Dichomeris paulidigitata, Li, Houhun, Zhen, Hui & Mey, Wolfram, 2013

Li, Houhun, Zhen, Hui & Mey, Wolfram, 2013, Notes on Dichomeris Hübner, 1818 from Southern Africa and Kenya, with description of seven new species (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae, Dichomeridinae), Zootaxa 3608 (7), pp. 561-574 : 569

Dichomeris paulidigitata sp. nov.

( Figs 5 , 17 )

Type material. KENYA, Holotype 3, Nairobi Medical School, Nairobi, 30.ix.1991, leg. Houhun Li, genitalia slide no. ZH09113 (NKUM).

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to the species of the former genus Eporgastis (regarded as a synonym of Dichomeris ) distributed in South Africa by the male uncus with a mesial process on the posterior margin and the vinculum with a pair of long lateral lobes, but differs from the species transferred from Eporgastis by having a short, digitate, not hooked process on the posterior margin of the uncus, the sharp gnathos not divided apically, the sicae much longer, and the phallus without cornutus.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 5 ): Wing expanse 19.0 mm. Head grey, frons greyish yellow, yellowish white behind antenna. Ocellus present. Labial palpus with second segment about twice length of diameter of eye, shorter than third segment, dorsal surface with small triangular scale tuft, ventral surface with elongate triangular scale tuft; first and second segments dark brown on outer surface, greyish yellow on inner surface, dirty white at apex; third segment yellow on dorsal surface and at apex, dark brown on ventral surface. Antenna with scape dark brown on dorsal surface, yellowish white on ventral surface; flagellum alternately dark brown and yellow on dorsal surface, ochreous on ventral surface. Thorax and tegula greyish brown, mixed with greyish yellow; mesothorax with greyish yellow hair pencil arising from anepisternum. Forewing with costal margin slightly concave mesially, apex pointed, termen obliquely straight; ground colour greyish brown, with scattered brown scales; costal margin dark brown, with short yellow strigulae on basal half, with dark brown oval spot below its 2/5; cell with dim short dark brown streak at 1/4, with dark brown spots near lower angle and end; dark brown dots at distal 1/4 on both costal margin and termen; fringe greyish yellow. Hindwing and fringe greyish brown. Legs dark brown, greyish yellow on inner surface, fore and mid legs with tarsomere yellowish white apically.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 17 ): Uncus nearly semicircular, anterior margin slightly concave in an arch, posterior margin with short digitate process mesially. Gnathos stout, sharp apically, strongly curved near base; culcitula broad and short, nearly coniform. Valva longer than tegumen-uncus complex, narrowed mesially, slightly dilated distally, bluntly rounded apically; ventral free lobe clubbed, apex sharp, dorsal margin with a small tooth near apex. Vinculum longer than tegumen-uncus complex; lateral lobe arising from near saccal region, slightly curved towards inside, sharp apically, with several teeth near middle on ventral surface, right lobe reaching base of valva, left lobe slightly shorter. Saccal region chapped mesially, posterior margin concave triangularly, with a pair of slightly sclerotized apex-sharped oval plates arising from posterior margin; sicae fused basally, separated in large U shape distally, symmetrical, slender and clubbed, ventral surface with sparse teeth on distal 2/3, apex blunt, exceeding uncus. Setose patch between tegumen and vinculum slightly oval, with long stem. Phallus relatively slender, narrowest at distal 1/3, slightly sharp apically; two sclerotized lobes arising from zone on ventral surface: right lobe somewhat S-shaped, about 2/3 length of phallus, basal 2/5 slightly narrow, sharp apically, left lobe slightly curved, sharp apically, slightly longer than right lobe.

Female unknown.

Distribution. Kenya.

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin prefix paul- (= small), and the Latin word digitatus (= digitate), referring to the small digitate process at middle on the posterior margin of the uncus.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Adults of Dichomeris spp. 1. D. arquata sp. nov., holotype 3; 2. D. brevicornuta sp. nov., holotype 3; 3. D. dentata sp. nov., holotype 3; 4. D. ligulacea sp. nov., holotype 3; 5. D. paulidigitata sp. nov., holotype 3; 6. D. tenextrema sp. nov., holotype 3.

FIGURES 13 – 18. Male genitalia of Dichomeris spp. 13. D. arquata sp. nov., holotype, genitalia slide no. ZH 09101; 14. D. brevicornuta sp. nov., holotype, genitalia slide no. ZH 09091; 15. D. dentata sp. nov., holotype, genitalia slide no. ZH 09093; 16. D. ligulacea sp. nov., holotype, genitalia slide no. ZH 09095; 17. D. paulidigitata sp. nov., holotype, genitalia slide no. ZH 09113; 18. D. tenextrema sp. nov., holotype, genitalia slide no. ZH 09115.