Perittia falciferella, Sruoga, Virginijus & Prins, Jurate De, 2009

Sruoga, Virginijus & Prins, Jurate De, 2009, The Elachistinae (Lepidoptera: Elachistidae) of Kenya with descriptions of eight new species, Zootaxa 2172, pp. 1-31 : 14

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.189248

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:5879B1E5-F237-4D92-B7D4-160579A90139

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3506789

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039B87F3-FFAC-DF0E-2189-FADAFE354694

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Perittia falciferella
status

sp. nov.

Perittia falciferella View in CoL , new species

( Figs. 4 View FIGURES 1 – 4 , 15 View FIGURE 15 , 33 View FIGURES 32 – 36 , 41–43 View FIGURES 41 – 43 )

Type material. Holotype: Ƥ, KENYA, Kakamega Forest, 1590 m, 00°21’N 034°51’E, mine 28.iii.2003, ex. p. 21.iv.2003, leg. J. & W. De Prins, specimen ID RMCA ENT 0 0 0 0 0 5178, gen. prep. MRAC / KMMA 0 0 477 ( RMCA).

Paratypes: 2Ƥ, KENYA, Kakamega Forest, 1590m, 00°21’N 034°51’E, mine 28.iii.2003, ex. p. 21.iv.2003, leg. J. & W. De Prins, specimen IDs RMCA ENT 0 0 0 0 0 5179 and 0 0 0 0 0 5180, gen. prep. MRAC / KMMA 0 0 478 ( RMCA).

Diagnosis. Perittia falciferella is a medium-sized and broad-winged species with the forewing mottled by the greyish-brown tips of its scales. In female genitalia, the peculiarly shaped signum separates this species well from all the other known Elachistinae species.

Female ( Fig. 33 View FIGURES 32 – 36 ). Forewing length 3.3–3.7 mm; wingspan 7.3–8.1 mm (n=3). Head: Frons whitish; vertex and neck tuft greyish brown, mottled due to white transversal streak before dark tips of scales; labial palpus very short and straight, greyish brown; scape broader than flagellum, greyish brown with white transversal streak before dark scale tips; flagellum greyish brown annulated with paler rings, in distal half with slightly raised scales. Thorax, tegula and forewing greyish brown, mottled with greyish-brown tips of scales; slightly raised blackish-brown scales forming two small spots on forewing: one at 1/3 and another, smaller one at 3/5; fringe brownish grey, mottled due to white transversal streak before dark tips of some scales. Hindwing including fringe brownish grey.

Male. Unknown.

Female genitalia ( Figs. 41–43 View FIGURES 41 – 43 ). Papillae anales short, with scattered long setae; posteriorly with zone of very short fine setae mixed with longer ones. Tergite 8 weakly sclerotized, apophyses posteriores slightly longer and thicker than apophyses posteriores. Ostium surrounded by longitudinal sclerotized plates. Antrum long and wide, with strong spines in posterior part; colliculum indistinct. Ductus bursae wide, with band of very small internal spines extending also in corpus bursae; signum elongate, sickle-shaped, with transverse, weakly sclerotized plate covered by tiny spines ( Fig. 43 View FIGURES 41 – 43 ).

Biology. The mined leaves of an unidentified, low growing monocot were collected in late March.

Flight period. April and probably May.

Distribution. This species is presently known only from Kakamega Forest in the Western Province of Kenya ( Figs. 4 View FIGURES 1 – 4 , 15 View FIGURE 15 ).

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin falcifera (carrying a scythe or sickle) in reference to the shape of the signum.

RMCA

Royal Museum for Central Africa

ENT

Ministry of Natural Resources

MRAC

Musée Royal de l’Afrique Centrale

KMMA

Koninklijk Museum voor Midden Afrika

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Lepidoptera

Family

Elachistidae

Genus

Perittia

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