Thubdora villosiphalla Park, 2020

Park, Kyu-Tek, Mey, Wolfram, Koo, Jun-Mo, Prins, Jurate De, Akite, Perpetra & Cho, Soowon, 2020, Fourteen new species of the genus Thubdora Park, 2018 (Lepidoptera Gelechioidea: Lecithoceridae) from Uganda, and three new combinations in Ptilothyris Walsingham, 1897 from DR Congo, Zootaxa 4759 (4), pp. 451-487 : 479

6. Thubdora villosiphalla Park , sp. nov.

( Figs. 19 A–F)

Type specimen. Holotype: male, Uganda, Mpigi, Mpanga For., 0˚12ʹ24ʹʹN 32˚18ʹ05ʹʹE, 27–30 iv 2019, KT Park, JM Koo, JD Kim; gen. slide no.CIS-7353, COI barcode CBNU119, deposited in NIBR.

Diagnosis. The new species is superficially similar to T. ghesquierei and T. trigonoides , but can be distinguished from the latter by the more elongated or distinct costal patch on forewing. The male genitalia are similar to those of T. trigonoides , but they can be distinguished by the following: uncus more concaved on caudal margin medially, latero-caudal processes of the uncus more or less sharply acute apically, and aedeagus with a bundle of long hairs, longer than half of the aedeagus. It is notable that T. trigonoides and T. villosephalla are grouped as a sister group in our phylogenetic analyses while the two species are well separated.

Description. Male ( Figs. 19A, C ). Forewing length 6.5 mm. Head: no distinct separable characteristics from that of T. trigonoides .

Thorax: Notum and tegula dark brown; ventral surface of legs orange white. Forewing costa arched in basal 1/3, with more or less elongated costal patch near basal 3/4; then slightly oblique; dark brown scales irregularly scattered; antemedian fascia black, well-developed; apex obtuse; termen slightly oblique; fringe black, with narrow, orange-white basal line. Hind wing broader, paler than forewing; apex produced, slightly obtuse; termen concave medially; fringe black, with narrow, orange-white basal line.

Abdomen ( Fig. 19F ): No hair-pencils developed in abdomen; tergite VIII with heavily sclerotized, crescent anterior margin, without spines; sternite VIII not specifically modified. Male genitalia ( Figs. 19D, E ): Uncus with large, latero-caudal processes, directed outwardly, slightly acute apically; anterior margin concave medially. Basal plate of gnathos with round caudal margin; median process curved pre-apically. Tegumen weakly sclerotized, incised in inverted V-shape on anterior margin. Valva expanded near base on costa, slightly concave beyond; ventral margin straight near base, expanded medially; cucullus narrowed toward apex, strongly upturned, densely setose. Juxta subparallelogramic with concave caudal and lateral sides and acute latero-caudal processes, with a narrow, long stalk antero-ventrally. Vinculum band-like, triangularly produced anteriorly. Aedeagus broad at base, gradually narrowed towards apex; cornuti with two adjacent bundles of long hair-like scales, about half the length of aedeagus.

Distribution. Uganda (Mpigi Distr.).

Etymology. This species name is derived from the Latin villus (= shaggy hair), referring to the bundle of long hair-like scales in the aedeagus of the male genitalia.

Figures

FIGURE 19. Thubdora villosiphalla Park, sp. nov.: A, adult, holotype; B, holotype label; C, antenna; D, male genitalia, holotype, gen. slide no. CIS-7353; E, aedeagus, holotype; F, abdominal segments VI–VIII, holotype. Scale bar for genitalia and aedeagus: 1.0 mm.