Elachista kakamegensis, Sruoga, Virginijus & Prins, Jurate De, 2009

Sruoga, Virginijus & Prins, Jurate De, 2009, The Elachistinae (Lepidoptera: Elachistidae) of Kenya with descriptions of eight new species, Zootaxa 2172, pp. 1-31 : 8-11

Elachista kakamegensis , new species

( Figs. 4 , 7, 8 , 15 , 18–24 )

Type material. Holotype: 3, KENYA, Kakamega Forest, 1590 m, 00°21’N 034°51’E, mine 28.iii.2003, ex. p. 22.iv.2003, leg. J. & W. De Prins, specimen ID RMCA ENT 0 0 0 0 0 5183, gen. prep. MRAC / KMMA 0 0 481 ( RMCA).

Paratypes: 2Ƥ, same locality as holotype, mine 28.iii.2003, ex. p. 19.iv.2003, leg. J. & W. De Prins, specimen IDs RMCA ENT 0 0 0 0 0 5184 and 0 0 0 0 0 5185, gen. prep. MRAC / KMMA 0 0 482 ( RMCA).

Diagnosis. Elachista kakamegensis is somewhat similar to some of the species of the E. praelineata species group sensu Kaila (1999a, 1999b) and Sugisima (2005a) such as E. praelineata Braun, 1915 from USA, E. nepalensis Traugott-Olsen, 1999 from Nepal and E. caliginosa Parenti, 1983 and E. fasciocaliginosa Sugisima, 2005 from Japan and Far Eastern Russia. Among the known Elachistinae species in Africa, the new species is related only to E. bromella Chrétien, 1915 from Algeria (for a genitalia illustration refer to Parenti (1972)) and E. merimnaea Meyrick, 1920 from South Africa (for a male genitalia illustration refer to Parenti (1988)). From all these species E. kakamegensis readily differs by the distinct lateral teeth in the apical part of the phallus ( Figs. 19, 21 ). In female genitalia apophyses anteriores hooked posteriorly, reinforced ostium bursae, antrum with two sclerotized bands, ductus bursae and corpus bursae without internal spines, and absence of signum characterise the species.

Male ( Fig. 7 ). Forewing length 2.3 mm; wingspan 5.3 mm (n=1). Head: Frons and vertex metallic greyish; neck tuft blackish brown; labial palpus short, as long as width of head, metallic greyish above, blackish brown below, tip of third segment blackish brown; antenna blackish brown with short cilia. Thorax and tegula blackish brown with weak metallic sheen. Forewing blackish brown, with following silvery spots: one at base of wing, two costal ones on 1/3 and 3/5, two small ones on fold at 1/3 and before 1/2 of wing, small one on dorsum at 1/3 of wing, tornal spot opposite distal one, apical spot beyond 2/3 of wing; fringe line brownish black, bases of fringe line scales whitish. Group of raised brownish black scales forming irregular patch in lower corner of wing base. Hindwing and its fringe brown grey.

Female ( Fig. 8 ). Forewing length 3 mm; wingspan 6.8 mm (n=2). Similar to male, but antenna weakly annulated with white at bases of scales and without visible cilia.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 18–21 ). Uncus lobes elongate, broadest medially, tapered distally, with broad Ushaped gap between them, bottom of U-shaped gap reinforced. Basal arms of gnathos W-shaped, spinose knob large, rounded, but in genitalia slide appearing somewhat oval due to apical part strongly turned dorsad. Valva moderately elongate, about four times as long as wide; basal fold of costa basally concave and distally convex, extended just beyond middle of length of valva where it meets distal fold of costa and forms a hump; cucullus long, distally bent towards costa, distal margin rounded. Digitate process short, without setae. Juxta lobes large, medially produced; median margin straight, joining rounded distal margin without an angle; lateral margin long, concave; lateral process produced, distally strongly sclerotized with few long setae; lateral pockets of juxta long and narrow, triangularly-shaped. Vinculum V-shaped, without saccus or median ridge. Phallus shorter than valva, straight, tapered from apical 1/4; two pairs of opposite teeth in apical 1/4 and another one at apex; distal opening extending from middle to apex of phallus as narrow, gradually widening incision; ductus ejaculatorius posteriorly directed; without coecum; vesica with two longitudinal, weakly sclerotized bands ( Fig. 21 ).

Female genitalia ( Figs. 22–24 ). Papillae anales short. Apophyses posteriores straight, as long as apophyses anteriores; tergite eight short, apices of apophyses anteriores curved inwards. Ostium bursae with reinforced margin, dorsal wall weakly sclerotized, without spines. Antrum long, only slightly shorter than apophyses, gradually tapering anteriorly, with two prolonged sclerotized bands. Ductus bursae gradually widening cephalically, almost smoothly continued to corpus bursae; no internal spines and signum.

Biology. The mined leaves of an unidentified, low growing monocot were collected in late March.

Flight period. April and probably May.

Distribution. This species is presently known only from Kakamega Forest in the Western Province of Kenya ( Figs. 4 , 15 ).

Etymology. The species name is derived from the type locality ‘Kakamega’.

Figures

FIGURE 15. Collecting localities of Elachistinae species in Kenya: 1, Arabuko Sokoke Forest National Park; 2, Aberdares National Park; 3, Hell's Gate National Park; 4, Kakamega Forest National Reserve.

FIGURES 1 – 4. Collecting localities in Kenya. 1, Arabuko Sokoke Forest National Park; 2, Aberdares National Park; 3, Hell’s Gate National Park; 4, Kakamega Forest National Reserve.

FIGURES 5 – 10. Adults of Elachista species. 5, E. brevis sp. n., male, holotype. Specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000005186; 6, E. chelonitis Meyrick, female. Specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000002718; 7, E. kakamegensis sp. n., male, holotype. Specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000005183; 8, E. kakamegensis sp. n., female, paratype. Specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000005185; 9, E. longispina sp. n., male, holotype. Specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000005182; 10, E. planca sp. n., female, holotype. Specimen ID: RMCA ENT 0 0 0 0 0 5181. Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURES 18 – 21. Elachista kakamegensis sp. n., male genitalia, holotype. 18, general view (phallus removed); 19, phallus. Scale bar 0.1 mm; 20, juxta region; 21, apical part of phallus. Gen. prep. MRAC / KMMA 0 0 481, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 0 0 0 0 0 5183.

FIGURES 22 – 24. Elachista kakamegensis sp. n., female genitalia, paratype. 22, general view. Scale bar 0.2 mm; 23, papillae anales; 24, ostium region. Gen. prep. MRAC / KMMA 0 0 482, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 0 0 0 0 0 5184.