Amphixystis minuta, Gaedike, 2014

Gaedike, Reinhard, 2014, On the Tineidae of the Southern Arabian Peninsula and Sudan (Lepidoptera: Tineidae), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 64 (2), pp. 193-219 : 205

Amphixystis minuta sp. n.

Holotype: , “ Yemen, 600 m, Prov. Al Hudaydah, Jabel, Burra 25 km SE Bajil, 23.-24.iv.1998, [leg.] M. Fibiger et al.;” “Coll. ZMUC, Copenhagen Denmark;” “Gen. präp.[genitalia slide] Gaedike Nr. 6017;” “ Holotypus , Amphixystis minuta sp. n., det. R. Gaedike 2013;” ZMUC.

Derivatio nominis: Name refers to the small wingspan contrary the other known members of the genus.

Diagnosis ( Fig. 23 ): Wingspan 7 mm; head brush whitish (only some scales remained); antennae nearly completely destroyed, visible are a dark brown scape and some dark brown flagellomeres; labial palpi pale whitish on inside, on outside with dark brown scales; thorax white, tegulae brown; forewings with characteristic pattern of the genus: costal part dark brown from base to beginning of fringe at dorsum, ventral part white, the border between these two areas undulate; hindwings grey.

Male genitalia ( Figs 70-72 ): Tegumen broad, lateral edges strongly sclerotised, uncus with small narrow lobi, gnathos arms with strongly sclerotised, basally broad, narrower to pointed tip, directed obliquely upwards; vinculum narrow, band-shaped, saccus thin; valvae with long apodemes, parallel-sided, with rounded bristled apex, below costal edge from base to 1/2 a sclerotised thin fold; phallus half the length of valva, narrow, straight, anellus shell-like.

Female genitalia: Unknown.

Remarks: The short saccus and short phallus in male genitalia are the distinguishing structures for this new species, beside the small wingspan.

Figures

Fig. 23: Amphixystis minuta.

Figs 67-75. 67: Crypsithyris unipuncta, ; 68-69: Ceratobia sudanica,  (68- Uncus-tegumen,valva; 69-phallus);70-71: Amphixystis minuta,  (70 - Uncus-tegumen-saccus; 71 - phallus; 72 - valva); 73-75: Amphixystis taurus,  (73 - Tegumen-gnathos-vinculum; 74 - phallus; 75 - valva).