Ptilothyris vokaensis Park, 2019

Park, Kyu-Tek, Mey, Wolfram, Koo, Jun-Mo, Prins, Jurate De & Cho, Soowon, 2019, Revision of the genus Ptilothyris Walsingham, 1897 (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea: Lecithoceridae), with descriptions of eight new species from Africa, Zootaxa 4567 (2), pp. 201-235 : 215-217

6. Ptilothyris vokaensis Park , sp. nov.

( Figs. 9 A–H)

Type specimens. Holotype: male, Congo Republic, Pool Region , Voka 04-405, 14-41E, 620 m, 25–30 May 1993, J. Rawlins, R. Davidson, G. Onore, D. Schlitter, gen. slide no. CIS-5626 . Paratype: 1♂, same data as holotype, gen. slide no. CIS-6956. Types are deposited in CMP .

Diagnosis. Ptilothyris vokaensis is externally similar to P. purpurea Walsingham and the different characteristics between two species are noted in the diagnosis of P. purpurea . The male genitalia can be distinguished by the juxta with spine-like caudo-lateral processes in P. purpurea , which are absent in P. vokaensis sp. nov. It is also distinguished from P. porphyrea Ghesquière by the hind wing with purplish grey fringe along inner margin throughout; in P. porphyrea , the hind wing has orange fringe medially. The hair-pencil in the abdominal segments between VII and VIII of P. vokaensis is longer than that of P. porphyrea .

Description. Male ( Figs. 9 A–C). Forewing length 9.5–10.0 mm.

Head: Dark purple dorsally, with light-orange, erected scales laterally. Antenna ( Fig. 9B ) strongly bipectinate with long flagellomeral branches, dark purple in basal 3/5, orange white beyond, with gradually shortened flagellomeral branches. Labial palpus ( Fig. 9C ) with 2 nd segment thickened, rather flattened, saber-shaped, light orange all around; 3 rd segment slender, as long as the 2 nd segment, speckled with black scales on outer surface; apex acute, black.

Thorax: Notum and tegula dark purple. Hind tibia partly descaled, somewhat similar to that of P. pilosa . Forewing ground color dark purple; antemedian fascia in basal 2/5 distinct, more or less elongate-quadrate; postmedian fascia broadly suffused; costa slightly convex in both basal 1/4 and distal 1/4, otherwise nearly straight medially; apex obtuse; termen slightly oblique; cell closed; venation as in the description for the genus. Hind wing broader than forewing, same ground color as in forewing, with quadrate hylane patch.

Abdomen ( Fig. 9H ): Densely spinous on tergites; with a pair of long hair-pencils along anterior margin of segment VIII, about 1.5 times longer than the length of segment VII ( Fig. 9 H-?); sternite VIII with narrow, gently concave, band-like sclerite along anterior margin. Female unknown.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 9 D–G) with uncus broadened distally, fan-shaped, moderately emarginated at middle on caudal margin, with slightly produced lateral lobes. Gnathos with median lobe semiovate, much longer than lateral ones ( Fig. 9 D- ©); median process gently bent near middle and strongly bent downward sub-apically. Valva elongate; costa slightly expanded near base, then slightly concave; cucullus elongate, slightly curved inwards apically. Ventral plate of juxta oblique, slightly concave caudally, with right lobe developed; dorsal plate with triangular plates on anterior margin laterally ( Fig. 9G ). Vinculum a band, narrow, heavily sclerotized. Phallus slightly shorter than valva, curved near basal 1/3; cornutus with a row of minute spines.

Distribution. Congo Republic.

Etymology. The species epithet is named after the type locality.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Ptilothyris vokaensis Park. A, Holotype, male, in CMP; B, Antenna; C, Labial palpus; D. Male genitalia, holotype, gen. slide no. CIS-5626; E, Phallus, with a close-up of cornutus; F, Lateral view of male genitalia; G, Juxta and uncus, paratype, gen. slide no. CIS-6956; H, Abdomen, with hair-pencils.