Leucinodes malawiensis, Mally, Richard, Korycinska, Anastasia, Agassiz, David J. L., Hall, Jayne, Hodgetts, Jennifer & Nuss, Matthias, 2015

Mally, Richard, Korycinska, Anastasia, Agassiz, David J. L., Hall, Jayne, Hodgetts, Jennifer & Nuss, Matthias, 2015, Discovery of an unknown diversity of Leucinodes species damaging Solanaceae fruits in sub-Saharan Africa and moving in trade (Insecta, Lepidoptera, Pyraloidea), ZooKeys 472, pp. 117-162 : 133-135

Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Crambidae

Leucinodes malawiensis sp. n. Figs 6, 19

Type-locality.

Malawi, Central Region, Lilongwe District, Ntchisi Forest Reserve, 1560 m, 13°18.99972'S, 34°02.99934'E, 18 February 2004, L. Aarvik leg.

Material examined.

Type-specimen. Holotype ♂ "MALAWI Central | Region, Lilongwe District: | Ntchisi Forest Reserve | 1560 m 18. ii. 2004 | leg. L. Aarvik", DNA voucher SMTD Lep1617, prep. RM683 (NHMO).

Diagnosis.

Distinguished from the other Leucinodes species by the dark, straight-framed forewing base and the absence of the subapical mark of the forewing termen. The male genitalia are similar to those of Leucinodes ethiopica and Leucinodes ugandensis , but are distinct in the long spinoid process of the posterior phallus apodeme.

Description of adults.

Head. As for the genus, with frons flat.

Thorax. As for the genus, with dorsal side brown.

Wings. Forewing length ♂ 8.5 mm; forewing base dark brown, its outer margin a straight diagonal line from the costa to the maculation of the central hind margin, a triangular patch leading lateroposteriad from the costa with the costal half reddish-brown and the central tip white; outer median area with a faint brownish transverse streak; subterminal line indistinct except subapical thickening; apex white; hindwing antemedial line indistinct; dark discal spot; postmedial line clear at costal margin, fading out posteriad; anterior distal area with a faint brownish transverse streak; terminal wing veins dark-spotted.

Abdomen. Pale ochreous, first abdominal segment white, terminal segments brown.

Male genitalia. As for the genus, apart from: saccus elongated, U-shaped; juxta short, oval, twice as broad as long; valvae slender, tapering towards the dorsad bent apex; fibula small, triangular, oriented ventrad; sacculus process absent; phallus with a spinoid posteriad sclerotization emerging from the ventroposterior apodeme.

Female genitalia. Unknown.

Etymology.

Latinized malawiensis from the country Malawi where the holotype originates.

Distribution.

Malawi.

Foodplants.

Unknown.

Remarks.

Leucinodes malawiensis resembles species of the Neotropical genus Neoleucinodes Capps, 1948: It shares the prominent diagonal line in the forewing base with Neoleucinodes dissolvens (Dyar, 1914), but lacks the long, sabre-like cornutus in the phallus. The absence of the half moon-shaped pattern at the anterior half of the forewing’s outer margin is also found in Proleucinodes Capps, 1948. In the COI Barcode Neighbor Joining tree Leucinodes malawiensis clusters with Neoleucinodes , but is weakly supported with 50% Bootstrap support.