Leucinodes ethiopica, Mally, Richard, Korycinska, Anastasia, Agassiz, David J. L., Hall, Jayne, Hodgetts, Jennifer & Nuss, Matthias, 2015

Mally, Richard, Korycinska, Anastasia, Agassiz, David J. L., Hall, Jayne, Hodgetts, Jennifer & Nuss, Matthias, 2015, Discovery of an unknown diversity of Leucinodes species damaging Solanaceae fruits in sub-Saharan Africa and moving in trade (Insecta, Lepidoptera, Pyraloidea), ZooKeys 472, pp. 117-162 : 137-138

Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Crambidae

Leucinodes ethiopica sp. n. Figs 9, 21, 29

Type-locality.

Ethiopia, Dire Dawa Region, Dire Dawa District, Dire Dawa, December 1934, H. Ulenhuth leg.

Material examined.

Type-specimens. Holotype ♂ [red-circled label] "Holo- | type", "Dire Daoua, | Abyssinia, | December 1934. | (H. Uhlenhuth)."; 19 paratypes: 11♂ 8♀ same data as holotype, including one with BM Pyralidae | slide 23138♂ (BMNH). - Additional material.ERITREA. Asmara, 20.x.1905. leg. N. Beccari (without abdomen), 1♀ same data except 28.i.1905 (BMNH); ETHIOPIA. 34 ex. same data as holotype except ii.1935, 4 ex. ditto except iv.1935, 7 ex. ditto except v.1935 including BM Pyralidae | slide 23139♀, 1 ditto except ix.1935, 2 ex. labelled Durleti [= Daleti] (BMNH); SAUDI ARABIA. 2♀ Taif (BMNH).

Diagnosis.

This species’ forewing colour has more ochreous than the whitish species of Leucinodes but less orange-brown to greyish than in Leucinodes laisalis and Leucinodes ugandensis . From Leucinodes ugandensis and Leucinodes laisalis it can be distinguished by the genitalia: in the male genitalia the transtilla arms each bear a dorsad spine; in the female genitalia the ductus bursae lacks the fine granular sclerotization, the antrum is strongly sclerotized, tubular and widest at its anterior end, and the oval ostial sclerites in the lateral antrum pockets are larger.

Description of adults.

Head. Head and appendages pale ochreous.

Thorax. Pale ochreous.

Wings. Forewing length 6.0-8.0 mm. Forewing mixed ochreous and white, an oblique dark ochreous fascia from above dorsum reaching halfway across wing, a blackish crescent before ochreous subterminal line, black dots along termen. Hindwing white, a small black discal spot, a faint irregular dark subterminal line, ochreous suffusion in outer part of wing in middle and towards apex.

Abdomen. Pale ochreous, first abdominal segment white.

Male genitalia. As for the genus, apart from: transtilla with short central notch, each transtilla arm with a dorsad spine; vinculum saccus with rounded tip; juxta oval to rectangular, apex with a short central notch; apex of valvae dorsally curved; small, spine-like dorsad fibula emerging from the central inner side of valva; sacculus with a fibula-like spiny dorsad process emerging ventrodistally of the fibula; posteriodorsal phallus apodeme with semicircular dentate sclerite.

Female genitalia. As for the genus, apart from: ductus bursae with fine longitudinal ripples; antrum tubular, with broader anterior end; apophyses anteriores at posterior half laterally broadened for muscle attachment.

Etymology.

Latinized ethiopica from the country Ethiopia where the holotype originates.

Distribution.

Eritrea, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia.

Foodplants.

Unknown.

Remarks.

No COI Barcode sequences were obtained for this species.