Meharia murphyi Yakovlev & Saldaitis, 2013

Yakovlev, Roman, Ivinskis, Povilas, Rimsaite, Jolanta & Saldaitis, Aidas, 2013, Description of two new species of Meharia Chrétien, 1915 (Lepidoptera: Cossidae) from East Africa, Zootaxa 3635 (5), pp. 587-590 : 587-589

Meharia murphyi Yakovlev & Saldaitis sp. nov.

( Fig. 1 )

Holotype: male ( Fig. 1 A), N Malawi, Rumphi dist., Vwaza Marsh Game Res., Kawiya camp. , 1230 m, 12−14 Aug. 2008, S 10“55, E 33“30, leg. R. Murphy (deposited in MWM/ZSSM), genital preparat number: RY 1268.

Diagnosis. Externally the new species is most similar to M. acuta Wiltshire ( Fig. 2 ) and M. ostrauskasi Ivinskis, Saldaitis sp. nov. ( Fig. 3 ). From M. acuta it differs by size (the wingspan is twice as large), by a rounded apex and the absence of white longitudinal spots on the forewing and, in the male genitalia, a bird beak-shaped uncus, a longer and even ventral margin of the valva, an absence of a rod crossing the surface of the valva and a weakly developed saccus. M. murphyi differs from M. ostrauskasi ( Fig. 3 A) by size (the wingspan is nearly twice as large), by the weekly developed saccus in the male genitalia ( Fig. 1 B), the caecum penis of phallus more narrow, dorsally without cornutus.

Description. Male ( Fig. 1 A): wingspan 41 mm, forewing length 20 mm; antenna bipectinate, about 3/4 length of forewing, pecten long, four times longer than diameter of flagellum. Labial palpi two times longer than diameter of head. Thorax and abdomen covered by white-yellow scales. Forewing narrow, long, with rounded apex, dirty yellow, mixed with light brown scales especially in costal and distal area with two light brown bands in the submarginal and postdiscal area. Hindwing light brown, in basal part lighter, prolongated, apex rounded. Fringe on wings long, white-yellow.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 1 B): uncus medium-sized, beak shaped, tapered, branch of gnathos in middle thinner, turning into medium-sized gnathos with smooth surface; tegument medium-sized; valva relatively short, wide with rounded apex, weekly curved in middle; juxta small, forked; saccus weakly developed, semioval; phallus 1.5 times shorter than valva, thick with wide cecum, strongly curved with two aciform cornuti directed ventral.

Female unknown.

Bionomics and distribution. The new species is known only from the Vwaza Marsh Game Res. (Rumphi district, N. Malawi). It was collected in August at an altitude of 1230 m. The habitat is very dry mountain bush.

Etymology. The species is named after the well-known entomologist Mr Raymond Murphy (Mzuzu, Malawi) who collected this new species.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Meharia murphyi Yakovlev & Saldaitis sp. nov.: (A) imago, holotype; (B) male genitalia, phallus removed, prep. RY 1268.

FIGURE 2. Meharia acuta Wiltshire: (A) imago, paratype (British Museum, London); (B) imago from Oman (MWM); (C) paratype male genitalia, below – abdomen skin; (D) male genitalia, prep. RY 1260.

FIGURE 3. Meharia ostrauskasi Ivinskis & Saldaitis sp. nov.: (A) imago, holotype; (B) male genitalia, prep. PI 0030; (C) phallus, prep. PI 0 0 30.