Rhotana dextra Zelazny, 2011

Zelazny, B. & Webb, M. D., 2011, 3071, Zootaxa 3071, pp. 1-307 : 88-89

Rhotana dextra Zelazny , sp. nov.

( Fig. 224)

Description. Forewings 1.9 times longer than wide, length: male 4.9–5.0 mm (mean = 5.0, n= 4), female 4.7–5.7 mm. Colour stramineous to light brown. Forewings near hindmargin with three pairs of round, black marks and one smaller, elongated black mark; these are separated by a broad red band; additional elongated red marks around last subcostal sector and at middle of Ms2; an area in front of black marks covered with white powder; rest of wing glassy and yellow-brown, but hyaline areas between claval vein and first subcostal cell, near second subcostal sector, and before and after anterior apical cross-veins; middle sections of C, Sc, R, Ms1a, Ms1b, Ms2 and apical sections of Sc and R red, other veins stramineous. Hindwings colourless, but most of hind margin and apical sections of claval veins, Cu and first median sector red. Facial carinae contiguous up to lower level of eyes; rostrum surpassing hind coxae; subantennal processes and lateral carinae of pronotum well developed. Forewings with apex of Sc nearly straight; Sc+R fork before middle of wing; Ms1 branched near apex of basal median cell, both branches nearly parallel, apical section of Ms1b connected to Cu1 by a cross-vein, a triangle at base of Ms1. Male genitalia with pygofer narrow. Apical part of aedeagus with small teeth at the sides and ending in two pointed processes, the left one curved to the right.

Etymology. The species name is a Latin adjective (dexter, -tra, -trum = on the right side).

Type material. Holotype ♂ (forewing 5.0 mm), PAPUA NEW GUINEA: NEW BRITAIN; labels: 1) New Britain / Vunabakan / 180 m, 10 km E/ of Keravat 2) Nov. 16–20, 1959 / coll. T. C. Maa ( BPBM) . Paratypes. PAPUA NEW GUINEA: NEW BRITAIN: same data as holotype, 3 ♂ (fw. 2x4.9, 5.0); Warongoi Vall., Gazelle Pen., 100 m, 25. V .1956, 1 ♀ (fw. 4.7), 1 sex unknown (fw. 5.0), J.L. Gressitt; Sio, N. coast, 600 m, 24. VII .1956, 1 ♀ (fw. 5.7), E.J. Ford, Jr. (all BPBM) .

Distribution. New Britain.

Diagnosis. Rhotana dextra resembles closely R. rubifasciata sp. nov., R. gracilis sp. nov., and R. aequa sp. nov. from New Ireland and New Guinea. It can be distinguished from these by the male aedeagus having the left apical process curved to the right.