characters to P. petiliella Park, 2020 , but it can be distinguished by the male genitalia: uncus slightly narrowed toward apex, whereas that of P. petiliella is more clavate distally; valva narrower at base, more narrowly elongated; and saccus much shorter, about 0.5 times shorter than that of P. petiliella ( Figs 3F–H ).

Description. Male ( Figs 3A–C ). Wingspan 14.0 mm.

Head: Vertex dark brown with orange-white erect scales laterally. Antenna thick, orange white, about 0.6 times shorter than the forewing length. Labial palpus slightly upturned; 2 nd segment thickened, covered with dark brown scales in basal 3/4, then gradually turning orange white toward apex on outer surface; 3 rd segment slightly curved upwardly, slender with sharply pointed apex, nearly same length as 2 nd segment, orange white entirely.

Thorax: Thorax and tegula dark brown, Forewing slightly broadened distally; ground color fuscous dark brown uniformly, with a distinct orange-white spot at apical end of discal cell; fainted blackish spots at basal 2/5 across wing medially; costa slightly arched at basal 1/6, nearly straight medially, then slightly oblique from beyond 5/6; apex more or less rounded; termen oblique with fringe concolorous with ground color. Hindwing broader than forewing, brownish gray.

Abdomen: Dark brown, spinous zones forming a band on dorsal surface along posterior margin of each segment ( Fig. 3I ).

Male genitalia ( Figs 3D, E ): Uncus elongated, slightly narrowed toward apex, with round apex. Gnathos strongly bent from before middle, with sharply pointed apex. Valva elongated, narrow at base, broadest at about basal 1/3; cucullus gradually narrowed toward apex, strongly upturned from 3/5; costa slightly expanded near base, then gently concave; ventral margin expanded in basal 1/3, then gently arched; apex rounded. Juxta broad at base, with nearly symmetrical caudal processes, longer than tegumen, pointed apically. Saccus rather short. Aedeagus slender, longer than valva, narrowed in basal 1/6; cornuti probably consisting of multiple broom-like setae but removed.

Etymology. The species epithet is derived from the Latin, oculi (= eye) with Latin diminutive suffix, -ella, referring to the orange-white eye-like dot on the forewing.

Distribution. Kenya.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Protolychnis oculiella Park & Koo, sp. nov.: A, adult, holotype; B, ditto, dorsal surface of head and antenna; C, ditto, labial palpus; D, male genitalia, holotype, slide no. CIS-7441, with a close-up of uncus+juxta; E, ditto, aedeagus; Protolychnis petiliella Park, 2020: F, right valva+saccus, paratype, slide no. CIS-7341; G, ditto, close-up of uncus; H, aedeagus, holotype, slide no. CIS-7342; I, abdomen of P. oculiella, holotype.