Lecithocera isomitra Meyrick, 1914

Park, Kyu-Tek, Yu, Tae-Uk & Jeong, Su-Yeon, 2024, The genus Lecithocera (Lepidoptera: Lecithoceridae: Lecithocerinae) in Kenya and Tanzania, with descriptions of six new species, Zootaxa 5538 (6), pp. 575-588 : 586-587

Lecithocera isomitra Meyrick, 1914

Lecithocera isomitra Meyrick, 1914: 277 ; Clarke, 1965: 139. TL: Malawi, Nyassaland, Mt. Mulanje. Type specimen deposited in NHMUK.

( Fig. 15 )

Material examined. 1♂, Kenya [Coll. Museum Tervuren], near Nairobi , Olulu Forest, 27 viii 1999, leg. Dall’Astra, gen. slide no. CIS-7307, -7313, in RMCA ; 1♂, Kenya, same locality (01˚21’49”S 36˚42’47”E) 1822 m, MV Light 15 viii 1999. D.J.L. Agassiz, gen. slide no. CIS-7479, in NHMUK .

Diagnosis. Wingspan 13.0−14.0 mm. Lecithocera isomitra Meyrick, 1914 described from Malawi, is reported for the first time from Kenya. The species is similar to L. cyclisca Park, 2018 which was described from Cameroon, but the new species differs from the latter by the more bronze-brown forewing and in the male genitalia by more elongated cucullus and the cornutus with a serrated short plate on apical margin; whereas in L. cyclisca , cornuti are broad, long, heavily sclerotised. The abdominal sternite VIII is not as deeply concaved as that of L. cyclisca on the caudal margin. The male genitalia were illustrated by Clarke (1965, pl. 69, Figs 4–4b ), but the description of the genitalia is given here for the first time.

Male genitalia ( Figs 15a, b ): uncus basal lobes semi-ovate, caudal margin gently concaved. Gnathos basal plate narrowly produced apically with a round apex. Costal bar heavily sclerotised, sharply angled at the middle. Valva broad basally; cucullus spatulate, strongly convex on ventral margin medially, with minute conical spines along the ventral margin, apex rounded; sacculus broadly developed, followed by a sclerotised crescent plate terminating at ventral corner of cucullus. Vinculum broadened; saccal zone rounded. Juxta shield-shaped, with large, half-moon-shaped protrusions on caudal margin; caudal margin deeply emarginated into V-shape; anterior margin medially produced to triangular. Aedeagus slender, strongly bent before middle, bifurcated apically; cornutus is shaped as a weakly sclerotised plate serrated medially and on apical margin.

Distribution. Malawi, Kenya (new record).

Figures

FIGURES 14–15. L naromoruensis Park, sp. nov.: 14, adult (male, holotype); 14a, labial palpus; 15, male genitalia (holotype, gen. slide no CIS-7627); 15a, aedeagus. 15b, close-up pregenital segment of the paratype (gen. slide no. 7628); 15c, abdomen (holotype). Scale bar: 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 4–6. Adults: 4, Lecithocera triasgonia Park, sp. nov. (male, holotype): 4a, head, dorsal view; 4b, labial palpus; 5, L. majorella Park, sp. nov. (female, holotype): 5a, head, dorsal view; 5b, labial palpus; 6, L. namizimuensis Park & Heppner, 2023 (female); 6a, head, dorsal view; 6b, labial palpus.