Picardia bassi Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, 2022

Ustjuzhanin, Petr Ya., Kovtunovich, Vasily N. & Streltzov, Alexander N., 2022, Overview of the species of the genus Picardia Gibeaux, 1994 (Lepidoptera: Pterophoridae) in the world fauna, with description of new species, Ecologica Montenegrina 52, pp. 12-23 : 16-17

Picardia bassi Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich , sp. nov.

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:FE270579-0A97-4EA2-9A63-229A881B15B5

Figs 3−5

Type material: Holotype, male, ( NHMUK, gen.pr. Nr. 22813), Kenya, Ngong Forest . 6500 ft. 22.X.1934 B.M.E. Afr.Exp. B.M. 1935-203 ; Paratype: 1♀ ( ZISP, gen.pr. Nr.1983), W. Kenya, Naro-Moru , h - 1950 m. 18.XI-03.XII.1984, leg. G. Bassi.

External characters. Head brown, thorax and tegulae pale-yellow. Labioal palpi light-brown, thin, twice shorter than longitudinal eye diameter. Antennae thin, light-brown. Wingspan 18,5– 21 mm, in holotype – 18,5 mm. Fore wings yellowish-brown, narrow horseshoe-like brown spot at cleft base. Fringe inside cleft light-yellow. Poorly noticeable narrow brown strokes on dorsal margin of second lobe. Hind wings of the same color as fore wings. Fringe on all wings light-yellow. Hind legs yellow.

Male genitalia. Valves narrow, elongated. Sclerotized, almost round saccular process closer to base of left valve. On right valve, in its medium part, narrow and elongated saccular process curved almost at a right angle. Uncus narrow, slightly curved, apically sharp. Anellus arms asymmetric: left arm narrow, fingerlike, right arm wide, distally narrowing, noticeably longer than left arm. Saccus arched. Aedeagus 1.5 times shorter than valve, distally bent as hockey stick.

Female genitalia. Papillae anales wide-oval, relatively long. Posterior apophyses straight, equally thick along their length. Lamina postvaginalis of stermun VII wide, rectangular, sclerotized, with small notch in middle of outer edge. Antrum wide, cylindrical. Ductus relatively thick, short. Bursa copulatrix long, oval, without signa.

Diagnosis. In the male genitalia, in the shape of the saccular process on the left valve and aedeagus, the new species is similar to P. raymondi from which it clearly differs in the narrow curved saccular process on the right valve, while in P. raymondi the saccular process is short, narrow-cuneal.

Flight period. October, December.

Distribution. Kenya.

Etymology. The species is named after the Italian entomologist, specialist in Crambidae, Graziano Bassi , who collected the new species.

Figures

Figure 3. Picardia bassi Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, sp. nov. 3. Adult male (Paratype, NHMUK).

Figure 4. Picardia bassi Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, sp. nov. Male genitalia (Holotype, NHMUK, gen.pr. Nr. 22813).

Figure 5. Picardia bassi Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, sp. nov. Female genitalia (Paratype, ZISP, gen.pr. Nr. 1983).