Thubdora pulchella Park & Karisch, 2022

Park, Kyu-Tek, Yu, Tae-Uk & Karisch, Timm, 2022, The family Lecithoceridae (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea) from Ivory Coast (Republic of Côte d’Ivoire), with descriptions of nine new species, Zootaxa 5162 (4), pp. 357-377 : 362-363

Thubdora pulchella Park & Karisch , sp. nov.

LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:2CA4AC78-3A31-4DA3-B87E-D92E3768DA0F

( Fig. 4 )

Type specimens. Holotype: male, Côte d’Ivoire, Mt. Tonkoui [Tonkpi], 10 km WNW Man (Südosthang), Sekundärregenwald, 7°28′ n. Br. 7°38′ w. L. ca. 980 mNN, 25 viii 1997 LF (125W HQL), leg. T. Karisch, gen. slide no. GU-3900/Karisch, in SDEI.

Paratypes: 2♂, with the same data as the holotype, in MNVD and SDEI .

Diagnosis. The new species differs from its allies by the forewing narrowly elongated, lacking costal patch; the hind wing with a yellowish transverse streak from near base to near basal 2/3 below discal cell. The male genitalia are also characterized by the shortly broadened uncus and the broad valva with a bunch of dense, long setae-like scales near lower base of cucullus, followed by much shorter setae along ventral margin to apex.

Description. Male ( Figs. 4A, A 2 ). Wingspan 16.5–17.5 mm. Head: Brown dorsally. Antenna slightly shorter than forewing; scape elongated and broadened; flagellum yellowish-orange, with dark-brown annulations, slightly serrated, with fine cilia. Second palpomere of labial palpus thickened with rough scales ventrally, arched, yellowish-brown on outer surface, dark brown dorsally; 3 rd palpomere slender, strongly upturned, as long as 2 nd palpomere, yellowish orange on outer surface. Thorax: Glossy dark brown dorsally; tegulae with same color. Hind tibia yellowish white, dark brown in distal 1/4 of dorsal surface; spurs shiny yellowish white. Forewing ground color dark brown with a violet lustre; antemedian fascia blackish, irregularly shaped; costa slightly arched at basal third and before apex; apex obtuse; termen olique; fringe glossy dark brown, with a narrow, yellowish white basal line. Hind wing ground color as same as forewing, with yellowish white transverse streak along lower part of cell, suffused with yellowish white scales above costa; fringe concolorous.

Abdomen ( Fig. 4C ): Glossy dark brown dorsally, yellowish white ventrally; spinose zones on tergites well-developed with strong spines; abdominal tergite VIII with crescent sclerite; sternite with well-developed latero-caudal lobes anteriorly.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 4B, B 1 ): Uncus short, broadened distally. Basal plate of gnathos more or less pentagonal with rounded caudal margin, exceeding apex of uncus. Valva broad; costa nearly straight and slightly concave in distal 2/3, with a bunch of dense, long setae-like scales near lower base of cucullus, followed by much shorter setae along ventral margin to apex; ventral margin arched, conjunction with cucullus not clearly defined; apex rounded. Juxta large, elliptical, membranous, lacking latero-caudal process. Vinculum narrow, banded. Aedeagus stout, narrowed toward apex from basal 3/5; cornuti consisting of a small bundle of setae and a large bundle of long setae beyond half.

Female unknown.

Distribution. Ivory Coast (Montagne District).

Etymology. The specific name is derived from pulcher (= beautiful, nice).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Topographical map of the region Northwest of Man, Black circles = collecting sites; inserted map: Ivory Coast with marked collecting area (arrow) (Openstreetmap, inserted map: Mapsland, CCA 3.0)

FIGURE 2. A: View from Mt. Tonkoui over the anthropogenic influenced tropical rain forest on the slopes (by T. Karisch, 25 viii 1997); B: Collecting site for light trapping with altimontane rain forest fragments at the South-Eastern slopes of Mt. Tonkoui (by T. Karisch, 25 viii 1997; C: Fragmentary secondary rain forest south of Gouédié (by T. Karisch, 20 viii 1997); D: Collecting site at the Southern border of Gouédié (by T. Karisch, 17 viii 1997).

FIGURE 4. Thubdora pulchella Park & Karisch, sp. nov.: A, Adult, holotype; A1, Labial palpus; A2, Label; B, Male genitalia, GU-3900/Karisch; B1, Aedeagus; C, Abdomen, in SDEI.