Lacuniola noda Park, 2018

Park, Kyu-Tek, 2018, Three new genera and ten new species of the subfamily Lecithocerinae (Lepidoptera, Lecithoceridae) from Cameroon, Africa, based on material collected in 1913 - 18, Zootaxa 4415 (3), pp. 561-579 : 576-578

Lacuniola noda Park , sp. nov.

( Figs. 32, 32a–b, 33, 34a–b, 35, 35a )

Type. Holotype: ♂, Cameroon, Efulen, HL Weber, Oct. 7 1912, Acc. 4794, gen. slide no. CIS-6840 . Paratypes: 1♂, same locality, Oct. 26 1912, Acc. 4794, wing. slide no. CIS-6 863 . 3♂, same locality, Feb. 1917, Acc. 6257 ; 1♂, same locality, Carn. Mus. Acc. 5175, wing slide no. CIS-6866 ; 4♀. same locality, Acc. 5251, Feb. 26 1914, gen. slide no. CIS-6867 ; 1♀, same locality, Acc.5175, Nov. 1 1913 ; 1♂, Cameroon, Batanga. A.I. Good, Carn. Mus. Acc. 5264, July 15 1913 .

Diagnosis. Lacuniola noda is characterized by an elliptical swelling forming an open concavity near the base of the flagellum in the male ( Fig. 31a ), and several basal segments of the flagellum thickened with short, stiff setae in the female ( Fig. 31b ).

Description. Male ( Figs. 32, 32a–b, 33 ): Wingspan 16–17 mm. Head pale brownish yellow dorsally, with orange-white scales laterally. Basal segment of antenna elongate, about twice diameter of compound eye, thickened in distal half, orange white in basal half, then pale orange beyond, densely speckled with brown scales ventrally; flagellum with elliptical swelling forming an open concavity with black scales internally in basal part of flagellum, then orange white with dark-brown annulations in male and simply thickened in basal several segments of flagellum with short, stiff setae in female. First segment of labial palpus short, creamy white on outer surface; second segment thickened, forming triangle, with large concavity anterio-apically, greyish orange on upper half medially and on dorsal surface, creamy white in remainders; 3rd segment slender, about 2/3 length of 2nd segment, orange white on dorsal surface, dark brown on ventral and lateral surface. Tegula and thorax pale yellowish brown. Mid tibia dark brown, shiny, with rough scales above; first tarsus concolorous with mid-tibia, with white band at base and at end; hind tibia with rough hairs ventrally, orange white, densely speckled with brown scales. Forewing slightly broadened distally; ground color greyish orange, with I-shaped, dark-brown stigma at end of cell; costa slightly concave medially, tinged with yellow scales along margin from beyond middle; apex rounded; termen oblique, not sinuate; venation ( Fig. 33 ) with R1 arising from beyond middle; distance between origin of R1and R2 about twice between R2 and R3 at base; R3 free; R4 and R5 stalked at about half; R5 to termen; M1 nearly parallel to R4, closer to R3+4 at base; M2 close to M3 at base; CuA1 and CuA2 short-stalked; 1 A +2 A forked basally. Hindwing ground color concolorous with forewing, broader than forewing; androconial scales scattered between M1 and CuA2 from basal in the distal 3/5 ( Fig. 33 ) (remainders removed in the process of preparation) in male, lacking in female; termen slightly concave; venation with M2 arising from 1/3 across wing; M3 and CuA1 stalked in basal 1/4; cell very short, closed.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 34, 34a ): Basal lobes of uncus very short, ovate. Median process of gnathos short, broad, strongly bent beyond middle. Tegumen as long as vinculum, with numerous setae on dorsal surface. Costal bar with broad distal half. Valva slightly broader than cucullus, with comb-like pectinate arising from near lower corner of cucullus; cucullus with short setae on surface; apex rounded; sacculus short, 1/3 length of basal part of valva, crescent, heavily sclerotized. Vinculum broadly developed with round apices. Juxta weakly developed, anterior margin with triangular protrusion at middle. Phallus stout, as wide as cucullus, bifurcate apically; cornuti consisting of a long stick-like process and a large bundle of numerous spines. Abdominal segment VII with a long hair-pencil, sternite VIII deeply emarginated on caudal margin medially ( Fig. 34b ).

Female genitalia ( Figs. 35, 35a ): Abdominal sternite VIII concave on anterior margin. Antrum cup-shaped, heavily sclerotized. Ductus bursae wide, as long as corpus bursae. Corpus bursae ovate, with two signa, left one with three large spines and several smaller ones; right one similar to left one, but with two large spines.

Distribution. Cameroon.

Remarks. The generic assignment of Lacuniola noda is somewhat uncertain. The forewing venation differs from that of the type species by having R3 free, and the hindwing has androconial scales spread broadly on the upper surface, with a very short cell. However, the species is tentatively placed in Lacuniola until further study clarifies its generic status, possibly when recently collected material is available for a molecular analysis. Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin, nodus (= knot, swelling), referring to the elliptical swelling that forms an open concavity near the base of the antenna.

Figures

FIGURES 32–35. Adult, venation, male & female genitalia: 32, adult of Lacuniola noda sp. nov., holotype, with label; 32a, male antenna; 32b, female antenna; 33, venation, paratype; 34, male genitalia; 34a, ditto, phallus; 34b, ditto, abdominal sternites VII–VIII; 35, female genitalia; 35a, close-up of signum.

FIGURES 27–31. Adult, venation, and male genitalia: 27, adult of Furcalis triodonta sp. nov., holotype, with its label; 28, ditto, venation; 29, adult of F.efulenica sp. nov., holotype, with its label; 30, male genitalia of F.triodonta; 30a, ditto, phallus; 30b, ditto, abdominal sternites VII–VIII; 31, male genitalia of F. efulenica; 31a, ditto, phallus; 31b, ditto, abdominal sternites VII–VIII.