Niveas agassizi Rota

Rota, Jadranka & Miller, Scott E., 2013, A new genus of metalmark moths (Lepidoptera, Choreutidae) with Afrotropical and Australasian distribution, ZooKeys 355, pp. 29-47 : 35

Niveas agassizi Rota sp. n. Figs 3, 4, 6, 9

Material examined.

See Table 1.

Material deposited.

The holotype will be deposited in National Museums of Kenya (Nairobi) (NMK), with paratypes to USNM, BMNH and NMK.

Distribution.

Kenya.

Diagnosis.

Niveas agassizi can be separated from other known choreutids by the wing pattern (Fig. 3). It is superficially similar to some species of Choreutis , but the latter usually have forewings with apparent patterning, and this is absent in Niveas agassizi . Female genitalia are very distinct from those of other choreutids (Fig. 9).

Description.

Male unknown. Head. Fig. 4. Wings. Forewing bronze-brown with speckled white-tipped scales over most of its surface; distinct dark brown to black band along termen with two small white spots at apex; hindwing light brown (Fig. 3). Male genitalia. Unknown. Female genitalia. Ductus bursae short and wide, opening into large corpus bursae, with one oval signum (Fig. 9). Immature stages. Unknown.

Host plants.

Unknown.

Etymology.

This species is named after David Agassiz, who collected all the known specimens and made many significant contributions to our knowledge of African micro-moths. The name is a noun in the genitive case.