Paniculata africana Park and Kim, 2021

Park, Kyu-Tek & Kim, Sora, 2021, Four new species of Paniculata Park, 2018 (Lepidoptera: Lecithoceridae) from the Afrotropical Region, Journal of Natural History 54 (45 - 46), pp. 2897-2908 : 2904-2906

Paniculata africana Park and Kim , sp. nov.

( Figures 4 (a–e), 5(a–f))

Diagnosis

This new species is distinguished from P. hesperusalis by the fore wing with yellowishbrown ground colour, the abdomen with detachable spines on the dorsal surface and the male genitalia with elongated uncus.

Description

Adult ( Figure 4 (a–e)). Male. Wingspan 14 mm. Head: Vertex orange white, covered with pale greyish-orange scales posteriorly. Antenna about 1.2 times the length of fore wing; basal segment orange white, dilated distally, with a long prominent scale-tuft at apex ventrally, as long as basal segment, entirely black on inner surface, sparsely speckled with creamy white scales on outer surface; flagellum filiform, entirely yellowish white. First segment of labial palpus slender, shorter than 1/3 length of 2nd segment; 2nd segment strongly upturned, with yellowish-white, long, hair-like scales above; 3rd segment slender, about 1/2 length of 2nd segment, orange white, sharply pointed apically. Thorax: Thorax and tegula covered with yellowish-brown scales. Hind tibia entirely covered with dark brown, hair-like scales ( Figure 4 (e)); tarsi yellowish-white. Fore wing elongate; ground colour uniformly yellowish brown, without distinct markings on dorsal surface; costa gently arched around 1/3 and beyond 2/3; apex more or less acute; termen oblique, slightly sinuate; fringe pale orange in apical 1/5 of costa, yellowish brown with narrow, yellowish-white basal line on termen; venation with R 1 arising from before middle of cell; R 3 free from R 4+5; R 4 and R 5 stalked for basal 3/4; R 5 to termen; M 1 remote from R 4+5, nearly parallel to M 2; M 2 closer to M 3 at base; M 3 closer to M 2 than CuA 1 at base; CuA 1 free. Hind wing paler than fore wing; apex acute; fringe concolorous with ground colour; venation with M 2 close to M 3 + CuA 1 basally and extended to middle of cell; M 3 merged with CuA 1; CuA2 arising from beyond 3/4 of cell. Abdomen ( Figure 4 (i)): Abdominal segments sclerotised on anterior margin, with dense detachable spines; sternite VIII with weakly sclerotised, broad plate along anterior margin.

Male genitalia ( Figure 5 (a–f)). Basal lobes of uncus large, semi-ovate, directed outwardly, rounded apically. Basal plate of gnathos heavily sclerotised, slightly produced apically; median process narrowed towards apex, strongly bent pre-apically, with sharply pointed apex. Tegumen broad, rectangular; deeply incised at middle on anterior margin. Costal bar connecting tegumen and valva banded, slightly angled at middle. Valva with elongated cucullus, broad basally; costa slightly concave; ventral margin broadly concave beyond end of sacculus; sacculus broadly developed, weakly sclerotised, nearly parallel sided; cucullus elongated, nearly parallel sided, densely setose. Vinculum broadly developed, in U-shape. Juxta shield-shaped, weakly sclerotised, with small, triangular median process; latero-caudal lobes narrowly extended outwardly; anterior margin with large, quadrate extension medially. Aedeagus stout, broadened basally, as long as valva, narrowed towards apex from beyond 3/4, bifurcate apically; cornuti consisting of two bundles of short spines, nearly equal in length, about 1/4 length of aedeagus.

Female unknown.

Holotype

Male, Uganda, Mpigi, Mpanga Forest , 0°12ʹ24ʹʹN 32°18ʹ05ʹʹE, 1–5 May 2019 K. T. Park, J.M. Koo, J.D. Kim; gen. slide no. CIS-7405, in NIBR. Paratypes. 3 ♂, same data as the holotype, gen. slide no. CIS-7471, -7475, in NIBR.

Distribution

Afrotropical: Uganda (Mpigi).

Etymology

The specific epithet is derived from the name of Africa.

Figures

Figure 4. Paniculata africana Park and Kim,sp. nov. (a) Scale-tuft of an antenna; (b) dorsal part of head; (c) adult; (d) hind tibia tuft; (e) wing venation

Figure 5. Genitalia of Paniculata africana Park and Kim, sp. nov. (a) Male genitalia; (b) uncus and gnathos; (c) juxta and vinculum; (d) aedeagus; (e) abdomen; (f) abdominal sternite VIII