Eridachtha kilimanjaroensis 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 : 295-297

7. Eridachtha kilimanjaroensis Park , sp. nov.

LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A65AAAAC-7C35-4C6F-95C1-DF89BFF761CD ( Fig. 14 )

Type specimen. Holotype male: Tanzania, Moshi Distr., Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mandara , 2,700 m, 17 x 1992, leg. L. Aarvik, gen. slide no. CIS-7587, in NHMO.

Diagnosis. The male genitalia of this new species resemble those of E. nairobiensis Park , sp. nov., but can be distinguished from the latter by the shape of gnathos whose basal plate is rounded on caudal margin ( Fig. 14 C-①) (the homologous plate is triangularly produced in E. nairobiensis : Fig. 10 A-①); the second diagnostic character of E. kilimanjaroensis Park , sp. nov. is the shape of cucullus which is not sharply angulate at lower corner. The new species is much larger than E. nairobiensis (wingspan: 11.0– 11.5 mm in E. nairobiensis ) and the forewing ground colour is greyish-orange.

Description. Male ( Figs 14A, B ). Wingspan 20.5 mm.

Head: vertex appressed with shiny orange-white scales, with concolourous erect scales laterally. Antenna slightly longer than forewing; scape elongated, slightly dilated distally; flagellum greyish-orange throughout, with weak annulation. Second segment of labial palpus thickened, slightly arched, with more rough scales ventrally; yellowish-brown in basal half and yellowish-white beyond on outer surface; 3 rd segment strongly upturned, slightly shorter than 2 nd segment, orange-white all around.

Thorax: tegula greyish-orange dorsally, dark brown anteriorly; thorax greyish-orange dorsally. Hind tibia clothed with yellowish-brown rough scales above and below. Forewing broad, slightly dilated distally; ground colour greyish-orange, scattered with dark-brown scales evenly; costa slightly arched around basal 1/4; apex obtuse; termen oblique; fringe with dark brown median band; venation similar to the previous new species, with R 3 close to R 4+5 at base; R 4 and R 5 stalked for basal 2/3. Hindwing greyish-orange; apex produced; termen oblique, slightly concave.

Abdomen: no spinous zones on dorsal surface.

Male genitalia ( Figs 14C, D ): uncus basal lobes ovate. Gnathos basal plate triangularly produced apically. Costal bar angulate medially. Valva strongly concave before cucullus; saccular margin nearly straight; cucullus slightly narrowed basally; costa convex beyond half, densely setose along ventral margin; apex rounded; sacculus broadly developed, heavily sclerotized. Juxta rather small, emarginated on caudal margin, and protruded on anterior margin medially, with narrow membranous latero-caudal processes. Vinculum broadened, with a rounded saccal zone. Aedeagus as long as valva, with a pair of small processes pre-apically; cornutus absent.

Female unknown.

Distribution. Tanzania (Moshi).

Etymology. The species name is derived from the type locality.

Figures

FIGURE 10. Eridachtha nairobiensis Park, sp. nov.:A, male genitalia, holotype (slide no. CIS-7593); B, aedeagus; C, pregenital segments; D, female genitalia (slide no. CIS-7623). Scale bar for genitalia: 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 14. Eridachtha kilimanjaroensis Park, sp. nov.: A, male, holotype; B, head with labial palpi; C, male genitalia of holotype (slide no. CIS-7587); D, aedeagus. Scale bar for C and D: 0.5 mm.