Picardia andreikante Kovtunovich, Ustjuzhanin, Pototski & Haverinen, 2023

Kovtunovich, Vasyly, Ustjuzhanin, Petr, Pototski, Aleksander & Haverinen, Risto, 2023, To the plume moths fauna (Lepidoptera: Pterophoridae) of Kenya, Ecologica Montenegrina 62, pp. 127-138 : 134-137

Picardia andreikante Kovtunovich, Ustjuzhanin, Pototski & Haverinen sp. nov.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A9F0E5B7-BAED-45A8-ADB4-F3F4FCAF9BDC

( Figs 6–9 )

Type material: Holotype, male ( IZBE, gen.pr. № 230501), 11. II. 2022, KENYA, Nanyuki , Laikipia, 0°2'7.88"N, 37°3'59.55"E, 1905 m ; Paratype, 1 female ( IZBE, gen.pr. № 230502), 12.II.2022, KENYA, Nanyuki , Nyerin, The Trout Tree Restaurant, 0°6'8.6"N, 37°2'11.83"E, 1935 m, R. Haverinen & A. Pototski leg.

Description. External characters ( Fig. 6 ). Head, thorax and tegulae yellow-grey. Labial palpi directed forwards, slightly extended distally, equal to eye diameter in length. Antennae yellowish-brown. Wingspan 19.5–22 mm, hjolotype – 19.5 mm. Fore wings unicolorous, yellowish-grey, v-shaped brown spot at cleft base. Fringe inside cleft light-yellow. Small dark-brown strokes on first lobe distally. Dorsal margin of second lobe with three small narrow dark-brown strokes. Hind wings of the same color like fore wings. Fringe light-yellow. Hind legs pale-yellow.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 7 ). Valves narrow, long. Medium part of left valve with sclerotized, irregularlyoval harpe. On right valve, harpe shaped as round plaque expanded to top and serrated along its edges, from which outcomes an additional process slightly bent apically. Uncus narrow, arched, apically acute. Anellus arms narrow, long, right arm noticeably longer than left arm. Aedeagus long, 1.5 times shorter than valve, concave in middle.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 8 ). Papillae anales narrow, elongated. Posterior apophyses straight, long. Lamina postvaginalis of sternum VII wide, sclerotized with distinct notch on outer margin in middle. Antrum short, wide, cylindric. Ductus long, thin. Bursa copulatrix round, without signa.

Differential diagnosis. In the external characters, the adult is similar to Picardia bunga Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, 2022 (type locality – Zimbabwe, Manicaland Prov., Bvumbe Bunga Forest), but clearly differs in the male genital structure. In the male genitalia, in the shape of the harpe on the left valve, it is similar to Picardia raymondi Kovtunovich & Ustjuzhanin, 2014 (Type locality – Malawi N, 12 km N of Mzuzu, Nkhorongo), from which it clearly differs in the structure of the harpe on the right valve and in the more narrow anellus arms. In the additional process of the harpe on the right valve, the new species is similar to Picardia tumbuka Kovtunovich & Ustjuzhanin, 2014 , but differs in the special shape of the harpe on the left valve and in the wings color. In the female genitalia, in the shape of the lamina postvaginalis of sternum VII and the antrum shape, the species is similar to Picardia bassi Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, 2022 (type locality – Kenya, Ngong Forest), but differs from it in the narrow elongated papillae anales and the round bursa copulatrix, while in P. bassi the papillae anales are wide-oval, and the bursa is long and oval. Also, the notch on the outer margin of the lamina postvaginalis of sternum VII is significantly deeper than in P. bassi .

Distribution. Kenya. Flight period. February Etymology. The new species is named after Andrei Kante, the Director of the Lasnamäe Gymnasium (Lasnamäe Gümnaasium, Tallinn, Estonia) and Vice- Mayor of the city of Tallinn ( Estonia), who supported the trip to Kenya.

Figures

Figure 6. Picardia andreikante Kovtunovich, Ustjuzhanin, Pototski & Haverinen sp. nov., adult (holotype).

Figure 7. Picardia andreikante Kovtunovich, Ustjuzhanin, Pototski & Haverinen sp. nov., male genitalia.

Figure 8. Picardia andreikante Kovtunovich, Ustjuzhanin, Pototski & Haverinen sp. nov., female genitalia.

Figure 9. Picardia andreikante Kovtunovich, Ustjuzhanin, Pototski & Haverinen sp. nov., biotope.