Lecithocera ideologa Meyrick, 1937

Park, Kyu-Tek & Prins, Willy De, 2019, A review of the Lecithoceridae (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea) of southern Africa, based on type specimens deposited in the Ditsong National Museum of Natural History (TMSA), with descriptions of three new species, Zootaxa 4623 (1), pp. 61-89 : 72

Lecithocera ideologa Meyrick, 1937

( Figs. 3I , 5D, E )

Lecithocera ideologa Meyrick, 1937: 96 ; Janse 1954: 335. TL: Eastern Cape, South Africa. [TMSA].

Adult. ( Fig. 3I ). See also Janse (Pl. 195, Fig. 2 ). Wingspan 12 – 15 mm. The species is superficially similar to L. binotata , but it can be distinguished by the male genitalia with the valva tapered on ventral margin in distal 1/3.

Diagnosis. Male genitalia ( Figs. 5D, E ). See also Janse (1954, pl. 141, Fig. 2 - line drawing; Pl. 151, Fig. 4 - photo). The male genitalia are characterized by the valva tapering on the ventral margin from 2/3 to rounded apex, and the aedeagus broadened and bent in basal 1/3, tapering slightly toward apex; cornuti consisting of two large, sclerotized, more or less elongate-triangular plates at middle and a patch of numerous minute spines near base.

Female genitalia. See Janse (1954, Pl. 141, Fig. 3 - signum; Pl. 159, Figs. 3 & 4 ). The signum is large, triangular, densely serrated.

Material examined. Type no. 578, ♂ (holotype), [ South Africa], Cape Colony, Port St. Johns, Jan. [no year], A.J.T. Janse. Four additional specimens (1♂, Port St. Johns, x 1915, H.H. Swinny, gen. slide no. CIS-6575; 1♂, Bela Vista, x 1916, C.J. Swierstra, gen. slide no. 5700; 1♂, Umvuma, Rhod, 20 xii 1917, A.J.T. Janse) are deposited in TMSA. 1♂, Knysna, C.P., Garden of Eden, 16-20 i 1955 (gen. slide no. CIS-7203/Park) which is placed under the label of L. aenicta in TMSA, was re-identified as this species.

Distribution. Mozambique (Janse 1954), Namibia ( Mey 2007), South Africa (Eastern Cape) (Meyrick 1937).

Remarks. The species was described based on a single male collected in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Photos in the TMSA. A, Drawers of the Lepidoptera collection in the TMSA; A1, Drawers for the species of Lecithoceridae; B, A drawer of type specimens arranged according to the type numbers (Gelechiidae, Lecithoceridae), which is preserved in a stainless cabinet placed in the fire-proof type-specimens room.

FIGURE 3. Adults of Lecithocerinae with their labels: A, Atrichozancla gymnopalpa Janse, lectotype ♂; B, Atrichozancla phaeocrossis Meyrick, paratype ♂; C. Eridachtha crossogramma (Meyrick), holotype ♂; D, Frisilia compostoma Meyrick, holotype ♂; E, Homaloxestis lophophora Janse, lectotype ♂; F, Lecithocera aenicta Meyrick, holotype ♂; G, L. binotata Mey- rick, holotype ♂; H, L. flavipalpis Walsingham, holotype ♀; I, L. ideologa Meyrick, holotype ♂; J, L. lucernata Meyrick, ♂ specimen; K, L. myopa Meyrick, lectotype ♂; L, Plagiocrossa picrodora (Meyrick), lectotype ♀.

FIGURE 4. Male and female genitalia. A, male genitalia of Atrichozancla gymnopalpa Janse, a paratype, gen. slide no. CIS- 7206/Park; B, ditto, close-up of aedeagus; C, ditto, abdomen; D, male genitalia of Homaloxestis lophophora Janse, gen. slide no. CIS-7222/Park; E, ditto, aedeagus; F, right valva of a Taiwanese specimen; G, ditto, aedeagus; H. female genitalia of H. lophophora Janse, gen. slide no. CIS-7223/Park. Scale bar: 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 5. Male genitalia and adult. A, L. binotata Meyrick, cited from Park (2018, Fig. 14, 14a, Cameroon); B, ditto, aedeagus; C, ditto, abdomen with long hair-like pencils; D, L. ideologa Meyrick, gen. slide no. CIS-7203/Park; E, ditto, aedeagus; F, abdominal segment VIII; G, adult, L. minyodes sp. nov., holotype ♂; H, ditto, male genitalia; I, ditto, close-up of uncus and gnathos; I’, that of L. afrotella, cited from Park (3018, Fig. 15); J, close-up of apical part of cucullus; J’ that of L. afrotella; K. ditto, aedeagus. Scale bar: 1.0 mm.