Platyptilia Fetcheri Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, 2016

Peter USTJUZHANIN & Vasiliy KOVTUNOVICH, 2016, New species of “ giant ” plume moths of the genus Platyptilia (Lepidoptera, Pterophoridae) from Uganda, European Journal of Taxonomy 172, pp. 1-6 : 2-4

Platyptilia Fetcheri Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich sp. nov. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:785F8238-9629-4217-8417-13973F95CC30

Figs 1–4

Diagnosis

Platyptilia Fetcheri Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich sp. nov. can be distinguished by the large wings and variegated coloring: from dark-brown without any pattern to brown-grey with the pattern of pale areas, spots and dots. In the male genitalia the new species resembles Platyptilia aarviki Gielis, 2008 , but clearly differs from it by the shape of the sacculus, the long anellus arms and also the wedge-shaped cut of the saccus. In the female genitalia the new species resembles Platyptilia sabia (Felder & Rogenhofer, 1875) by the shape of the antrum, but differs from it by the more narrow ostium and shorter ductus.

Etymology

The species is named after the famous British entomologist David Stephen Fletcher, member of the 1952 expedition to the Rwenzori Mountains.

Material examined

Holotype

UGANDA: ♂, Ruwenzori Range , Nyamaleju, 10,530 ft, 14–19 Jul. 1952, D.S. Fletcher, Ruwenzori Exped. B.M. 1952-566 ( BMNH 21796 ).

Paratypes

UGANDA: 2 ♂♂, same data as holotype ( BMNH 21800 , CUK 244 ); 1 ♂, Ruwenzori Range , Lake Mahoma, 9,600 ft, 12 Jul. 1952, D.S. Fletcher ( BMNH 21797 ) ; 1 ♀ Kigezi Dist. , Mt Mgahinga, 8,000 ft, 22–27 Nov. 1934, F.W. Edwards ( BMNH 21802 ) ; 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, Ruwenzori Range , Namwamba Valley, 6,500 ft, Dec. 1934 – Jan. 1935, F.W. Edwards, B.M.E. Afr. Exp. B.M. 1935-203 ( BMNH 21801 , BMNH 21799 , CUK 245 ).

RWANDA: 1 ♂, Kisiba , Bugoie Forest, W Kivu, 8,500 ft, Nov. 1921, T.A. Barns ( BMNH 21798 ) ; 2 ♀♀, Virunga Mts , Lake Kivu, 10,000 ft, Oct. 1921, T.A. Barns ( BMNH 22764 ) .

Description

EXTERNAL CHARACTERS. Wingspan 38–40 mm (holotype: 40 mm). Head, thorax and tegulae brown-grey. Labial palpi straight, brown, three times as long as than eye diameter; third segment narrowed at tip and bent down. Antennae thin, brown. Fore wings brown-grey. Costal margin signiFcantly darker than medial area. Two brown spots near wing base. Two fuzzy brown spots not reaching cleft. First lobe with yellowish longitudinal stripes, apical part tapered. Second lobe pale-grey with dusting of brown scales in form of shapeless brushstrokes. Fringe pale grey inside cleft, brown-grey at outer wing margin, darkbrown in basal part. Hind wings unicolorous, pale grey. Third lobe fringe with well deFned black hairs at outer margin, most intensively expressed in basal part. Abdomen grey, rather long. Hind legs long, pale-brown, noticeably darkened at base of spurs.

MALE GENITALIA. Valves symmetrical. Аpex isolated and drawn downwards. Sacculus wide in basal part, then narrowing and slightly widened in distal part. Tegumen bilobed. Uncus narrow, slightly curved, tapered at apex. Juxta narrow, arched. Anellus arms long, wide in basal part, strongly narrowed and slightly bent inward in distal part. Saccus with proximate wedge-like outer edge and with triangular process from above, at its inner side. Phallus curved in centre, bluntly rounded, basal process straight, equal to length of coecum. Vesica with thin spinous cornutus in distal part of phallus.

FEMALE GENITALIA. Papillae anales oval, narrow. Apophyses posteriores thin, long, three times longer than papillae anales. Apophyses anteriores also long, slightly shorter than posteriores ones, with small, spinous process in distal part. Ostium Fat. Antrum wide, its length twice the length of papillae anales. Ductus bursae narrow, 1.5 times longer than antrum, with thin sclerite in middle part. Ductus seminalis near junction with bursa copulatrix. Bursa copulatrix large, oval, with two short, straight signa tapered to apices.

Remarks

The new species is characterized by the bright variation in the color of the wings. Half of the 11 type specimens have melanistic color. The species inhabits the mountainous areas of 1980–3210 m above sea level.

Distribution

Uganda, Rwanda.

Flight period

July, October–January.

Figures

Figs 1 - 4. Platyptilia Fetcheri Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich sp. nov. 1. Adult, holotype, ♂, habitus (BMNH 21796). 2. Adult, paratype, ♂, melanistic color (BMNH 21801). 3. Male genitalia, holotype. 4. Female genitalia, paratype (BMNH 21802).