Thubdora seydeli Park & De Prins, 2019

Park, Kyu-Tek & Prins, Willy De, 2019, Re-examination of the type specimens of Lecithoceridae (Lepidoptera), deposited in the Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA), Belgium, with descriptions of ten new species from DR Congo belonging to Thubdora Park and Torodora Meyrick, Zootaxa 4571 (4), pp. 451-476 : 462-463

Thubdora seydeli Park & De Prins , sp. nov.

( Figs. 8 A–G)

Types. Holotype: male, Musée du Congo, [Katanga], Elisabethville [Lubumbashi], 14.xi.1936, Ch. Seydel, gen. slide no. CIS-7144/ Park, in RMCA . Paratype: 1♂, Coll. Mus. Congo, Lusambo [East Kasai], 26. i.1 958, Dr. M. Fontaine, gen. slide no. CIS-7159/ Park, in RMCA .

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to the type species of the genus, T. acutalis Park, 2018 and to T. barbata (Meyrick, 1933) by having a similar forewing color pattern with an orange-white costal patch. However, it is distinguished from T. acutalis by the costal patch being larger and elongated, and the uncus of the male genitalia not bifurcate apically. It can be separated from T. barbata by the labial palpus somewhat broadly thickened, lacking the compact triangular scale-tuft ventro-apically, and the male genitalia with uncus slightly concave on its caudal margin, valva shorter with broader basal part, and the aedeagus with a bundle of strong setae apically.

Description. Male ( Fig. 8A, B ). Wingspan 14 mm.

Head: Vertex dark brown, with pale-orange erect scales laterally. Antenna shorter than forewing; basal segment elongated, pale orange, slightly dilated apically; flagellum serrate, pale orange, with fine cilia ventrally. Labial palpus upturned; 2 nd segment thickened, pale orange, shiny on inner surface, with fuscous scales basally on outer surface; 3 rd segment as long as 2 nd segment, pale orange, but fuscous ventrally, sharply pointed apically.

Thorax: Tegula and thorax dark brown. Hind tibia orange white, shiny all around; tarsi orange white. Forewing slightly broadened distally; ground color dark brown evenly, with an elongate-triangular, orange-white costal patch beyond 3/4 of costa,; costa slightly arched near base, nearly straight medially, then arched beyond costal patch; apex obtuse; termen oblique, nearly straight; fringe concolorous with ground color; venation similar to that of the preceding new species, with R 5 absent; M 3, CuA 1 and CuA 2 on a common stalk. Hindwing broader than forewing, pale grayish brown; venation with M 3 and CuA 1 shortly stalked.

Abdomen: dark fuscous dorsally, with broad spinous zones on tergites ( Fig. 8G ).

Male genitalia ( Figs. 8 D–F). Uncus broadly expanded distally, caudal margin slightly concave. Basal plate of gnathos large, fan-shaped; median process long, extended, and bent downward beyond 2/3 length. Valva broad in basal 1/3, elongated, with round apex. Juxta narrowed caudally, with caudal margin strongly convex. Aedeagus stout, shorter than valva; cornuti consisting of a row of strong setae apically.

Distribution. DR Congo (East Kasai, Katanga).

Etymology. The species name is derived from the name of the collector of the type specimen.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Thubdora seydeli sp. nov.: A, adult, holotype; B, ditto, lateral view; C, labels; D. male genitalia, holotype, gen. slide no. CIS-7144/Park; E, ditto, ventral view; F, ditto, aedeagus; G, abdominal segments V–VIII.