Urodeta tortuosa, Sruoga, Virginijus & Prins, Jurate De, 2011

Sruoga, Virginijus & Prins, Jurate De, 2011, New species of Elachistinae (Lepidoptera: Elachistidae) from Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zootaxa 3008, pp. 1-32 : 10-11

Urodeta tortuosa sp. n.

( Figs 1, 3, 4 , 83–88 )

Type material. Holotype: 1Ƥ, CAMEROON, North Province, Faro River Camp, 275 m, 08°23’N 012°49’E, 09.v.2005, leg. J. & W. De Prins. Specimen ID: RMCA ENT 0 0 0 0 0 5288, gen. prep. MRAC / KMMA 0 0 624 ( RMCA).

Diagnosis. Urodeta tortuosa is a small, lightly-coloured species, with indistinct wing markings. The female genitalia of this species can be separated from other Urodeta species known from Central Africa by the following combination of characters: (1) apophyses posteriores not developed; (2) sternum 8 strongly sclerotized; (3) ductus bursae spirally coiled; (4) corpus bursae without signum.

Female ( Figs 83, 84 ). Forewing length 2.7 mm; wingspan 6.1 mm (n=1). Head: Frons white; vertex and neck tuft white, weakly mottled with brown tips of scales; labial palpus very short and straight, about 0.5 times as long as width of head, white; scape white, with few brown tipped scales; flagellum brown, basally annulated with white. Thorax, tegula and forewing white, irregularly dusted with brown; fringe greyish white. Hindwing and its fringe greyish.

Male. Unknown.

Female genitalia ( Figs 85–88 ). Papillae anales short, sclerotized. Apophyses posteriores not developed. Apophyses anteriores extending from central part of segment and spreading apart laterad. Sternum 8 strongly sclerotized, posterior margin folded forming wide pocket. Antrum short, with strongly sclerotized lateral margins. Colliculum dilated, unevenly sclerotized, with 6 minute spines ( Fig. 88 ). Ductus bursae long, spirally coiled. Corpus bursae oval, without signum or internal spines.

Biology. Unknown.

Flight period. The only known specimen was captured in the beginning of May.

Distribution. So far this species is known only from the North Province of Cameroon ( Figs 1, 3, 4 ).

Etymology. The specific name tortuosa refers to the spirally coiled ductus bursae, meaning ‘full of turns and windings’ in Latin.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. Collecting localities of the Afrotropical Elachistinae species. 1, Cameroon, North Province, Faro River floodplain; 2, DRC, Bas-Congo, Mayumbe Forest; 3, general map indicating collecting sites; 4, collecting site in Cameroon; 5, collecting site in DRC.

FIGURES 83 – 86. Urodeta tortuosa, sp. n., holotype. 83, adult female. Scale bar 1 mm; 84, head, frontal view; 85, caudal part of female genitalia; 86, ductus and corpus bursae. Gen. prep. MRAC / KMMA 0 0 624, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 0 0 0 0 0 5288. Scale bar 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 87 – 88. Urodeta tortuosa, sp. n., female genitalia, holotype. 87, caudal part; 88, colliculum region (arrow pointing to spines in colliculum). Gen. prep. MRAC / KMMA 0 0 624, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 0 0 0 0 0 5288. Scale bar 0.1 mm.