Ptilothyris ruicheensis Park & Karisch, 2021

Park, Kyu-Tek & Karisch, Timm, 2021, The family Lecithoceridae (Lepidoptera, Gelechioidea) from Bioko Island (Equatorial Guinea), with descriptions of five new species, Zootaxa 4995 (3), pp. 581-593 : 590-591

Ptilothyris ruicheensis Park & Karisch , sp. nov.

LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D9C8BA7E-56E0-4B91-AC79-DD4B7F6E1FA7

( Figs. 7A–D )

Type specimen. – Holotype: ♀: Equatorial Guinea, Island of Bioko (former Fernando Póo), Ruiché, 5 km S of Luba, northern edge of the village nr. 2 nd school, overgrown banana plantation, about 740 m, 3°24’50” N 8°33’ E, 21.viii.1994, at light, leg. T. Karisch, gen. slide no. 3820/ Karisch, deposited in the coll. Karisch ( SDEI).

Diagnosis. The female genitalia of the new species are similar to those of P. porphyrea Ghesquiere, 1940 which was described from DR Congo, but can be distinguished from the latter by the following characters: abdominal sternite VIII deeply emarginated medially, forming triangular lateral lobes; ductus bursae much broadened and densely wrinkled in distal half, whereas that of P. porphyrea is nearly parallel-sided, not slightly wrinkled; Corpus bursae large, as long as ductus bursae, whereas in P. porphyrea the corpus bursae is more than two times longer than ductus bursae.

Description. Female ( Figs. 7A, B ). Forewing length 11.5 mm.

Head: Dark brown with purplish iridescence dorsally, with pale orange erect scales laterally. Antenna slightly shorter than forewing, with elongated scape; flagellum bipectinate, dark brown in about basal 3/5 and more thickened, the rest creamy white to apex. Second segment of labial palpus thickened, saber-shaped, curved upward, yellowish brown on outer surface, paler on inner surface; 3 rd segment strongly upturned with almost right angle at base, slender, slightly longer than 2 nd segment, yellowish white speckled with dark brown scales on outer surface, dark brown ventrally.

Thorax: Thorax and tegula dark brown dorsally. Median leg with femur dark-brown ventrally; tibia dark brown, with yellowish tip; spurs at end, the inner one more than two times longer than the outer spur; Hind leg with darkbrown femur; tibia black in basal 3/5, pale yellow at middle dorsally, the rest black; two pairs of spurs, median one longer. Forewing elongated, slightly dilated distally; ground color uniformly dark brown with purplish iridescence; apex more or less rounded; termen slightly oblique, rounded in lower corner; fringes dark brown, with narrow yellowish-white basal line along margin. Hind wing grayish brown; fringes conclorous, with a fine yellowish white basal line.

Abdomen: Dark brown dorsally, light yellow in last segment. Spinose zones on dorsal surface broadly developed.

Female genitalia ( Figs. 7D ): Abdominal sternite VIII with deep U-shaped medial emargination; lateral lobes triangular. Apophyses anteriores about 2/3 the length of apophyses posteriores. Antrum weakly sclerotized, rectangular, connected to narrowed distal part of ductus bursae. Ductus bursae much broadened in distal half, broader distally, densely wrinkled; anterior half narrow, wrinkled in distal half and membranous in anterior half; ductus seminalis arising from the broadened distal part. Corpus bursae as long as ductus bursae; signum hoodshaped.

Male unknown.

Distribution. Equatorial Guinea: Island of Bioko.

Etymology. The species name is derived from the village at the type locality, Ruiché.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Ptilothyris ruicheensis Park & Karisch, sp. nov.: A, adult, holotype; B, labial palpus in lateral view; C, Label; D, female genitalia, slide no, 3820/Karisch. Scale bar for the genitalia with aedeagus: 1.0 mm.