Alucita spicifera (Meyrick, 1911)

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 spicifera (Meyrick, 1911)

Orneodes spicifera Meyrick, 1911: 221. Type locality: Pretoria, Republic of South Africa. Holotype: male, TMSA, examined by the authors.

Material examined.

PlanteCam, 1 male, (NECJU), 11-18.XII.2014, 4 males, (CUK, NECJU), 09-14.IV.2015; Elephant Camp, 7 males, (CUK, NECJU), 19-24.XI.2014, V. Maicher, Sz. Sáfián, Š. Janeček, R. Tropek.

Diagnosis.

In the male genitalia, the species is close to the Palaearctic species of Alucita . In particular, in its crown-shaped uncus, narrow membranous valves and long anellus arms, the species is similar to A. cinnerethella (Amsel, 1935), known from Iran, Turkey and Israel. However, it is distinctive in the shorter phallus, in the widened, almost round apex of the gnathos, and also in the wing colour.

Distribution.

Republic of South Africa, Malawi, Tanzania, Cameroon.