Scaeosopha dentivalvula Li et Zhang, 2012

Li, Houhun, Zhang, Zhiwei & Sinev, Sergey Yu., 2012, Review of the genus Scaeosopha Meyrick, 1914 (Lepidoptera, Cosmopterigidae, Scaeosophinae) in the world, with descriptions of sixteen new species, Zootaxa 3322, pp. 1-34 : 25

Scaeosopha dentivalvula Li et Zhang sp. nov.

( Figs. 23, 47)

Description. Adult ( Fig. 23): Wingspan 17.0 mm. Head with frons deep-yellow, vertex dark-brown, scale tuft behind compound eye deep-yellow. Antenna with scape brown; flagellum whitish-yellow, ringed with brown dorsally. Labial palpus with second segment whitish-yellow, third segment whitish-yellow mixed with black scales medially. Thorax and tegula dark-brown. Forewing whitish-yellow, overlaid with brown and black spots circled by yellow as well as with short brown streaks along veins; costal margin with grayish-white scales; distinct black spots at middle and outer margin of cell, at 1/3, 2/3 and end of fold; two longitudinal yellow streaks along Sc vein and fold respectively, interrupted by black spots; several slender pale-brown streaks running radially from before anterodistal corner to posterodistal corner along outer margin of cell; terminal line pale-brown, ranging from apical part of costal margin along termen to before tornus; dorsum with black scales in basal 2/5, forming an elongate black patch; cilia grayish-white. Hindwing and cilia deep yellowish-brown. Legs dirty yellow, fore and mid tarsi black on outer side.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 47): Brachia of uncus expanded in basal half, slender in distal half. Valva broad and short, with some commalike processes on ventral half of distal part; costa arched; ventral margin concave at distal 1/4, with a toothlike process ventroapically; valvella as long as valva, sparsely setose, expanded apically. Anellus very heavily sclerotized, obviously longer than valva, slightly narrowed distally, rounded apically, with numerous rounded processes distally on ventral margin. Phallus weakly sclerotized, curved to a right angle at basal 1/4, distal 3/4 slightly arched; cornutus a longitudinal thin sclerite extending from basal 1/3 to end of phallus.

Female. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype ♂, INDONESIA: Sulawesi Utara [0°37' N, 123°58' E], Dumoga-Bone N. P., ‘ Edward’ Camp, Lowland forest , 664 m., R. Ent. Soc. Lond., Project Wallace, BM, x.1985, BMNH Microlep. slide no. 31018, Houhun Li ( BMNH, London).

Distribution. Indonesia.

Diagnosis. This new species is similar to S. grandannulata sp. nov., but can be distinguished by the valva with commalike processes ventrodistally and a toothlike process ventroapically. In S. grandannulata sp. nov., the valva bears numerous commalike processes on the ventral half, but lacks a toothlike ventroapical process ( Fig. 49). The two species can be separated from other congeners of this group by the heavily sclerotized anellus.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin prefix denti- = tooth, and the word valvulus = valvule, referring to the toothlike ventroapical process on the valva.