Lecithocera kitulangaroensis 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 : 576-577

Lecithocera kitulangaroensis Park , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F70156B7-B4AE-4F33-B505-A81B27A8D6A6

( Figs 1 , 7)

Type specimen. Holotype male: Tanzania, Morogoro Distr., Kitulangaro For. Res . 420–540 m, 28 ii 1993, leg. L. Aarvik, gen. slide no. CIS-7177, in NHMO.

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to Lecithocera namizimuensis Park & Heppner, 2023 , described from Malawi, in the forewing colour and pattern, but it is much smaller having the length of forewing 11–12 mm (while the length of forewing is ca. 15–17 mm in L. namizimuensis ). The male genitalia can be distinguished from the latter by the following characters: 1) basal lobes of uncus narrowly elongated, 2) juxta lacking well-developed median process, 3) saccal zone of vinculum rounded (whereas in L. namizimuensis , basal lobes of uncus ovate, juxta with digitate median process, and saccal zone produced anteriorly), and 4) aedeagus much slender with irregular plate bearing a cornutus apically.

Description. Male ( Figs 1, 1a, b ). Wingspan 11.0–12.0 mm.

Head: yellowish-brown on frons and on dorsal surface, with shiny light-yellow erect scales laterally. Antenna longer than forewing, about 1.2 times of the forewing; scape elongated, dilated distally, light yellow throughout; flagellum light yellow, with broad, brown annulations, being paler toward the apex. Second palpomere ( Fig. 1a ) thickened, brownish grey on outer surface, pale yellow on inner surface; 3rd palpomere about 2/3 the length of 2nd segment, pale yellow laterally, dark brown ventrally.

Thorax: notum and tegula mustard brown. Hind tibia clothed with yellowish-white rough scales dorsally and brownish-grey rough scales ventrally; tarsi dark brown dorsally beyond the first segment, with white bands on each segment apically. Forewing elongated; ground colour evenly mustard brown; costa slightly arched near base and beyond 2/3; apex obtuse; termen oblique; fringe concolourous with ground colour. Hind wing greyish brown.

Abdomen: segment VII with well-developed linear processes laterally; sternite VIII broadly developed (Fig. 7b).

Male genitalia (Figs 7, 7a): uncus basal lobes elongated, directed outwardly. Gnathos basal plate broad basally, more or less pentagonal. Tegumen weakly sclerotised, deeply rounded anteriorly. Costal bar with triangular median angle. Valva broad basally; more than twice width of cucullus; cucullus elongated, with arched ventral margin, slightly concave dorsal margin, which is slightly narrowed apically, and with numerous short, conical spines along ventral margin and few longer spines near theproximal corner, apex slightly produced. Sacculus broadly developed, weakly sclerotised, with a linear crescent band arising from the middle to the proximal corner of cucullus. Juxta membranous, diamond-shaped in basal 1/3, sharply produced on anterior margin. Vinculum broadened, weakly sclerotised. Aedeagus slender, as wide as cucullus, slightly bent before the middle; cornutus consists of a cluster of a few spine-like setae near the apex.

Female unknown.

Distribution. Tanzania (Morogoro Distr.).

Etymology. The species name is derived from the type locality, Kitulangaro in Tanzania.

Figures

FIGURES 1–3. Adults of Lecithocera: 1, L. kitulangaroensis Park, sp. nov. (male, holotype); 1a, head, dorsal view; 1b, labial palpus; 2, L. grisella Park, sp. nov. (male, holotype): 2a, Head, dorsal view; 2b, labial palpus; 3. L. soniana Park, sp. nov. (female, holotype): 3a, head, dorsal view; 3b, labial palpus.