Eridachtha centriella Park, 2024

Park, Kyu-Tek, Minet, Joël, Koo, Jun-Mo & Yu, Tae-Uk, 2024, Review of the Afrotropical members of the genus Eridachtha Meyrick, 1910 (Lepidoptera: Lecithoceridae: Lecithocerinae), with descriptions of 12 new species, Zootaxa 5468 (2), pp. 275-307 : 287-288

3. Eridachtha centriella Park , sp. nov.

LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:16D2EEF4-4AC3-471A-8A32-B127CC1FBEC0 ( Fig. 8 )

Type specimen. Holotype male: Kenya, Central , Aberdare C. Club, 0˚20’S 36˚33’E, 1,750 m, 27 iv 2003, leg. D.J.L. Agassiz, gen. slide no. CIS-7533, in NHMUK.

Diagnosis. The new species is more or less similar to the new species, E. nairobiensis Park sp. nov. in the forewing pattern, but it is larger in size and the 2 nd segment of the labial palpus with rough scales dorsally and ventrally, whereas in E. nairobiensis with rough scales ventrally only. The male genitalia can be distinguished by the cucullus being more elongated with a strongly convex costal margin medially, while in E. nairobiensis , the cucullus is less elongated and slightly convex beyond the middle.

Description. Male ( Figs 8A–C ). Wingspan 14.5 mm.

Head: orange-white, with orange-white erect scales laterally. Antenna shorter than forewing; scape orange-white throughout, slightly dilated distally, without annulation. Second segment of labial palpus thickened with rough scales above and below; yellowish-brown in basal 2/3 and orange-white in apical 1/3 on outer surface, orange-white on inner surface; 3 rd segment slightly longer than 2 nd segment.

Thorax: tegula yellowish-brown, thorax orange-white dorsally. Hind tibia with setae-like yellowish-brown scales above and below ( Fig. 8C ). Forewing broad, slightly dilated distally, densely covered with yellowish-brown scales evenly, with a pair of dark-brown discal stigmata at middle and at end of discal cell; costa gently in basal 1/3; apex obtuse; termen oblique, slightly concave medially; fringe with narrow orange-white basal line and dark brown median band; R 3 free, very close to R 4+ 5 in basal 1/4. Hindwing ground colour greyish; apex somewhat rounded; fringe with a yellowish-white basal line; M 3 coincident with CuA 1; M 2 and M 3 +CuA 1 short-stalked.

Abdomen: no spinous zones on upper surface; lacking long hair-pencils; sternum VIII slightly concave medially on caudal margin ( Fig. 8F ).

Male genitalia ( Figs 8D, E ): uncus basal lobes semi-ovate. Gnathos basal plate quadrate triangularly produced apically. Costal bar banded, sclerotized, not angulate medially. Valva broad basally; cucullus elongated, narrowed in basal 1/3, strongly convex medially; sacculus broadly developed, heavily sclerotized. Juxta with slender membranous latero-caudal processes; emarginated medially; anterior margin more or less triangularly produced. Vinculum broad, U-shaped, sclerotized along lateral margin, with a rounded saccal zone. Aedeagus nearly parallel-sided, with a pair of small processes on dorsal margin; cornutus forming a sac with minute spinules.

Female unknown.

Distribution. Kenya (Central).

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Ancient Greek, - centr (= center), referring to the type locality belonging to Central Province in Kenya.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Eridachtha centriella Park, sp. nov.: A, male, holotype (corresponding slide: no. CIS-7533); B, head with labial palpus; C, hind tibia; D, male genitalia; E, aedeagus; F, pregenital segments. Scale bar for D and E: 0.5 mm.