Urodeta crenata, 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 : 7-8

Urodeta crenata , sp. n.

( Figs 1, 3, 4 , 50–55 )

Type material. Holotype: 3, CAMEROON, North Province, Faro River Camp, 275 m, 08°23’N 012°49’E, 01.v.2005, leg. J. & W. De Prins. Specimen ID: RMCA ENT 0 0 0 0 0 5272, gen. prep. MRAC / KMMA 0 0 610 ( RMCA).

Paratype: 13, same locality as holotype, 09.v.2005, leg. J. & W. De Prins. Specimen ID: RMCA ENT 0 0 0 0 0 5276, gen. prep. MRAC / KMMA 0 0 611 ( RMCA).

Diagnosis. Urodeta crenata is a small, narrow winged and lightly-coloured species. In wing pattern and male genitalia, the new species is comparable to U. cuspidis , known from the same locality. However, U. crenata is distinguishable by two blackish brown spots just before the middle of the forewing, serrated ventral margin of sacculus, shape of phallus and by the absence of cornuti.

Male ( Figs 50, 51 ). Forewing length 2.1–2.3 mm; wingspan 5.0–5.2 mm (n=2). Head: Frons white; vertex and neck tuft white, mottled with dark brown tips of scales; labial palpus short and straight, about 0.5 times as long as width of head, white above, brownish below; scape white, with few dark brown tipped scales; flagellum brownish grey, basally annulated with brown rings, distally slightly serrated. Thorax, tegula and forewing strongly mottled with scales basally white and distally dark brown; two blackish brown spots transversally arranged just before middle of wing; fringe grey. Hindwing brownish grey, its fringe grey.

Female. Unknown.

Male genitalia ( Figs 52–55 ). Uncus short, posterior margin weakly sclerotized. Spinose knob of gnathos small, rounded. Valva short and broad; ventral margin of sacculus curved and partly serrated, tapering into long, narrow, ventrally curved and strongly sclerotized cucullus; basal fold of costa strongly sclerotized; transtilla wide, weakly sclerotized. Ventral shied of juxta strongly sclerotized, basally broad, gradually tapered towards long pointed and ventrally curved apex. Vinculum U-shaped, narrow, weakly sclerotized. Phallus nearly as long as valva, very weakly sclerotized except dorsal side basally and ventral side apically, apex long and pointed; no cornuti present.

Biology. Unknown.

Flight period. Based upon the two specimens available, adults fly in early May.

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

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin crena (serration, notch) and the suffix - ata (provided with) in reference to the serrated sacculus of valva.

Remarks. The heads in the type specimens are somewhat rubbed, therefore the description is approximate.

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 50 – 53. Urodeta crenata, sp. n., holotype. 50, adult male. Scale bar 1 mm; 51, head, frontal view; 52, general view of male genitalia (phallus removed); 53, phallus. Gen. prep. MRAC / KMMA 0 0 610, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 0 0 0 0 0 5272. Scale bar 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 54 – 55. Urodeta crenata, sp. n., male genitalia. 54, ventral view of valvae. Paratype. Specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000005276; 55, lateral view. Holotype. Specimen ID: RMCA ENT 0 0 0 0 0 5272. In glycerol before permanent mounting in Euparal.