Alucita bakingili Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, 2020

Ustjuzhanin, Peter, Kovtunovich, Vasily, Maicher, Vincent, Safian, Szabolcs, Delabye, Sylvain, Streltzov, Alexander & Tropek, Robert, 2020, Even hotter hotspot: description of seven new species of many-plumed moths (Lepidoptera, Alucitidae) from Mount Cameroon, ZooKeys 935, pp. 103-119 : 103

Alucita bakingili Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich sp. nov. Figs 6-8

Type material.

Holotype • male (NECJU 201903) Cameroon, Bamboo Camp, 350 m a.s.l., Mount Cameroon (SW slope), 4.0879°N, 9.0505°E, 12-20.XII.2014, lgt. V. Maicher, Sz. Sáfián, S. Janeček, R. Tropek. Paratypes • 1 male (CUK), same data as the holotype • 1 female (NECJU 201908), same data as the holotype • 1 male, (CUK), PlanteCam, 1100 m a.s.l., Mount Cameroon (SW slope), 4.1175°N, 9.0709°E, 29.I.-07.II.2016, lgt. V. Maicher, Sz. Sáfián, R. Tropek.

Diagnosis.

The new species resembles Alucita fokami Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, 2018 in external appearance but it substantially differs in both male and female genitalia (for genitalia of A. fokami , see Ustjuzhanin et al. 2018). Alucita bakingili is similar to Alucita seychellensis (T.B. Fletcher, 1910) in male genitalia (illustrated in Ustjuzhanin and Kovtunovich 2016), specifically in the sclerotized process on the sacculus. Alucita bakingili also differs from A. seychellensis in its wide gnathos, the narrow triangular valves and the short narrow uncus. In the female genitalia, the new species is similar to Alucita rhaptica (Meyrick, 1920) (Fig. 21 ), from which it differs in its rectangular lamina postvaginalis and in the longer and narrower ductus.

External characters.

Wingspan 12-15 mm, holotype 12 mm. Head, thorax and tegulae with dark grey scales and an admixture of white scales. Labial palpus grey outside, white inside, 1.5 times longer than longitudinal eye diameter, directed forward. Third segment short, apically slightly sharpened. Antenna pale grey, distinct dark elongated spot basally just beyond scape. Wings mottled, yellowish-grey, medially with a poorly expressed yellowish-brown band. Alternating portions of grey and white scales shaped as elongated strokes, spots and points on lobe of all wings. Fringe with alternating portions of grey and white hairs. Hind leg pale yellow.

Male genitalia.

Uncus short, straight, slightly widened apically. Gnathos wide, sharply narrowing apically, a little longer than uncus. Valve short, narrow triangular, membranous. Sacculus with membranous process containing a large sclerotized uncinate process in lower part. Anellus arms very long, basally wide, medially narrowing, apically widened and slightly bent. Saccus with oval outer edge. Aedeagus long, straight, with two robust cornute in this medial part.

Female genitalia.

Papilla analis narrow, elongated. Posterior apophyses thin, straight. Anterior apophyses also thin, straight, equal in length to posterior apophyses. Lamina postvaginalis sclerotized, wide, rectangular, with blunt angular lateral projections. Antrum corrugated, wide, short. Ductus wide, medially swollen. Ductus seminalis short, well expressed. Bursa copulatrix small, oval, with robust elongated comb-shaped signum located basally and reaching base of ductus seminalis.

Distribution.

Cameroon.

Flight period.

December to February.

Etymology.

The species is named after Bakingili, a village at the southern foothills of Mount Cameroon, in which area it was collected. Numerous people from the village helped our project as field assistants and by many other ways, and therefore the community was crucial for its success. The Bakingili people are also necessary for protection of the species’ natural area.

Figures

Figures 6 - 8. Alucita bakingili Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, sp. nov. 6 adult male, Holotype, NEJCU 7 male genitalia, Holotype, preparation slide no. 201903 8 female genitalia, Paratype, preparation slide no. 201908. Scale bar: 5 mm.

Figures 19 - 24. Comparative illustrations of other Alucita species mentioned in the new species' diagnoses 19 A. balioxantha (Meyrick, 1921), type, male genitalia 20 A. tesserata (Meyrick, 1918), type, male genitalia 21 A. rhaptica (Meyrick, 1920), female genitalia 22 A. compsoxantha (Meyrick, 1924), type, female genitalia 23 A. chloracta (Meyrick, 1908), type, adult female 24 A. chloracta, type, female genitalia.