Alucita lidiya Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich

Ustjuzhanin, Peter, Kovtunovich, Vasily, Safian, Szabolcs, Maicher, Vincent & Tropek, Robert, 2018, A newly discovered biodiversity hotspot of many-plumed moths in the Mount Cameroon area: first report on species diversity, with description of nine new species (Lepidoptera, Alucitidae), ZooKeys 777, pp. 119-139 : 119

Alucita lidiya Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich sp. n.

Type material.

Holotype, male, (NECJU 201802) CAMEROON, Bamboo Camp, 350 m a.s.l., Mount Cameroon (SW slope), N4.08791°, E9.05051°, 17-23.IV.2015. V. Maicher, Sz. Sáfián, Š. Janeček, R. Tropek. Paratypes: 1 male (CUK), Drinking Gari, 11-23.IV.2015; 2 males (NECJU, CUK), PlanteCam, 09-14.IV.2015, V. Maicher, Sz. Sáfián, Š. Janeček, R. Tropek.

Diagnosis.

The mottled pattern of the wings and position of the bands of the new species is similar to A. chloracta (Meyrick, 1908). These species differ from each other by the pale yellow median band in A. lidiya , while in A. chloracta the band is brown. A. lidiya has paler hind wings, without saturated dark grey portions of fringe, as in A. chloracta . Male genitalia of the new species also have some similarity to A. chloracta , but there are significant differences in the shape of the narrow valva, the wide gnathos and the wide anellus arms of A. lidiya ; while in A. chloracta the valva is significantly wider and rounded distally, the gnathos is thin, and the anellus arms are narrow.

External characters.

Head, thorax and tegula with dark grey clinging hairs. Labial palpus dark grey, short, slightly longer than longitudinal eye diameter. Third segment thin, short, white, tapered to apex. Antenna pale grey. Wingspan 14-15 mm, of holotype 14 mm. Wing greyish brown. Base of fore and hind wing coloured with dark brown scales. Wide pale yellow band in median part, wide dark brown band in distal part of wing. Fringe on wing with alternating portions of pale and brown hairs. Hind leg pale yellow.

Male genitalia.

Uncus quite long, narrow, slightly widened distally. Gnathos short, wide, shorter than uncus. Gnathos arms thin, undulate, widened to apices. Valva narrow, quite long, poorly sclerotised. Anellus arms long, wide, equal to valva in length. Phallus short, almost straight, group of various cornuti in the distal part: fine needle-shaped and large, with serrated edges.

Distribution.

Cameroon.

Flight period.

April.

Etymology.

The species name is a noun in apposition in honour of Lidiya Bezverkhova.