Ptilothyris neuroplaca Meyrick, 1933

Park, Kyu-Tek, Mey, Wolfram, Koo, Jun-Mo, Prins, Jurate De & Cho, Soowon, 2019, Revision of the genus Ptilothyris Walsingham, 1897 (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea: Lecithoceridae), with descriptions of eight new species from Africa, Zootaxa 4567 (2), pp. 201-235 : 231

17. Ptilothyris neuroplaca Meyrick, 1933

( Figs. 19 A–F)

Ptilothyris neuroplaca Meyrick, 1933: 359 (Idiopteryx) . TL: Congo, Belg. [NHMUK].

Diagnosis. Female ( Figs. 19A, B ). Forewing length 9.0 mm. Ptilothyris neuroplaca is distinguished from other members of the genus by the pale-orange head and the same ground color of the forewing. The forewing has two, dark-fuscous, transverse streaks, one at base, the other as a wide postmedian fascia; outer streak 2/5 the length of forewing in width, with pale-orange branched lines, and the hind wing ground color is dark brown, with orangewhite vertical streak preapically on costa.

Female genitalia ( Figs. 19 C–E). See also Clarke, 1965: pl. 107, Figs. 1–1c . Abdominal sternite VIII broadly and shortly emarginated, with more or less triangular lateral lobes. Apophyses anteriores long, about 2/3 the length of apophyses posteriores. Lamella antevaginalis large, isosceles trapezoidal, weakly sclerotized. Ductus bursae narrow, long, about three times the length of corpus bursae; ductus seminalis arising from near middle. Corpus bursae ovate; signum large, roundish, as wide as long.

Material examined. [ NHMUK]: 1♀ (holotype), Zambia, N. Rhodesia, Congo-Zambesi watershed , 1918, leg. H. S. Evans, gen. slide no. BM-9135/Clarke.

Distribution. Zambia.

Remarks. Even though the wing color pattern of this species is exceptionally different from other members of the genus, the female genitalia have a prolonged hood-shaped signum which is a common character of the genus Ptilothyris .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Map of central-southern Africa, showing countries from which specimens for this study were originally collected.

FIGURE 19. Ptilothyris neuroplaca Meyrick. A, Holotype, female, in NHMUK; B, Labels of holotype; C, Female genitalia, BM slide No. 9135/Clarke; D, Genital plate and ostium; E, Corpus bursae with signum; F, Abdomen.