Eridachtha arumeruna Park, 2024

Park, Kyu-Tek, Minet, Joël, Koo, Jun-Mo & Yu, Tae-Uk, 2024, Review of the Afrotropical members of the genus Eridachtha Meyrick, 1910 (Lepidoptera: Lecithoceridae: Lecithocerinae), with descriptions of 12 new species, Zootaxa 5468 (2), pp. 275-307 : 294-295

6. Eridachtha arumeruna Park , sp. nov.

LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:CD094A86-CDB5-4BDD-8F8A-13BF83F739F4 ( Fig. 13 )

Type specimen. Holotype male: Tanzania, Arumeru Distr. , Mt. Meru For. Res., 9 km NNE, Olmotonyi, 2,500 m, 8 ii 1992, leg. L. Aarvik, gen. slide no. CIS-7598, in NHMO.

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to E. phaeochlora Meyrick described from Kenya, but it can be distinguished by the much smaller size (wingspan: 21.0 mm in E. phaeochlora ); the forewing venation with R 3 free in E. arumeruna sp. nov., and the male genitalia characters: in E. arumeruna sp. nov., the basal lobes of the uncus ovate, the basal plate of the gnathos narrowly elongated, the cucullus shorter and broader basally, lacking a row of setae near lower corner, and the aedeagus stouter than the corresponding characters in E. phaeochlora Meyrick.

Description. Male ( Figs 13A, B ). Wingspan 15.0 mm.

Head: vertex with appressed orange-white scales, not furrowed centrally, with concolourous erect scales laterally. Antenna slightly longer than forewing; scape elongated, slightly arched, orange-white throughout, with weak brownish annulations. Second segment of labial palpus thickened, roughly scaled dorsally and ventrally, rougher anteriorly, speckled with some yellowish-brown scales on outer surface; 3 rd segment upturned, shorter than 2 nd segment, and orange-white all around.

Thorax: tegula and thorax pale greyish-orange dorsally, dark brown along anterior margin. Hind tibia with rough brownish-orange scales above and below. Forewing ground colour pale orange, scattered with yellowish-brown scales; costa slightly arched in basal 1/3; distinct black, rounded discal stigmata at middle and end of discal cell; similar plical stigma well developed below the first discal spot; apex produced; termen oblique, slightly arched; fringe concolourous with ground colour; venation with R 3 free, close to R 4+5 at base; R 4 and R 5 stalked; R 5 to termen. Hindwing orange-grey; apex sharply produced; termen oblique, slightly sinuate.

Abdomen: no spinous zones on dorsal surface.

Male genitalia ( Figs 13C, D ): basal lobes of uncus ovate. Gnathos basal plate narrowly elongated, strongly convex on caudal margin. Costal bar banded, not angulate at middle. Valva broad basally; saccular margin slightly concave; cucullus broad basally, narrowed distally, slightly expanded on ventral margin basally, densely setose, with numerous minute spines along ventral margin; sacculus broadly developed, narrowly terminated; apex rounded. Juxta shield-shaped, concave on lateral margin; with thumb-like median process anteriorly. Vinculum U-shaped. Aedeagus strongly bent ventrally in basal 1/3, with an arched dorsal margin, bifurcated apically, with a pair of small triangular processes situated before apex dorsally; cornutus a short linear sclerotization beyond middle of aedeagus.

Female unknown.

Distribution. Tanzania (Arumeru).

Etymology. The species name is derived from the type locality, Arumeru District, Tanzania.

Figures

FIGURE 13. Eridachtha arumeruna Park, sp. nov.: A, male, holotype; B, head with labial palpus, C, male genitalia of holotype (slide no. CIS-7598); D, aedeagus; E, pregenital segments. Scale bar for C and D: 0.5 mm.