Protolychnis morogorensis Park & Koo, 2021

Park, Kyu-Tek & Koo, Jun-Mo, 2021, A new genus Viperinus Park with descriptions of two new species, and two new species of the genus Protolychnis Meyrick, 1925 (Lepidoptera, Gelechioidea, Lecithoceridae) in Kenya and Tanzania, with a checklist of the world species, Zootaxa 4985 (3), pp. 359-370 : 366-368

Protolychnis morogorensis Park & Koo , sp. nov.

LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C71DD553-5971-4F03-A8E0-96341C0544BA

( Figs 4A–D, H )

Type specimen: • Holotype, female, Tanzania, Morogoro Distr. Town , 550–600 m, 2 xii 1992, leg. L. Aarvik, gen. slide no. CIS-7153, in NHMO.

Diagnosis. The new species can be separated from the preceding new species, P. oculiella , by the antenna less thickened and the forewing with well-developed short blackish fascia which is obliquely presented near basal 1/3. It is also superficially similar to P. maculata which is widely distributed in Africa, including South Africa, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya and DR Congo. It can be distinguished from P. maculata by female genitalia characters that are as follows: 1) antrum is broadened in posterior 1/4 with sclerotized lateral margins, and the caudal margin is nearly straight, whereas in P. maculata , antrum is broadened with sclerotized lateral margins in posterior half, and the caudal margin is concave, with sharply produced lateral apices; 2) ductus bursae is more or less broad in posterior 3/4, as wide as anterior 3/4 of antrum, but it is nearly parallel sided in P. maculata ; 3) signal plate is crescent, broad medially and tapered to each termination, whereas in P. maculata , it is narrowed, heavily sclerotized as figured in 4E′. The female genitalia of this new species can also be distinguished from P. bastini known from DR Congo and Kenya and P. petiliella known from Uganda by the different shape of antrum: 1) antrum is as long as ductus bursae in P. morogorensis , whereas in P. bastini , it is shorter than the ductus bursae; 2) antrum is sharply broadened from anterior 3/4, whereas in P. bastini and P. petiliella , it is gradually broadened from the anterior base and half, respectively; 3) the caudal margin of antrum is nearly straight in P. morogorensis , but concave in P. petiliella ( Figs 4F, G ).

Description. Female ( Figs 4A–C ). Wingspan 16.0 mm.

Head: Vertex dark brown with orange-white erect scales laterally. Antenna thick, orange white, about 0.7 times shorter than the forewing length. Labial palpus strongly upturned; 2 nd segment thickened, covered with dark brown scales in basal 3/4, scattered with orange-white scales, then gradually turning orange white toward apex on outer surface; 3 rd segment slightly curved upwardly, slender with sharply pointed apex, almost same length as 2 nd segment, orange white entirely.

Thorax: Thorax and tegula dark brown, Forewing slightly broadened distally; ground color fuscous dark brown uniformly, with a distinct orange-white spot at apical end of discal cell; blackish fascia at basal 1/3 across wing medially; costa slightly arched at basal 1/5, nearly straight medially, then slightly oblique from beyond 5/6; apex more or less rounded; termen oblique with fringe concolorous with ground color. Hindwing broader than forewing, brownish gray.

Abdomen: Dark brown, band-like spinous zones forming on dorsal surface along posterior margin of each segment ( Fig. 4H ).

Female genitalia ( Fig. 4D ): Eighth sternite deeply emarginated medially on posterior margin.Apophyses posteriores about 1.3 times longer than apophyses anteriores. Antrum long, nearly same length as ductus bursae, as wide as posterior 3/4 of ductus bursae, weakly sclerotized, widened and heavily sclerotized in posterior 1/4; caudal margin nearly straight. Ductus bursae broadened from anterior 1/4, as wide as anterior 3/4 of antrum; ductus seminalis arising from near posterior end. Corpus bursae ovate, about 3 times longer than ductus bursae; signal plate large, crescent, as wide as posterior 2/3 of corpus bursae.

Distribution. Tanzania.

Etymology. The species epithet is derived from the type locality.

Remarks. The female genitalia of this new species are compared with those of its allies, including P. maculata ( Figs 4E , E′), P. bastini ( Figs 4F , F′) and P. petiliella ( Figs 4G , G′). P. chlorotoma with the orange-white median band on the forewing and P. marginata with the orange-white streak along costa differ from the species above, and P. natalensis can be distinguished from its allies by large, distinct spot near the apical end of discal cell.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Protolychnis morogorensis Park & Koo, sp. nov.:A, adult, holotype; B, ditto, dorsal surface of head; C, ditto, labial palpus; D, female genitalia, holotype, slide no. CIS-7153, with a close-up of signum; E & E′, close-up of antrum and signum of P. maculata; F & F′, close-up of antrum and signum of P. bastini, paratype, slide no. CIS-7435; G & G′, close-up of antrum and signum of P. petiliella, paratype, slide no. CIS-7355; H, abdomen of P. morogorensis, holotype.