Hellinsia anikini Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich

Ustjuzhanin, Petr, Kovtunovich, Vasily, Anikin, Vasily & Aarvik, Leif, 2016, Additions to the fauna of plume moths (Lepidoptera, Pterophoridae) of Uganda, Zootaxa 4132 (3), pp. 393-402 : 398

Hellinsia anikini Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich sp. nov.

( Figs. 3–4 )

Type material. Holotype, male (22781 BMNH) Western Region, Kibale Distr., Kibale Biol. Field. Station of Maker SU N 0033', W 03021', 1511 m, 19–24.x.2014, V. Anikin; Paratypes: 3 Ƌ, (22782 BMNH, CUK 281, CUK 282) with same data as holotype.

Description. External characters. Head between bases of antennae with appressed yellow hair-like scales. Thorax and tegula pale yellow. Labial palpus thin, dark brown, length equal to diameter of eye. Antenna brown, downy with yellow cilia. Wingspan 15–17 mm, Holotype 17 mm. Fore wing yellow, interspersed with small brown scales; brown elongated spot at base of cleft. Fine brown scales on costal margin of fore wing in middle and basal part. Distinct brown stroke above cleft on costal margin of first lobe. Apical area of first lobe framed with small spots of brown scales. Apical part of second lobe darkened. Fringe inside cleft grey, with a mixture of dark scales. Outer fringe of second lobe dark brown. Hind wing unicolorous, dark grey. Fringe grey, significantly darker in apical part of three lobes. Hind leg yellowish grey, darker at base of spurs.

Male genitalia. Valvae asymmetrical, left one wider than right one. Harpe on left valva large at base, with thin hook. Right valva narrow, lanceolate. Sacculus with expressed fold in middle part. Anellus arms thin, slightly bent at apices, right arm slightly bent, right arm longer than left one. Uncus thin, long, tapered at apex. Phallus almost straight, thin, short, half the length of valva.

Female unknown.

Diagnosis. In male genitalia Hellinsia anikini is distinctive by the form of the harpe on the left valva. It is quite similar to H. aldabrensis (T.B. Fletcher, 1910) , but differs by the absence of the processes and harpes on the right valva. The color of the wings, the dark spot at the cleft base and the darker hind wings of the new species are similar to H. sphenites (Meyrick, 1913) , but is distinctive from it by the male genitalia structure.

Distribution. Uganda.

Etymology. The species is named after Dr. Vasily Anikin (Saratov, Russia), the Russian entomologist, specialist in Coleophoridae , whose collections of Pterophoridae in Uganda became the basis for this article.

Figures

FIGURES 3 – 4. Hellinsia anikini Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich sp. nov. 3. Adult, male (Holotype); 4. Male genitalia (Holotype, 22781 BMNH).