Dichomeris ligulacea, Li, Houhun, Zhen, Hui & Mey, Wolfram, 2013

Li, Houhun, Zhen, Hui & Mey, Wolfram, 2013, Notes on Dichomeris Hübner, 1818 from Southern Africa and Kenya, with description of seven new species (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae, Dichomeridinae), Zootaxa 3608 (7), pp. 561-574 : 567-568

Dichomeris ligulacea sp. nov.

( Figs 4 , 16 )

Type material. MALAWI: Holotype 3, Nyika Plateau, W of Chelinda Camp, LF rain forest, 2200 m, 12.x.1996, leg. [W.] Mey & [M.] Nuβ, genitalia slide no. ZH09095 (MfN).

Diagnosis. This new species is similar to D. acuminata (Staudinger, 1876) . It can be separated by the gnathos longer, the saccal region with posterior margin strongly extended to a tongue-shaped protrudence, and the slender clubbed sicae separated. In D. acuminata , the posterior margin of the saccal region is slightly protrudent semicircularly, and the sicae are fused on basal 1/3.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 4 ): Wing expanse 19.0 mm. Head grey, frons greyish white, yellow behind antenna. Ocellus present. Labial palpus with second segment about twice length of diameter of eye, longer than third segment, with broad and short triangular scale tuft on dorsal surface, with porrect triangular scale tuft on ventral surface; first and second segments yellowish brown on outer surface, yellowish white on inner surface, apex mixed with white; third segment yellow on dorsal surface, dark brown on ventral surface and at apex. Antenna with scape yellowish brown on dorsal surface, yellowish white on ventral surface; flagellum alternately pale yellowish brown and greyish yellow on dorsal surface, yellowish brown on ventral surface. Thorax brown; tegula greyish yellow; mesothorax with pale yellow hair pencil arising from anepisternum. Forewing narrow, costal margin nearly straight, apex acute, termen rather oblique, blunt; ground colour greyish yellow, with scattered brown scales, apex and termen dark brown, termen with dark brown dots; dark brown spots at 1/3 and 2/3 of cell, at upper middle of cell as well as at 3/5 of fold; cell with a short oblique stripe at end; fringe with basal half alternately greyish yellow and grey, distal half greyish yellow. Hindwing and fringe grey, fringe yellow basally. Fore and mid legs dark brown on outer surface except tarsomere yellowish white apically, greyish white on inner surface; hind leg yellowish white, mixed with greyish brown on outer surface.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 16 ): Uncus nearly semioval, with a pair of special long setae near posterior margin, anterior margin slightly concave in a semicircle. Gnathos long, curved at basal 1/3, sharp apically; culcitula nearly coniform. Valva longer than tegumen-uncus complex, dorsal margin protrudent at 3/5, ventral margin slightly concave at distal 1/4, apex bluntly rounded; ventral free lobe short and small, narrowed gradually from base to apex, with long sparse setae apically. Vinculum about as long as tegumen-uncus complex; lateral lobe arising from basal 1/4, nearly horned, about 1/3 length of vinculum, bluntly rounded apically. Saccal region with posterior margin strongly extended to a tongue-shaped protrudence; sicae separated from base, symmetrical, slender, clubbed, distal 2/3 with sparse setae on ventral surface, apex slightly sharp, nearly reaching base of uncus. Setose patch between tegumen and vinculum large, rounded, diameter longer than lateral lobe of vinculum. Phallus stout, slightly broad mesially, with two sclerotized lobes arising from zone: one lobe from dorsal surface, narrowed gradually from base to blunt apex, about as long as phallus, another lobe from ventral surface, as long as dorsal lobe, slender, strongly sclerotized, slightly curved near sharp apex; a sclerotized stout lobe at middle of ventral surface, about 2/5 length of phallus, slightly blunt apically, wrinkled on dorsal surface; cornutus arising from near distal 1/4, horned, about 1/4 length of phallus.

Female unknown.

Distribution. Malawi.

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin word ligulaceus (= tongue-shaped), referring to the tongue-shaped protrudence on the posterior margin of the saccal region.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Adults of Dichomeris spp. 1. D. arquata sp. nov., holotype 3; 2. D. brevicornuta sp. nov., holotype 3; 3. D. dentata sp. nov., holotype 3; 4. D. ligulacea sp. nov., holotype 3; 5. D. paulidigitata sp. nov., holotype 3; 6. D. tenextrema sp. nov., holotype 3.

FIGURES 13 – 18. Male genitalia of Dichomeris spp. 13. D. arquata sp. nov., holotype, genitalia slide no. ZH 09101; 14. D. brevicornuta sp. nov., holotype, genitalia slide no. ZH 09091; 15. D. dentata sp. nov., holotype, genitalia slide no. ZH 09093; 16. D. ligulacea sp. nov., holotype, genitalia slide no. ZH 09095; 17. D. paulidigitata sp. nov., holotype, genitalia slide no. ZH 09113; 18. D. tenextrema sp. nov., holotype, genitalia slide no. ZH 09115.