Eridachtha cupaformis Park, 2024

Park, Kyu-Tek, Minet, Joël, Koo, Jun-Mo & Yu, Tae-Uk, 2024, Review of the Afrotropical members of the genus Eridachtha Meyrick, 1910 (Lepidoptera: Lecithoceridae: Lecithocerinae), with descriptions of 12 new species, Zootaxa 5468 (2), pp. 275-307 : 301-302

10. Eridachtha cupaformis Park , sp. nov.

LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:67DFC843-D06C-4568-9FD3-3E16679EFC53 ( Fig. 18 )

Type specimen. Holotype female: Uganda, Mpigi, Mpanga For., 0˚12’24”N 32˚18’05”E, 27–30 iv 2019, leg. K.T. Park, J.M. Koo & J.D. Kim, gen. slide no. CIS-7613 (wing slide no. CIS-7613-w), in NIBR.

Diagnosis. The new species can be distinguished from Eridachtha gymnopalpa and the following new species by the female genitalia: cup-shaped antrum and the broad plate of the signum. By external characters, Eridachtha cupaformis sp. nov. is superficially similar to the following new species, E. atrihispida Park , sp. nov. by having a similar hind tibia with scale-tufts and with black scales apically, near the middle and apex.

Description. Female ( Figs 18A–C ). Wingspan 14.5 mm.

Head: vertex pale orange to orange-white, with concolourous erect scales laterally. Antenna about 1.3 times longer than forewing; scape elongated, slightly dilated distally; flagellum orange-white, without annulations. Second segment of labial palpus arched, normally thickened, and devoid of rough scales dorsally; 3 rd segment slender, longer than 2 nd segment, strongly upturned.

Thorax: tegula and thorax orange-white dorsally. Hind tibia with orange-white, hair-like scale-tufts of black scales apically, near middle and at apex. Forewing ground colour orange-white, devoid of any markings; costa slightly arched around basal 1/3, then slightly concave medially, and also arched around basal 3/4; apex produced; termen oblique; fringe concolourous to ground colour; venation ( Fig. 18C ) with R 1 arising from before middle; R 3 free, very close to stem of R 4+5 at base; R 4 and R 5 stalked for about basal half; R 5 to termen; M 1 remote from stem of R 4+5; M 2 much closer to M 3 than M 1; CuA 1 arising from lower corner of discal cell. Hindwing ground colour similar to forewing, slightly broader than forewing; apex produced; fringe concolourous with ground colour; venation with Rs and M 1 short-stalked; M 2 shortly stalked with M 3 +CuA 1; M 3 and CuA 1 being coincident; discal cell opened.

Abdomen: no spinous zones dorsally.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 18D ): apophyses anteriores thick, dilated apically, about 2/3 the length of apophyses posteriores. Ostium bursae wide, nearly flat. Antrum short, broadened distally, about 1.5 times wider than long. Ductus bursae narrow in distal 2/5 (about 1.5 times the length of antrum); anterior 3/5 broadened as wide as antrum, wrinkled. Corpus bursae large, ovate; signum with heavily sclerotized central ridge, with the upper plate broadened and weakly sclerotized, the lower plate papilla-like.

Male unknown.

Distribution. Uganda (Mpigi).

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin, - cupa (= cup) with - forma (= form), referring to the cup-shaped antrum in the female genitalia.

Figures

FIGURE 18. Eridachtha cupaformis Park, sp. nov.: A, female, holotype (corresponding slide: no. CIS-7613); B, head with labial palpus; C, forewing venation (wing slide no. CIS-7613-w); D, female genitalia of holotype. Scale bar for D: 0.5 mm.