Alucita escobari 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 escobari Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich sp. n.

Type material.

Holotype, male, (NECJU 201804) CAMEROON, PlanteCam, 1100 m a.s.l., Mount Cameroon (SW slope), N4.11750°, E9.07094°, 11-18.XII. 2014. V. Maicher, Sz. Sáfián, Š. Janeček, R. Tropek. Paratypes: 1 female (CUK), same data as holotype; 2 males (NECJU, CUK), Bamboo Camp, 12-20.XII.2014, V. Maicher, Sz. Sáfián, Š. Janeček, R. Tropek.

Diagnosis.

The mottled colour and the median arched band on the wings of the new species is similar to A. mischenini . The new species is distinguished by the brown spot of scales on the sixth lobe of the fore wing, declining from the correct arc and shifting towards the basal part of the lobe. In the male genital structure, the uncus with the apical triangle cut and the phallus obliquely cut at apex of the new species are similar to A. balioxantha Meyrick, 1921. These species differ from each other by the valva in the shape of a wide-triangle valva, the elongated saccus, and the tapered gnathos in A. escobari .

External characters.

Head with white spiky hairs, thorax, and tegula white. Labial palpus quite wide, short, 1.5 × longer than longitudinal eye diameter, slightly bent upwards, painted with brown scales inside and outside. Third segment short, white on apex. Antenna yellowish brown, scape thickened. Wingspan 14-16 mm, of holotype 15.5 mm. Wing yellowish brown. Transverse brown arched band well expressed in median part of both wings. On sixth lobe of fore wing, patch of scales declining from correct arc and shifting towards basal part of lobe. Wing base pale, interspersed with small brown scales. Alternating brown and white elongated portions of scales in distal part of fore wing. Fringe on wing yellow with rare portions of brown hairs. Hind leg yellow.

Male genitalia.

Uncus long, widened distally, triangle cut apically. Gnathos slightly shorter than uncus, thick, tapered to apex. Gnathos arms short, thick, smoothly bent inwards. Valva short, wide-triangle, apically with bunch of thin needle-shaped bristles. Anellus arms wide, slightly shorter than gnathos, slightly bent inwards, narrowed apically. Saccus elongated, narrow-triangle, sharp outer edge. Phallus almost straight, apex obliquely cut, small needle-shaped cornuti medially and distally.

Female genitalia.

Papilla analis narrow, triangle. Posterior apophyses straight, long, thin. Anterior apophyses thicker than posterior, equal to them in length. Antrum tubulate, sclerotised, length equal to posterior apophyses. Ductus wide at confluence with antrum, twice as wide as antrum, ductus seminalis short. Bursa copulatrix round, without signa.

Distribution.

Cameroon.

Flight period.

December.

Etymology.

The authors name the species in recognition of Francis Luma Ewome, locally well known as ‘Escobar’, a very well trained guide on Mount Cameroon. Over the years, he became instrumental in organising and implementing the field expeditions, and also became a good friend to the last three authors of this paper. It could be stated that the research would have been extremely difficult without the selfless help of Escobar.