Alucita ludmila Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich

Ustjuzhanin, Peter, Kovtunovich, Vasily, Safian, Szabolcs, Maicher, Vincent & Tropek, Robert, 2018, A newly discovered biodiversity hotspot of many-plumed moths in the Mount Cameroon area: first report on species diversity, with description of nine new species (Lepidoptera, Alucitidae), ZooKeys 777, pp. 119-139 : 119

Alucita ludmila Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich sp. n.

Type material.

Holotype, male, (NECJU 201803) CAMEROON, Bamboo Camp (350 m a.s.l.), Mount Cameroon (SW slope), N4.08791°, E9.05051°, 17-23.IV.2015. V. Maicher, Sz. Sáfián, Š. Janeček, R. Tropek. Paratypes: 1 male (NECJU), Bamboo Camp, 12-20.XII.2014; 1 male (CUK), PlanteCam, 11-18.XII.2014; 1 male (CUK), Drinking Gari, 11-23.IV.2015, V. Maicher, Sz. Sáfián, Š. Janeček, R. Tropek; 1 male (NHM), NIGERIA, Forest Sapobc (?), 17.IV.1976, M.A. Comes; 1 male (NHM), NIGERIA, Gambari Forest, Oyo State, 2.X.1976, M.A. Comes; 1 male (NHM), NIGERIA, Gambari Forest, Oyo State, 8.X.1977, J. Riley; 1 female (NHM), NIGERIA, Port Harcourt, Rivers, 2.VI.1958, B.J. MacNutly; 1 male (NHM), NIGERIA, Crin, 30.VII.1976, M.A. Comes; 1 female (CUK), GHANA, Bunso Arboretum, Eastern Region, 16-18.XI.2011, Sz. Sáfián, F. Pühringer.

Diagnosis.

In the wing colour, this new species is unique among the African Alucitidae . In the male genitalia structure, the wing-shaped valva and shape of the phallus are similar to A. aarviki Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, 2016, but it differs from that by the shape of the uncus, the tapered apices of the valva, the narrow arms of the anellus and the cluster of needle-shaped cornuti in the distal part of the phallus.

External characters.

Head, thorax, and tegula with greyish white clinging hairs. Labial palpus greyish white, almost 2 × longer than longitudinal eye diameter. Third segment thin, short, white, tapered to apex. Antenna pale brown. Wingspan 16-23mm, of holotype 17 mm. Wing colour greyish white. Base of wing pale grey, wide brownish grey band in median part. Well pronounced pale elongated patch, framed by dark brown band in distal part. Portions of dark brown hairs in distal part of hind wing. Fringe on wing with alternating portions of pale and brown hairs. Hind leg pale yellow.

Male genitalia.

Uncus long, paddle-like, with even edge of apex. Gnathos longer than uncus, narrow, tapered to apex. Gnathos arms short, wide. Valva wing-like, triangle, long needle-shaped bristles in apical part. Anellus arms short, narrow. Saccus short, with even outer edge. Phallus quite short, almost straight, cluster of small needle-shaped cornuti in distal part.

Female genitalia.

Papilla analis wide, elongated. Posterior apophyses straight, short, slightly longer than the papilla analis. Anterior apophyses thicker than posterior ones, equal to them in length. Ostium wide, cupped. Antrum tubulate, short, wide, sclerotised, almost equal to length of posterior apophyses. Ductus wide at confluence to antrum, twice as wide as antrum, ductus seminalis short. Bursa copulatrix round, without signa.

Distribution.

Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana.

Flight period.

From April to December.

Etymology.

The species name is a noun in apposition in honour of the first author’s wife, Ludmila Ustjuzhanina.