Alucita nyasa Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich

Ustjuzhanin, Petr & Kovtunovich, Vasily, 2016, The Alucitidae (Lepidoptera) of Malawi with descriptions of five new species, Zootaxa 4126 (4), pp. 533-547 : 539-540

Alucita nyasa Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich sp. nov.

Figs. 23–24

Type material: Holotype, male, ( BMNH 22772), Monkey Bay, 03.i.2009, Kovtunovich V. & Ustjuzhanin P.

Paratypes: 1 ♂ ( BMNH 22773), 7 ♂ (CUK) same data as holotype; 1 ♂, (CUK 248), Uzuzu Hill, 02.i.2009; 1 ♂, (MFN 201607) Kasungu, 04.i.2012, Kovtunovich V. & Ustjuzhanin P.

Description. External characters. Head, thorax and tegula yellowish brown. Labial palpus yellow with portions of brown scales, 1.5 times as long as longitudinal eye diameter, directed forward, slightly ascending. Third segment lighter and tapered at tip. Antenna yellow, with small brown spot dorsally on scape.Wingspan 12–14 mm. Wing colour mottled, yellow–brown with pattern of yellow and brown spots and strokes. First lobe of fore wing with seven dark brown spots. Wing base saturated with brown scales. Five distinct narrow white transverse bands on both wings, wider close to base of hind wing. Small spot of dark scales at apex of each lobe.

Male genitalia. Uncus short, rather narrow, slightly widened towards apex. Gnathos rather wide, long, longer than uncus, slightly widened in distal part. Valva short, wide, pterygoid, with small spinous processes at base. Anellus arms wide, straight, equal in length and width to gnathos. Phallus entirely of almost equal width, equal in length to entire genital structure, with fine serration in apical part.

Female unknown.

Diagnosis. Externally A. nyasa is similar to A. rhaptica as having a mottled colour on the wings. In the male genitalia the new species is close to A. crococyma by the short valves and the shape of the uncus, but differs from it by the spinous processes at the base of the valvae, the shape of the anellus arms and the longer phallus.

Distribution. Malawi.

Flight period: January.

Etymology. The specific epithet nyasa is derived from the former name of Lake Malawi.

Figures

FIGURES 23 – 24. Alucita nyasa Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich sp. nov. Fig. 23. Adult, male (holotype); Fig. 24. Male genitalia (holotype, 22772 BMNH).