Acanthocorona spinifera, Mey & Léger & Lien, 2021

Mey, Wolfram, Leger, Theo & Lien, Vu Van, 2021, New taxa of extant and fossil primitive moths in South-East Asia and their biogeographic significance (Lepidoptera, Micropterigidae, Agathiphagidae, Lophocoronidae), Nota Lepidopterologica 44, pp. 29-56 : 43-44

Acanthocorona spinifera sp. nov. Figs 18 , 26-30 , 37

Material.

Holotype ♂, Burmese amber, NIGP 173718 , ( NIGP).

Etymology.

The specific epithet is composed from Latin “spina”, spine, and “fero”, to carry, referring to the strong spines on tibiae of the adult moth.

Preservation.

Completely preserved in a small, rounded, polished piece of amber, embedded in dorso-ventral position, with right wings spread out, some short fractures and few a bubbles of air present, legs and postabdomen well visible (Fig. 37 ).

Description.

Length of forewings 4.8 mm, antennae dark brown, less than 0.5 of forewing length, with 30 flagellomeres; scales of forewing short and spatulate, or long with apical margin serrated, scales of fringes long, lanceolate, rounded at apex (Fig. 29 ).

Male genitalia (Figs 27 , 28 ): segment X a large dorsal plate with deep, triangular excision of apical margin giving the structure a bifid form (Fig. 28 ); valvae broad, somewhat enlarged and rounded on apices; rod-like spine on ventral apex of valvae long, apically truncate, not accompanied by shorter spines, apical margin of valvae without denticules, basal spikes of valvae paired, about 0.8 the length of valvae (Fig. 27 ). Phallus not extruded.

Figures

Figure 37. Acanthocorona spinifera sp. nov., male holotype, ventral view.

Figures 18 - 25. Acanthocorona spp.: 18 - 20. A. skalskii sp. nov.: 18. Wing venation; 19. Male genitalia, ventral; 20. Male genitalia, dorsal; 21. A. muelleri sp. nov., male genitalia, ventral, 22. A. bowangi sp. nov., male genitalia, ventral; 23. A. wichardi sp. nov., ventral; 24. A. kuranishi sp. nov., ventro-caudal, 25. A. sattleri sp. nov., male genitalia; A - ventro-lateral, B - dorso-lateral. Scale bars: 1 mm (18.); 0.5 mm (20., 22., 23., 25.).

Figures 26 - 31. 26 - 30. Acanthocorona spinifera sp. nov.: 26. Male genitalia, dorsal; 27. Ventral; 28. Legs; 29. Forewing scales; 30. Wing venation; 31. Acanthocorona sp., female (NIGP 173719), postabdomen, ventro-lateral view, and oviscapt tip, dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (28.); 1 mm (30.); 0.8 mm (31.).