Lecithocera majorella 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 : 581

Lecithocera majorella Park , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:2F48AB5A-2FED-4D03-B1E7-BF937436AC10

( Fig. 5 , 13 )

Type specimen. Holotype female: Tanzania, Morogoro Distr., Kitulangalo For. Res . 420−540 m, 6 xii 1992, leg. L. Aarvik, gen. slide no. CIS-7608, in MNHO.

Diagnosis. The new species is one of the largest species with wingspan 19.5 mm. It is superficially similar to L. triasgonia Park , sp. nov., but it is much larger (wingspan in L. triasgonia is 14 mm). The species is also similar to L. murphyi Park & Heppner, 2023 in the forewing shape and the colour pattern, but can be distinguished by the dark brown flagellum of the antenna along the whole antennal length (whereas in L. murphyi , the flagellum is golden yellow in basal 1/4). The species can be also diagnosed by the female genitalia: L. majorella sp. nov. can be distinguished by the triangularly formed signum, whereas in L. murphyi , the signum divided by a narrow central ridge.

The new species is compared with the following three large species which are of similar size (wingspan about or longer than 19.0 mm) and the forewing colour pattern: 1) L. anthologella Wallengren, 1875 , the description of which is based on a male only, from South Africa. The type specimen of L. anthologella is deposited in SNHM, but unfortunately, it could not be found ( Park & De Prins 2019). According to the description, the antenna of L. anthologella is ochreous, whereas it is dark fuscous in the new species; 2) L. flavipalpis Walsingaham, 1891 is described from South Africa. The female genitalia of the new species L. majorella can be easily distinguished by the presence of the triangular signum (the signum is transversally elongated in L. flavipalpis ); 3) the description of L. xanthocosma ( Meyrick, 1923) from Uganda is based on a female: L. xanthocosma can be distinguished by the signum which bears large triangular spines.

Description. Female ( Figs 5, 5a, b ). Wingspan 19.5 mm.

Head: vertex bronze yellowish brown, with pale orange appressed scales on lateral sides. Antenna slightly longer than forewing; scape slightly dilated laterally, dark brown dorsally; flagellum dark brown, creamy white in apical 1/6. Second palpomerethickened, slightly arched, greyish orange on outer surface, paler on inner surface; 3rd palpomere shorter than 2 nd one, strongly upturned, yellowish orange dorsally, dark brown ventrally.

Thorax: tegula and notum bronze yellowish brown. Forewing ground colour bronze yellowish brown, densely scattered with dark-brown scales; costa arched beyond basal 3/4; apex rounded; termen convex medially; fringe concolourous with ground colour; venation with CuA 1 and CuA 2 shortly stalked, the stalk as long as the distance between M 3 and CuA 1+2 (whereas in L. triasgonia , the stalk of CuA 1 and CuA 2 is much shorter). Hindwing pale brownish orange; venation with M 3 and CuA 1 very short-stalked; apex rounded; fringe concolourous with ground colour.

Abdomen: sternite VIII emarginated medially on the posterior margin.

Female genitalia ( Fig 13 ): apophyses anteriores somewhat thick, forked apically, about 2/3 the length of apophyses posteriores. Ostium bursae nearly flat. Antrum elongated, as long as abdominal segment VIII. Ductus bursae very narrow in distal 1/5, followed by broadened and slightly wrinkled part (about 1/3 the length of ductus bursae); anterior part extremely broadened, not clearly defined from corpus bursae; ductus seminalis arising from the middle of ductus bursae. Corpus bursae ovate; signum triangular, slightly concave on upper margin medially, sharply produced anteriorly, with numerous minute conical spines.

Male unknown.

Distribution. Tanzania (Morogoro).

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin word, - major (= large), referring to the large size.

Figures

FIGURES 4–6. Adults: 4, Lecithocera triasgonia Park, sp. nov. (male, holotype): 4a, head, dorsal view; 4b, labial palpus; 5, L. majorella Park, sp. nov. (female, holotype): 5a, head, dorsal view; 5b, labial palpus; 6, L. namizimuensis Park & Heppner, 2023 (female); 6a, head, dorsal view; 6b, labial palpus.

FIGURES 11–13. Female genitalia: 11, Lecithocera grisella Park, sp. nov. (paratype, gen. slide no.CIS-7567) with close-up signum. 12, L. soniana Park, sp. nov. (holotype, gen. slide no. CIS-7566) with close-up signum. 13, L. majorella Park, sp. nov. (gen. slide no. CIS-7608) with close-up signum. Scale bar: 1.0 mm.