Alucita malawica Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich

Ustjuzhanin, Petr & Kovtunovich, Vasily, 2016, The Alucitidae (Lepidoptera) of Malawi with descriptions of five new species, Zootaxa 4126 (4), pp. 533-547 : 543-544

Alucita malawica Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich sp. nov.

Figs. 27–29

Type material: Holotype, male, ( BMNH 22775), Nkhorongo, 06.iv.2012, Kovtunovich V. & Ustjuzhanin P.;. Paratypes: 1 ♀, ( BMNH 22776), 25.vii.–05.viii.2009; 1 ♀, (CUK) 11.vi.2011, 1 ♂, (CUK), 29.viii –14.ix.2011, same data as holotype; 1 ex., (CUK), Uzumara, 28.ii.2010, R. Murphy ; 1 ♀, (CUK) Mugesse Forest, 11–12.i.2009; 1 ♂, (MFN 201609), Uzuzu Hill, 17–18.iv.2011, Kovtunovich V. & Ustjuzhanin P.

Description. External characters. Head ochreous yellow. Thorax and tegula pale yellow, with portions of dark brown scales. Labial palpus 2.5 times as long as longitudinal eye diameter, directed forward. Third segment separated, significantly thinner than first two, tapered towards tip and directed up. Antenna yellow, interspersed with small brown scales.Wingspan 14–16 mm. Wing yellowish–brown with two distinct rather wide dark brown bands in its medial and distal part. Series of pale brown spots on first lobe of fore wing. Basal part of hind wing darkened with dark brown scales. Tip of each lobe of both wings with small spot of dark scales.

Male genitalia. Uncus short, wide, with spatulate apex. Gnathos short, strongly tapered at apex, equal to uncus in length. Gnathos arms short, arched. Valva rather short, wide, poorly sclerotized. Anellus arms straight, long, wide. Phallus narrow, long, length equal to or slightly longer than entire genital structure, without cornuti.

Female genitalia. Papillae anales elongate, narrow–triangular. Apophyses posteriores narrow, straight. Apophyses anteriores slightly sinuous, equal to apophyses posteriores in length. Antrum wide, short, cupped. Ductus thin, membranous, significantly widened at junction with bursa copulatrix. Bursa copulatrix oval, without signa.

Diagnosis. The wing colour of A. malawica is similar to A. libraria , but is distinctive by the straight outer band on the fore wing, while the same band in A. libraria is convex. In the general structure of the female genitalia the new species is also similar to A. libraria , but is distinctive by the wide and shorter ductus and the longer antrum.

Distribution. Malawi.

Flight period: January, April, June–September.

Etymology. Toponymic name.

Figures

FIGURES 27 – 29. Alucita malawica Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich sp. nov. Fig. 27. Adult, male (holotype); Fig. 28. Male genitalia (holotype, 22775 BMNH); Fig. 29. Female genitalia (paratype, 22776 BMNH).