Thubdora minima Karisch & Park, 2025

Karisch, Timm, Dutton, Amy-Jayne, Yu, Tae-Uk & Park, Kyu-Tek, 2025, Lecithoceridae (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea) from Nimba Mts. bordering Liberia and Guinea, Part I: The subfamily Torodorinae, with descriptions of 15 new species, Zootaxa 5728 (2), pp. 247-286 : 271-272

3. Thubdora minima Karisch & Park , sp. nov.

LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:

( Fig. 14 )

Type specimens. Holotype: Male, Liberia, Nimba Mountains, alt. 1060 m, 4.4 km SE Yekepa, 0.2 km SSW camp, secondary forest near Parinari-forest 7°32’27.3’’N 8°31’24.3’’W, 28 viii 2022, LF (125 W HQL), leg. T. Karisch & A.J. Dutton, gen. slide no. 4170/ Karisch, barcoding SDEI300018 , in SDEI.

Paratypes: 2♂, Liberia, Nimba Mountains , alt. 1060 m, 4.5 km SE Yekepa, 0.3 km SSW camp, secondary forest near Parinari-forest, 7°32’27.3’’N 8°31’24.3’’W, 24 viii 2022, (125 W HQL), leg. T . Karisch & A.-J. Dutton, in MNVD ; 2♂, Liberia, Nimba Mountains , alt. 1055 m, 4.2 km SE Yekepa, 0.1 km SSW camp, secondary forest on SE slope, 7°32’33.0’’N 8°31’21.4’’W, 22 viii 2022, LF (160 W ML), leg. T . Karisch , in SDEI ; 2♂, Liberia, Nimba Mountains , alt. 1060 m, 4.4 km SE Yekepa, 0.2 km SSW camp, secondary forest near Parinari forest, 7°32’27.3’’N 8°31’24.3’’W, 28 viii 2022 LF (125 W HQL), leg. T . Karisch & A.-J. Dutton, in SDEI . 1♂, Liberia, Nimba Mountains , alt. 1050 m, 4.2 km SE Yekepa, camp, secondary forest on SE slope, 7°32’35.6’’N, 8°31’20.3’’W, 28 viii 2022, leg. T . Karisch , barcoding SDEI300053 , in SDEI.

Diagnosis. One of the smallest species of the genus (wingspan < 12.5 mm). It can be distinguished from its congeners by the male genitalia: cucullus with a short triangular process in distal 3/4 of costa, and aedeagus specifically constricted before apex, forming a “neck”.

Description. Male ( Figs 14A, B ). Wingspan 11.5–12.5 mm.

Head: Dark greyish brown, edges yellowish. Antenna filiform, ciliate, about 4/5 as long as forewing; basal segment broadened in middle, pale yellowish, with some dark-brown scales; flagellum golden, with dark-brown annulations. Second palpomere of labial palpus broadened, pale yellow, dorsal brown; third palpomere slightly shorter than second, pale yellowish, ventral fuscous.

Thorax: Thorax and tegulae dark greyish brown, tinged with yellowish scales; Hind tibia shiny dark grey, with pale yellow band medially; median spurs shiny greyish yellow, inner one three times as long as outer; apical spurs greyish yellow, inner one twice as long as outer. Forewing shiny dark brown, scattered with blackish scales evenly; costa nearly straight beyond basal 1/3, then slightly convex before apex; costal patch invisible; apex rounded; termen nearly straight; fringes concolorous, with a fine greyish yellow basal line. Hindwing dark greyish brown; fringes of the same colour, also with a fine greyish-yellow basal line.

Abdomen ( Fig. 14D ): Dark greyish brown, with yellowish tip. Spinous zones on dorsal surfaces well-developed with strong spines; sclerotized band on tergite VIII slightly broadened, rather V-shaped; sternite VIII with specifically modified sclerites.

Male genitalia ( Figs 14C, C 1 ): Uncus short, thumb-like, slightly broadened apically, reaching apex of gnathos basal plate. Basal plate of gnathos spatulate, broadened distally with rounded apex; median process strongly bent downward beyond 2/3 with nearly right angle. Tegumen weakly sclerotized, with nearly inverted V-shaped incision anteriorly. Valva with broad expansion on costa basally; ventral margin slightly convex; cucullus elongated; costa concave medially, followed by a small, sclerotized triangular process beyond 2/3; with piliform scales in basal half. Juxta large, shield-shaped, triangularly produced; median processes transversally connected with heavily sclerotized, small, triangular processes at both sides. Vinculum banded; saccal zone broad.Aedeagus long jar-shaped, constricted pre-apically, forming a neck; apex specifically broadened; cornuti consisting of two different lengths of bundle with long spines, arising from near base (longer one about 3/4 the length of aedeagus and shorter one about 2/5 the length); and a bundle of heavily sclerotized, 6–7 stronger spines of different length beyond middle.

Female unknown.

Distribution. Liberia ( Nimba Mts.).

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin, minimus (= small), referring to the small size of the moth. An adjective in the nominative singular.

Figures

FIGURE 1. A, Topographic map of the Guinea Highlands (Wikipedia.org./wiki/Guinea_Highlands/, Tom Radulovich, CC BY- SA 4.0, colours adapted); B, Blue itabirit at Blue Lake in laminar formation with other minerals (photo: A.-J Dutton, 2022); C, View from the NW-SE-exposed mountain ridge to the main ridge of Nimba Mountains in Liberia, in the middle with the excavations for iron ore. (photo: A.-J. Dutton, 2022); D, Blue Lake and its surroundings showing the extent of iron ore mining in the southern part of the Nimba Mountains (photo: T. Karisch, 2022); E, Cloud covered main ridge of the southern part of the Nimba Mountains (photo: A.-J Dutton).

FIGURE 14. A, Thubdora minima Karisch & Park, sp. nov.: A, male (holotype); B, head with labial palpus; C, male genitalia (gen. slide no. 4170/Karisch); C1, ditto, aedeagus; D, abdomen.