Ptilothyris hylodes Park, 2019

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 : 219-222

9. Ptilothyris hylodes Park , sp. nov.

( Figs. 12 A–G)

Type specimen. Holotype: male, Uganda, Kibale Nat. Park, Biol. Field Station , 19–24 xi 2014, LF leg. W. Mey, gen slide no. CIS-7003, COI barcode CBNU-029. The type is deposited in MfN.

Diagnosis. Ptilothyris hylodes is also superficially similar to P. drepanodes sp. nov. by the absence of orange white patch on the hind wing, but it is differentiated by the shape of caudal lobes of juxta. It can also be distinguished from the following species, P. crassiella sp. nov. by the pale yellow flagellum in basal part. The male genitalia are similar to those of vokaensis sp. nov., but can be distinguished by the basal plate of gnathos with narrow, rather slender median lobe; cucullus more sharply produced apically, with nearly straight costal margin; phallus with a pair of minute spines apically, whereas the spines are absent in P. vokaensis ; and the hair-pencils much shorter. The COI barcode sequences revealed that they are different.

Description. Male ( Figs. 12 A–C). Forewing length 9.0 mm.

Head: Dark brown dorsally, with pale yellow erect scales laterally, arising from upper margin of compound eye. Antenna ( Fig. 12B ) basal segment slender, dark fuscous dorsally, pale yellow ventro-laterally; flagellum bipectinate, each subsegment with whorled scales and long cilia, pale yellow speckled with blackish scales in basal half and pale yellow beyond. Labial palpus ( Fig. 12C ) with 2 nd segment thickened, rather flattened, saber-shaped, pale yellow, speckled with dark brown scales on outer surface; 3 rd segment as long as 2 nd segment, same color as the second ventro-laterally, pale yellow on inner surface.

Thorax: Notum and tegula dark brown dorsally. Hind tibia dark fuscous in basal 1/4 and in apical 1/4, pale yellow near middle. Forewing ground color dark brown; costa slightly expanded anteriorly in basal 1/3, then nearly straight, arched in apical 1/4; apex obtuse; hind wing much broader than forewing.

Abdomen ( Fig. 12G ): Spinous zones on tergites; a pair of hair-pencil on anterior margin of segment VIII laterally, relatively short, slightly longer than the length of segment VII ( Fig. 12 G- ®).

Male genitalia ( Figs. 12 D–F) with uncus with gently arched caudal margin. Median lobe of basal plate of gnathos slender, much longer than lateral lobes caudally ( Fig. 12 F-©); lateral lobes broadly rounded apically. Valva elongate; cucullus with more or less rounded apex, costal margin nearly straight. Ventral plate of juxta with oblique caudal margin; caudal margin slightly concave medially; caudal process not distinctly produced, with obtuse left angle and acute right angle. Vinculum narrow, band-like, heavily sclerotized. Phallus more or less slender, much shorter than valva, minute spinules densely scattered beyond middle; cornuti with a pair of small spines apically, and a bundle of spines well developed near middle.

Distribution. Uganda.

Etymology. The species epithet is derived from the Greek, hyle (= forest) with – odes, a Greek suffix denoting resemblance.

Figures

FIGURE 12. Ptilothyris hylodes Park. A, Holotype, male, in MfN; B, Antenna and labial palpus, dorsal view; C, Labial palpus, lateral view; D, Male genitalia, holotype, gen. slide no. CIS-7003; E, Phallus, with a close-up of cornutus; F, Uncus and gnathos; G, Abdomen, holotype, with hair-pencils.