Brachylia vukutu Yakovlev & Lenz

Yakovlev, Roman V. & Lenz, Jürgen, 2013, On the Fauna of Cossidae (Lepidoptera) of Zimbabwe with description of a new species, Zootaxa 3718 (4), pp. 387-397 : 392

Brachylia vukutu Yakovlev & Lenz , sp. nov.

( Figs 5 , 20 )

Material. Holotype male, Zimbabwe, Manicaland Prov., Vukutu , 18°21'52"S 32°36'29"E, 1900 m, 01– 03.12.2010, leg. Ustjuzhanin P. & Kovtunovich V. (MWM). Paratypes: 18 males, same data and locality (RYB); 3 males, Zimbabwe, Manicaland, Nyanga, Vukutu , S 18°21.11; E 32°36.58, 5.12.2010, 1900 m, J. Lenz legit. (RYB); 2 males, same locality, 27.01.2011, J. Lenz legit. (RYB); 2 males, Zimbabwe, Manicaland Prov., Vukutu , 18°21'52"S 32°36'29"E, h 1900 m, 25– 26.04.2011, leg. R. Yakovlev (RYB).

Description. Male. Forewing length 16–18 mm. Antennae bipectinate; rami 4–5 times as long as flagellum diameter. Forewing rather acute apically, grey, with a pattern of slender black transverse bands. Forewing bearing slender grey border on the margin; fringe grey, unicolored. Hindwing pale grey, patternless, with a grey border along the margin and a grey unicolored fringe.

Male genitalia. Uncus medium-sized, wide basally, parallel-sided before middle of its length, its middle third strongly narrowing towards apex, apex pointed and sclerotized. Tegumen medium-sized. Arms of gnathos medium-sized, rather thick, supporting a well-structured and sclerotized gnathos, consisting of two halves. Valvae moderately broad, gradually narrowing apically, apical one-third membranous; costal margin of valve with a poorly defined crest with wrinkled inner margin (three folds present on internal surface of the costal crest); costal crest bearing a well-defined distal denticle. Paired processes of transtilla directed ventrally, thick basally, long, hookshaped and acute apically; apices divergent. Juxta small; lateral processes paired, broad and leaf-like, divergent. Saccus small, forming a semicircle. Aedeagus stout, short (1/4 as long as valva), truncate apically; vesica opening nearly 1/3 as long as aedeagus; vesica without cornuti.

Female unknown.

Diagnosis. The genus Brachylia Felder consists of 16 species, occurring widely from Senegal in the north to the southern parts of Southern Africa (Yakovlev 2011). The new species strongly differs from all congeners in the specific coloration (grey forewing with a black pattern) and the broad and leaf-like lateral processes of the juxta.

Etymology. The toponymic name “ Vukutu ” refers to the type locality of the new species.

Figures

FIGURES 4 – 13. 4. Mirocossus badialus (Fletcher), male, Zimbabwe (RYB). 5. Brachylia vukutu Yakovlev & Lenz, sp. nov., holotype (MWM). 6. Phragmataecia irrorata Hampson, cotype (BMNH). 7. Phragmataecia irrorata Hampson, Zimbabwe (RYB). 8. Eulophonotus stephanius (Druce), Zimbabwe (RYB). 9. Aethalopteryx squameus (Distant), Zimbabwe (RYB). 10. Aethalopteryx obscurascens (Gaede), male (coll. V. Kalinin). 11. Strigocossus capensis (Walker), male, Zimbabwe (RYB). 12. Strigocossus ochricosta (Fletcher), male, Zimbabwe (RYB). 13. Oreocossus kilimanjarensis (Holland), male, Zimbabwe (RYB). 14. Azygophleps inclusa (Walker), male, Zimbabwe (RYB).

FIGURES 15 – 20. 15. Azygophleps aburae (Plötz), Tanzania (MWM). 16. Azygophleps atrifasciata Hampson, male, Malawi (RYB). 17. Azygophleps albovittata Bethune-Baker, male, Zimbabwe (RYB). 18. Azygophleps leopardina Distant, male, Zimbabwe (RYB). 19. Alophonotus rauana (Strand), male, Zambia (RYB). 20. Genitalia of male (holotype) Brachylia vukutu Yakovlev & Lenz, sp. nov.