Lecithocera namizimuensis Park & Heppner, 2023

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 : 581-584

Lecithocera namizimuensis Park & Heppner, 2023

( Fig. 6 )

Lecithocera namizimuensis Park & Heppner, 2023: 68 . Type locality: Malawi, Mangoche Dist. , Namizimu Forest. Type specimen deposited in MGCL.

Material examined. 1♂, Tanzania, Morogoro Distr. & Town 550−600 m, 7 i 1992, leg. L. Aarvik, gen. slide no. CIS-7179 ; 1♀, same locality, 22 xii 1992, leg. L. Aarvik, gen. slide no. CIS-7172, in MNHO .

Diagnosis. Wingspan 15.5–16.0 mm. For further diagnostic characters see the diagnosis of Lecithocera majorella Park , sp. nov.

Remark. The species was described from Malawi, based on males only. The female of this species is reported for the first time and its female genitalia are newly described and illustrated ( Fig. 10 ) in the present article.

Male genitalia. See Park & Heppner (2023: 71, figs 8a−c).

Female genitalia ( Fig. 10 ): abdominal sternite VIII nearly flat on caudal margin medially.Apophyses anteriores thick, forked apically, about half the length of apophyses posteriores. Antrum large, rectangular tube-like, weakly sclerotised, about 1/4 the length of ductus bursae. Ductus bursae as wide as antrum; ductus seminalis broad, arising from distal 1/4 of ductus bursae. Corpus bursae ovate, about half the length of ductus bursae; signum rather small, with narrow membranous upper and lower plates, central ridge consisting of 5−6 heavily sclerotised, conical particles.

Distribution. Malawi, Tanzania (new record).

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 9–10. 9. Male genitalia of Lecithocera triasgonia Park, sp. nov. (holotype, gen. slide no. CIS-7173): 9a, aedeagus; 9b, close-up central part of genitalia; 9c, pregenital segments. 10, female genitalia of L. namizimuensis Park & Heppner, 2023 (gen. slide no. CIS-7172). Scale bar: 1.0 mm.