Scaeosopha rarimaculata Li et Zhang, 2012

Li, Houhun, Zhang, Zhiwei & Sinev, Sergey Yu., 2012, Review of the genus Scaeosopha Meyrick, 1914 (Lepidoptera, Cosmopterigidae, Scaeosophinae) in the world, with descriptions of sixteen new species, Zootaxa 3322, pp. 1-34 : 29

Scaeosopha rarimaculata Li et Zhang sp. nov.

( Figs. 27, 50)

Description. Adult ( Fig. 27): Wingspan 14.5 mm. Head with frons white, vertex black tinged with ochreous yellow, scale tuft behind compound eye ochreous yellow. Antenna whitish-yellow except scape black on dorsal surface. Labial palpus with second segment grayish-white, third segment dark-brown. Thorax dark-brown except yellowish-brown on posterior margin; tegula whitish-yellow but deep leaden on basal half. Forewing whitish-yellow, overlaid with sparse brown or dark-brown spots and patches; cell with two conspicuous oval black spots at 1/ 2 and 3/4, and a larger circular black spot at end; fold with a distinct black spot at 2/3 length; apex with a large irregular black patch anteriorly; dorsum with dense dark-brown scales; terminal line yellow; cilia whitish-yellow, yellowish-brown at tornus. Hindwing and cilia yellowish-brown. Legs dirty whitish-yellow, tarsi of fore and mid legs with dark-brown patches on outer side.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 50): Brachia of uncus long and slender, slightly hooked apically. Anterior margin of tegumen deeply concave mesially. Valva broad and short, elliptical, costa strongly arched, ventral margin slightly arched inward near base, apex blunt; ventral half with numerous droplike processes; valvella longer than valva, sparsely setose in distal 1/3 on ventral margin, distal 1/3 broadened slightly, apex rounded. Anellus membranous. Phallus about six times length of uncus brachium, weakly sclerotized, coiled at median 2/5; cornutus very slender, about 1/4 length of phallus, acuminate at apex.

Female: Unknown.

Type material. Holotype ♂, BRUNEI: Rampayoh R. [4°22' N, 114°27' E], LP 195, GR 960785, Lowland dipterocarp forest, 300 ft., 11–19.iii.1989, coll. G. S. Robinson, BM 1989-76, BMNH Microlep. slide no. 31004, Houhun Li ( BMNH, London).

Paratype: 1 ♂, BRUNEI: Rampayoh R. (north), LP 195, GR 960785, lowland fo[rest], 400 ft., 1–3.ix.1982, coll. G. S. Robinson, BM 1982-156, BMNH Microlep. slide no. 31014, Houhun Li ( BMNH, London) .

Distribution. Brunei.

Diagnosis. This new species is similar to S. incantata Meyrick in the male genitalia, but can be separated from it by the forewing with sparse black spots, the valvella without process and the phallus with a cornutus in the male genitalia. In S. incantata Meyrick , the forewing has dense black spots, the valvella has a setose process arising from base ( Fig. 42).

Etymology. The new specific epithet is derived from the Latin prefix rari- = rare, and the word maculatus = macular, in reference to the forewing having sparse spots and patches.