Multiquaestia kingstoni Aarvik & Karisch

Aarvik, Leif & Karisch, Timm, 2009, Revision of Multiquaestia Karisch (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Grapholitini), Zootaxa 2026, pp. 18-32 : 24-25

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.274748
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6216215
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039687B6-FFA4-FFF3-FF6E-5DFDFF684DDF
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Multiquaestia kingstoni Aarvik & Karisch
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Multiquaestia kingstoni Aarvik & Karisch View in CoL , new species

( Figs. 10 View FIGURES 7 – 14 , 25, 26 View FIGURES 23 – 28 )

Type material. Holotype, 3, MALAWI, Central Region, Lilongwe District, Ntchisi Forest Reserve 1560 m, 20.ii.2004, leg. L. Aarvik, genitalia slide 2743 L. Aarvik ( NHMO).

Description. Adult ( Fig. 10 View FIGURES 7 – 14 ). Wingspan 14.0 mm. Head: Dirty white, mixed with grey around eye. Antenna brownish grey, scape dirty white. Labial palpus 1.5 times diameter of eye, externally dark grey, internally and on dorsal edge dirty white; due to scaling on second segment broadly triangular in lateral view. Thorax: Dirty white in centre, anteriorly and posteriorly brownish grey; tegulae brown. Legs brownish grey, tarsi with pale rings. Forewing upperside with basal 2/3 blackish brown; terminal 1/3 ochreous; on dorsum two white marks; the inner mark reaching to about 2/5 from dorsum, the distal one reaching slightly above 1/4; a white dot present some distance beyond tip of distal white mark, and one between wing base and inner white mark; fringes with dark bar near apex, at middle of termen and at tornus. Forewing underside with patch of yellowish scales in cell below m-stem. Hind wing upperside dark brownish grey; ochreous hair-pencil from base of hind margin to scale cover on dorsum of abdomen. Abdomen: Grey, abdominal brush greyish ochreous. Male genitalia ( Fig. 25 View FIGURES 23 – 28 ) with tegumen distally evenly curved, uncus not differentiated, socii present, but weak; lower edge of sacculus angled, cucullus large, roughly transversely semicircular, rounded on dorsal edge, ventral angle rounded; aedeagus ( Fig. 26 View FIGURES 23 – 28 ) angled at 1/5 basally broad, otherwise slender and nearly straight, slightly widening distally; with 9 cornuti of different length, from large spindle-shaped to thin and short; no carinae.

Diagnosis. M. kingstoni most closely resembles M. purana in wing pattern and colouration. However, M. purana is larger, has a longer and more pointed distal white mark in the forewing, and has a distinct white spot posteriorly on the thorax. The roughly semicircular cucullus in the male genitalia is diagnostic for M. kingstoni .

Distribution. Malawi.

Etymology. The species is named after Anthony Kingston, who organized the collecting trip to Malawi in 2004.