Azygophleps junkeri Yakovlev & Witt, 2017

Yakovlev, Roman V. & Witt, Thomas J., 2017, Four new species of Azygophleps Hampson, 1892 (Lepidoptera, Cossidae, Zeuzerinae) from Africa, Zootaxa 4303 (3), pp. 437-444 : 441-443

Azygophleps junkeri Yakovlev & Witt , sp. nov.

( Figs 6 ¯7, 15¯16)

Material. Holotype: ♂, Angola, prov. Benguela, btw Cutembo & Caluquembe, 14 km E Cutembo, 13°46.901’ S 14°00.105’ E, 965 m, 2.iv.2014, leg. Naumann, Sulak & Ott (GenPr MWM: 26759; MWM). 2 ♂, same data ( MWM); 3 ♂, Angola, Prov. Huambo, 2 km S Calanque, 12°52.214’ S 15°28.126’E, 1970 m, 27.iii.2014, leg. Sulak, Naumann & Ott ( MWM); 2 ♂, Dzalanyama forest, Lilongwe distr., C. Malawi, 1300 m, 21.iv.2006, leg. R. Murphy ( RMM); 2 ♂, Ntchisi forest, C. Malawi, 1600 m, 10.–17.v.2002, leg. R. Murphy ( RMM); 1 ♂, C. Malawi, Kasungu N.P., Lifupa Lodge, 13°05'12"S 33°08'17"E, 1035 m, 22.iv.2011, leg. R. Yakovlev ( RYB); 47 ♂, [Congo], Elisabethville, different data (1933¯1959), leg. Ch. Seydel ( MRAC); 2 ♂, Burundi, Gitega, 20.v.1965, Dr. M. Fontaine ( MRAC); 2 ♂, [Congo], Katanga, Zilo, iii.1968, Rec. V. Allard ( MRAC); 1 ♂, [ Congo], Zaire, Lubumbashi, 16.iii.1979, Th. Bouyer ( MRAC); 1 ♂, South West Africa [ Namibia], Mashare, c. 17°54’S 20°09’E, 12.iii.1978, leg. J. Ball ( TMSA); 2 ♂, Tanzania, Rukwa Province, Mbizi Mts. , entre Kisungu et Muze, 1415 m, 07°43.826’ S 031°32.482’ E, 14.05.2004, leg. Ph. Darge ( MWM); 2 ♂, Tanzania, Rukwa Province, Kisengere / Kasimbo , 1193 m, 07°27.540' S 03°52.812' E, 17.05.2004, leg. Ph. Darge ( MWM).

Description. Length of forewing of holotype 21 mm (in male paratypes 19¯ 23 mm). Antenna bipectinate in proximal half, filiform in distal half. Thorax, tegula, patagia and abdomen brown. Fore wing brown with pattern of tiny fine black transverse strokes spaced rather evenly throughout the surface of the wing, narrow white area on costal edge from base to apex of wing. Hind wing brown with imperceptible pattern of fine transverse strokes, more expressed in cubital area. Anal edge pale, without pattern. Fringe pale brown, unicolorous.

Male genitalia. Uncus long, triangle, with tapered uncinate apex; gnathos arms of medium thickness, ribbonlike, tapered to apices, not fused; valva simple, leaf-like, with even costal edge, obliquely cut outer edge and small notch in proximal third of abdominal edge; juxta large with narrow slit notch on dorsal surface and two long (in length equal to 2/5 of valva) lateral processes of medium thickness, directed dorsally; saccus small, semicircular; phallus thick, slightly shorter than valva, in vesica two ribbon-like sclerites in lateral surfaces, one of them two times larger and longer than the other.

Female unknown.

Diagnosis. The new species was erroneously determined several times by the senior author as A. aburae ( Plötz, 1880) (type locality Bei Aburi [ Ghana]) (Yakovlev 2011; Yakovlev & Murphy 2013; Yakovlev & Witt 2016a). The error in definition was first indicated by W. Mey (2016: 168): “The type material of A. aburae ( Plötz, 1880) has not been traced so far and is probably lost. According to the original description of the species (unfortunately without illustrations), it should have an external appearance which comes close to a small individual of A. atrifasciata Hampson, 1910 . The specimens identified and photographed by Yakovlev [& Murphy] (2013) as A. aburae neither correspond to the description given by Plötz (1880) nor to the colour figure in Gaede (1930). His specimens together with the present individual belong to a different species with unknown affiliation”. The new species differs well from all the known species of this genus by the following features: rather dark colour of the wings, pale narrow portion in the costal area of the forewing, two ribbon-like sclerites in the vesica, very long lateral processes of the juxta, narrow slit-shaped notch on the dorsal surface of the juxta.

Distribution. Central and southern Africa: Congo, Burundi, Tanzania, Malawi, Angola and Namibia.

Etymology. The new species is named after Wilhelm Junker (1840¯1892), doctor of medicine, Russian geographer and traveler, who studied the watershed of Nile and Congo, made a number of geographical discoveries, compiled the dictionary of ten ethnic groups in southeastern Africa, and gathered rich ethnographic, zoological, and botanical collections.

Figures

FIGURES 1–9. Azygophleps species (adult specimens): 1. A. snizeki, holotype; 2. A. snizeki, paratype, ♀, Kenya, NW of Garsen, 14.–17.xii.2009, leg. Snizek (MWM); 3. A. wahlbergi, holotype; 4. A. wahlbergi, paratype, ♀, Kenya, Garissa, S of Bura, 24.vi.2011, leg. Snizek (MWM); 5. A. defreinai, holotype; 6. A. junkeri, holotype (MWM); 7. A. junkeri, paratype, ♂, Tanzanie, Rukwa Province, Mbizi Mts., entre Kisungu et Muze, 1415 m, 07°43.826S 031°32.482E, 14.v.2004, leg. Ph. Darge (MWM); 8. A. liturata (Aurivillius, 1879), holotype, ♂; Damara (NHMS); 9. A. liturata, ♂, Nordost-Namibia, Westl. Caprivi, Okavango Region, 1050 m, 27.i.1998, leg. J. de Freina (MWM); 10. A. sheikh Yakovlev & Saldaitis, 2011, holotype, ♂, W Saudi Arabia, N-Asir, 40 km W Taif, 1000 m, 27.x.1997, leg. A. Legrain (MWM); 11. A. sheikh Yakovlev & Saldaitis, 2011, paratype, ♀, Saudi Arabia, Asir, Muhayl, 800 m, 8.x.1983, A. R. Pittaway (BMNH).