Cryptolectica convexa, Sruoga & Prins, 2023

Sruoga, Virginijus & Prins, Jurate De, 2023, New species, new country distribution records, and a new generic combination of Afrotropical Acrocercopinae (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), Zootaxa 5285 (1), pp. 75-115 : 81-83

Cryptolectica convexa , sp. nov.

( Figs 4A–F )

Material examined. Holotype: ♁, Congo Dem. Rep., Bas-Congo, 320 m, Nat. Res. Luki-Mayumbe, 05°37’S 013°05’E, 06.vi.2007, leg. J. De Prins. Gen. prep. VS542 . Paratype: 1♁, Congo Dem. Rep., Bas-Congo, 320 m, Nat. Res. Luki-Mayumbe, 05°27’S 13°05’E, 22.iii.2006, leg. J. & W. De Prins. Gen. prep. VS537, in coll. RBINS .

Diagnosis. In wing pattern and male genitalia, this species closely resembles Cryptolectica curvatum sp. nov., known from Cameroon. However, C. convexa sp. nov. is distinguished most easily by the medially dilated saccus, truncated cucullus and aedeagus without irregular sclerotized plate along with cornuti.

Description. Adult ( Figs 4A, B ). Forewing length: 2.9–3.0 mm.

Head: Frons snowy white with a few dark grey scales ventro-laterally; vertex snowy white, occipital tufts with few pale ochreous brown scales. Labial palpus about twice as long as the width of head, slightly upcurved, snowy white with some dark brown scales laterally. Maxillary palpus straight, about 0.8× as long as width of head, snowy white with some dark brown scales laterally. Antenna as long as forewing, scape white, ventrally with a flap of scales weakly suffused with fuscous above; pedicel dark grey, first two flagellomeres white, remaining flagellum fuscous above, underside greyish white in basal 1/3.

Thorax: Ochreous brown at anterior half and white posteriorly, except caudal margin ochreous brown; tegulae ochreous brown at anterior half and white posteriorly. Forewing ochreous brown with a whitish base and two transverse white fasciae, slightly tapering towards costa; beyond second fascia at 2/3 of costa an oblique white strigula is present; large subapical white spot at 4/5 of forewing with fine streak of white fringe scales at tornus; apex ochreous brown, fringe pale fuscous, fringe line dark brown; all white marks of forewing edged by 1–2 rows of dark brown scales on both sides. Hindwing pale brownish grey, its fringe scales somewhat paler. Fore femur dark brownish grey with a small medial white patch, fore tibia dark brownish grey, tarsomeres white, tarsomere I white with medial brownish grey patch, tarsomere II with apical patch, tarsomeres III and IV without patches and tarsomere V brownish grey; mid femur white with large irregular dark brownish grey patches, mid tibia white with dark brownish grey subbasal and apical patches, tarsomere I white with medial brownish grey patch, tarsomere II with apical patch, tarsomeres III and IV without patches and tarsomere V brownish grey; hind femur white with dark brownish grey basal, medial and apical patches, hind tibia brownish grey with base and apex white, tarsomere I basal half brownish grey and apical half white, tarsomeres II–III white with brownish grey apical patches, tarsomeres IV–V brownish white.

Abdomen: Pale brownish grey dorsally and white ventrally, sterna with brownish grey posterior margins. Dorsocephalic apodeme of male tergum VIII triangularly shaped, apically truncated and with central sclerotized rod. Ventral surface of abdomen with scale tuft between segments VI and VII ( Fig. 4F ).

Male genitalia ( Figs 4C–E ). Tegumen oblong, weakly narrowed towards truncated apex, 0.6 length of valva, lateral margins inwardly bent in apical part, distal margin ventrally covered by dense setae and with three pairs of very long setae at lateral margins. Valva about 1.6× as long as tegumen, costa considerably convex beyond middle of valva, cucullus truncated, ventral margin weakly concave; transtilla incomplete, strongly sclerotized; long, slender androconial scales scattered on outer surface of valva near base. Diaphragma membranous, without any sclerotization. Vinculum short, U-shaped, with wide, apically bluntly rounded saccus. Aedeagus slightly longer than valva, weakly dilated in medial part, with short acute dorsal process at 1/2 of length, apex acute; vesica with a number of small spines, aggregated into parallel bands as long as 1/4 the length of aedeagus.

Female. Unknown.

Host plant(s). Unknown.

Flight period. Probably two generations per year. Moths were captured in late March and early June.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in west of DRC.

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin ‘ convexa ’ (concave), referring to the characteristically convex costal margin of the valva.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Cryptolectica convexa sp. nov., male. A, adult, scale bar 1 mm; B, head, frontal view; C, genitalia, general view (aedeagus removed); D, aedeagus; E, central part of aedeagus (arrow pointing to the dorsal process); F, caudal part of abdominal pelt (arrow pointing to the attachment place of the tuft of scales). A–G, F, holotype, gen. prep. VS542; E, paratype, gen. prep. VS537. Scale bar 0.1 mm.