Torodora lecithocerella ( Viette, 1956 )

Park, Kyu-Tek, Koo, Jun-Mo, Minet, Joël & Razafindranaivo, Victor, 2023, Lecithoceridae (Lepidoptera) of Madagascar: I. Descriptions of eighteen new species of Torodora Meyrick, 1894, Zootaxa 5264 (2), pp. 151-184 : 166-167

8. Torodora lecithocerella ( Viette, 1956)

( Fig. 10 )

Material examined. 1♁, East Madagascar, Sambava district, R.N. XII [Integral Natural Reserve no. 12] West Marojejy, alt. 1,600 m, xi [19]59, leg. P. Soga; gen. slide no. CIS-7377 (in MNHN) .

Diagnosis. Male ( Figs. 10A–C ). Wingspan, 17.0 mm. T. lecithocerella ( Viette, 1956) was described on females from south-eastern Madagascar (Andohahelo massif), originally placed in Lecithocera , but transferred to Torodora by Park et al. (2020). With regard to the habitus (color, forewing pattern and markings), no difference was found between this male and the holotype of T. lecithocerella . We thus regard the male in question as conspecific with T. lecithocerella in this paper. However, this remains uncertain because the hind wing venation of this male specimen ( Fig. 10C ) has M 3 and CuA 1 coincident, whereas the venation of the holotype (a female) is complete, according to Park et al. (2020).

Male genitalia ( Figs. 10D, E ): Uncus broadened distally, with concave caudal margin. Gnathos: basal plate somewhat elongated, as wide as distal part of uncus, rounded apically; median process short, hook-shaped, directed downwards. Tegumen weakly sclerotized, triangularly concave on anterior margin. Valva broad; costa slightly convex; ventral margin slightly arched; cucullus short, as long as uncus, broadened medially with truncate apical margin; sacculus long, extending to near lower corner of cucullus. Juxta with small, semiovate latero-caudal processes, which bear setae apically; caudal margin concave. Vinculum a narrow band. Aedeagus very stout, as wide as basal part of valva; cornutus: a short, sclerotized plate beyond 2/3.

Female genitalia: See Park et al. (2020, Figs. 10C–F ).

Distribution. Eastern Madagascar (from South to North).

Figures

FIGURE 10. Torodora lecithocerella (Viette, 1956): A, adult, male; B, head, lateral view; C, hind wing venation; D, male genitalia (slide no. CIS-7377); E, ditto, aedeagus; F, abdomen.