Ptilothyris subcucullata 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 : 224

12. Ptilothyris subcucullata Park , sp. nov.

( Figs. 15 A–E)

Type specimen. Holotype: female, Cameroon, Eufelen, H.L. Weber, Acc. 6257, 6 Jan. 1919, gen slide no. CIS- 6849. The holotype is deposited in CMP.

Diagnosis. The female genitalia of P. subcucullata are similar to those of P. drepanodes , sp. nov. and P. crassiella , sp. nov., with a similar signum, but P. subcucullata can be distinguished from those species by the caudal margin of the abdominal segment VIII, which is incised medially with a V-shaped emargination, compared to the deeply emarginated into a U-shape in the latter two species, and by the large, heavily sclerotized plate in the posterior of ductus bursae. This new species can be distinguished from other morphologically similar species known only from males as follows: 1) from P. pilosa sp. nov. and P. hylodes sp. nov. by the transversely elongated antemedian fascia on the forewing; and 2) from P. vokaensis sp. nov. by the absence of a white hyaline patch on the hind wing.

Description. Female ( Figs. 15 A–C). Forewing length 10.0 mm.

Head: Vertex purplish dark fuscous; greyish orange erect scales laterally, arising from upper margin of compound eye. Antenna ( Fig. 15C ) shorter than forewing, biserrate, purplish dark fuscous for basal ¾, orange white for the rest, with black spot at apex. Second segment of labial palpus thickened, brownish orange intermixed with dark fuscous scales on dorsal and outer surface, with pale greyish orange apex, pale orange on inner surface; 3 rd segment slender, as long as 2 nd segment, nearly right angle to second segment, orange white dorsally, dark brown ventrally.

Thorax: Notum and tegula purplish dark fuscous. Forewing purplish fuscous, with dark-brown scales scattered for apical 1/3; costa nearly straight, arched in apical ¼; apex obtuse; termen slightly oblique; fringe concolorous, with narrow indistinct orange-white basal line; venation with M 1 free. Hind wing similar to Ptilothyris leifaarviki sp. nov.

Abdomen: Female genitalia ( Figs. 15D, E ) with abdominal sternite VIII deeply emarginated medially. Ostium bursae more narrowly emarginated, extending past middle of antrum. Apophyses anteriores broken. Antrum large, sclerotized, nearly quadrate. Ductus bursae broadened, longer than corpus bursae, sclerotized in posterior 1/3, with heavily sclerotized, elongate longitudinal plate. Corpus bursae ovate; signum is similar to that of P. leifaarviki .

Distribution. Cameroon.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin, cucullus (= cap, hood), referring to the hood-shaped signum in the female genitalia.

Figures

FIGURE 15. Ptilothyris subcucullata Park. A, Holotype, female, in CMP; B, Labels of holotype; C, Antenna; D, Female genitalia, holotype, gen. slide no. CIS-6849; D, Signum.