Alucita zuza Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, 2020

Ustjuzhanin, Peter, Kovtunovich, Vasily, Maicher, Vincent, Safian, Szabolcs, Delabye, Sylvain, Streltzov, Alexander & Tropek, Robert, 2020, Even hotter hotspot: description of seven new species of many-plumed moths (Lepidoptera, Alucitidae) from Mount Cameroon, ZooKeys 935, pp. 103-119 : 103

Alucita zuza Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich sp. nov. Figs 11 , 12

Type material.

Holotype • 1 male, (NECJU 201905) Cameroon, Drink Gari, 650 m a.s.l., Mount Cameroon (SW slope), 4.1014°N, 9.0610°E, 11-23.IV.2015, lgt. V. Maicher, Sz. Sáfián, Š. Janeček, R. Tropek; Paratypes • 1 male, (CUK), same data as the holotype • 1 male (CUK), PlanteCam, 1100 m a.s.l., Mount Cameroon (SW slope), 4.1175°N, 9.0709°E, 29.I-07.II.2016, lgt. V. Maicher, Sz. Sáfián, R. Tropek • 1 male (CUK), Drink Gari, 650 m a.s.l., Mount Cameroon (SW slope), 4.1014°N, 9.061°E, 20.XI-10.XII.2014, lgt. V. Maicher, Sz. Sáfián, R. Tropek.

Diagnosis.

In its male genitalia, the new species shares the elongated saccus and absence of valves with A. fokami (illustrated in Ustjuzhanin et al. 2018), but it differs in the narrow uncus which is not expanded apically, and in the absence of a long needle-like cornutus in the aedeagus.

External characters.

Wingspan 12 mm. Head white, with two brown spots between antennae. Thorax and tegulae white. Labial palpus straight, 1.5 times as long as longitudinal eye diameter, with alternating white and dark bands on each segment. Third segment short, not tapered apically. Antenna yellow, with small dark brown spots basally, just above scape. Wings mottled in their dark parts. Forewing darker than hindwing, with predominance of dark brown spots and strokes, while these spots and strokes are less expressed on the hindwing, with predominance of pale-yellow portions. Wings basally white, although locally darkened with dark brown scales. Fringe with alternating portions of light and brown hairs. Hind leg pale yellow.

Male genitalia.

Uncus straight, finger-like, of even width. Gnathos and its arms wide, short. Valves absent. Anellus arms short, narrow, arched, apically sharp. Saccus very long, narrow, elongated, slightly expanded medially. Aedeagus straight, medially with two small, spinous cornuti (not apparent on Fig. 12 ).

Distribution.

Cameroon.

Flight period.

November till February, April.

Etymology.

The species name is a noun in apposition. It was named in honour of the ichthyologist Zuzana Musilová, Robert Tropek’s wife.

Figures

Figures 11, 12. Alucita zuza Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, sp. nov. 11 adult male, Holotype, NEJCU 12 male genitalia, Holotype, preparation slide no. 201905. Scale bar: 5 mm.