Elachista longispina, Sruoga, Virginijus & Prins, Jurate De, 2009

Sruoga, Virginijus & Prins, Jurate De, 2009, The Elachistinae (Lepidoptera: Elachistidae) of Kenya with descriptions of eight new species, Zootaxa 2172, pp. 1-31 : 11-12

Elachista longispina , new species

( Figs. 2 , 9 , 15 , 25–28 )

Type material. Holotype: 3, KENYA, Aberdare National Park, Ruhuruini Gates, 2300 m, 00°23’S 036°49’E, 22.x.2001, leg. J. De Prins, specimen ID RMCA ENT 0 0 0 0 0 5182, gen. prep. MRAC / KMMA 0 0 480 ( RMCA).

Diagnosis. Elachista longispina is a medium-sized species. The male genitalia are very distinctive with large lobes of the juxta, unusually long and clustered cornuti, and particularly by the unique position of stout setae on the uncus lobes. As such, E. longispina cannot be confused with any other known species.

Male ( Fig. 9 ). Forewing length 3.9 mm; wingspan 8.6 mm (n=1). Head: Frons and vertex shiny whitish; neck tuft leaden grey; labial palpus upwardly curved, about 1.3 times as long as width of head, shiny whitish; anterior margin of scape shiny whitish, otherwise greyish brown, flagellum greyish brown with short cilia. Thorax and tegula leaden grey; forewing dark brownish grey. Denser brownish-black scales forming irregular patch in basal lower corner of wing and spot on fold at 1/2 of wing. Fringe brownish grey. Hindwing dark brownish grey, its fringe slightly paler.

Female. Unknown.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 25–28 ). Uncus lobes short, laterally with group of thick setae and apically with single thin seta ( Fig. 27 ); socius small, with 4 tiny setae. Spinose knob of gnathos rounded. Valva nearly parallel-sided; costa straight, basal and distal fold of costa meeting at mid-length of valva; cucullus about 1/3 length of valva, slightly produced to costa, distal margin of cucullus weakly rounded; sacculus evenly slightly convex. Juxta lobes very large, apical margin strongly produced laterally; lateral pockets of juxta wide. Digitate process rather long, about 0.5 length of valva, club-shaped, setose distally. Vinculum large, with median ridge, tapered into broad blunt-tipped saccus. Phallus slightly longer than valva, gradually tapered, apex blunt; vesica with one complete coil, with large group of long thin spines, and with cluster of very long needle-like cornuti arising from common sclerotized band ( Fig. 28 ).

Biology. Unknown.

Flight period. Based upon the single specimen available, adults fly in late October.

Distribution. So far this species is known only from Aberdares National Park in the Central Province of Kenya ( Figs. 2 , 15 ).

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin longus (long) and spina (spine) in reference to the long, spinose cornuti present in the male phallus.

Remarks. The forewings are somewhat rubbed in the holotype, therefore the description is approximate.

Figures

FIGURE 15. Collecting localities of Elachistinae species in Kenya: 1, Arabuko Sokoke Forest National Park; 2, Aberdares National Park; 3, Hell's Gate National Park; 4, Kakamega Forest National Reserve.

FIGURES 1 – 4. Collecting localities in Kenya. 1, Arabuko Sokoke Forest National Park; 2, Aberdares National Park; 3, Hell’s Gate National Park; 4, Kakamega Forest National Reserve.

FIGURES 5 – 10. Adults of Elachista species. 5, E. brevis sp. n., male, holotype. Specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000005186; 6, E. chelonitis Meyrick, female. Specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000002718; 7, E. kakamegensis sp. n., male, holotype. Specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000005183; 8, E. kakamegensis sp. n., female, paratype. Specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000005185; 9, E. longispina sp. n., male, holotype. Specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000005182; 10, E. planca sp. n., female, holotype. Specimen ID: RMCA ENT 0 0 0 0 0 5181. Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURES 25 – 28. Elachista longispina sp. n., male genitalia, holotype. 25, general view (phallus removed); 26, phallus. Scale bar 0.1 mm; 27, uncus lobe; 28, distal part of phallus. Gen. prep. MRAC / KMMA 0 0 480, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 0 0 0 0 0 5182.