Rhotana deminuta Zelazny, 2011

Zelazny, B. & Webb, M. D., 2011, 3071, Zootaxa 3071, pp. 1-307 : 87-88

Rhotana deminuta Zelazny , sp. nov.

( Fig. 222)

Description. Forewings 2.1 times longer than wide, length 4.5–4.7 mm. Colour stramineous; margins of facial carinae and hind margin of pronotum orange. Forewings unpowdered; a red band along apical cross-veins between Cu, Cu1 and Ms1a; adjacent to the band, three elongated dark marks and two irregular grey marks; narrow, faintly infuscated bands across 1st, 2nd, and 4th subcostal sectors, across apex of basal median cell, and along Ms3, a middle section of M, the apical part of Ms2, and the apical margin; rest of forewings yellowish brown with some hyaline areas; veins stramineous, red near and inside red band. Hindwings colourless. Carinae of vertex and frons separated; rostrum reaching posttrochanter; subantennal processes and lateral carinae of pronotum well developed. Forewings with apical part of Sc nearly straight; Sc+R fork just before middle of wing; Ms1 branches near apex of basal median cell, base of Ms1a connected to M by a cross-vein, apical section of Ms1b touching Cu1. Male genitalia with pygofer narrow. Genital styles broad; truncate at the end; proximal dorsal process short and broad; distal dorsal process elongated. Stem of aedeagus with a small hump arising from the dorsal side at the middle; apical part with tip curved to the left.

Etymology. The species name is a Latin adjective (deminutus, -a, -um = reduced in size).

Type material. Holotype ♂ (forewing 4.5 mm, body 2.7 mm), NEW CALEDONIA, labels: 1) NEW Caledonia; / Pouebo , 20–100m / 4.II.1964 2) Straatman / Light Trap / BISHOP ( BPBM) . Paratypes. NEW CALEDONIA: Baie du Prony : W side, 0–10m, 14.VIII. 1979, 1 ♀ (fw. 4.7), Casuarina, W.C. Gagne (BPBM) ; Mt Koghi, 500m, 26–30.I.1963, 1 ♂, C.M. Yoshimoto ( BMNH) .

Distribution. New Caledonia.

Diagnosis. Rhotana deminuta shows similarities to R. lalage Fennah , also found in New Caledonia. It can be distinguished by the red stripe on the forewings accompanied by three oval marks, by the Ms1 fork being closer to the Ms1 base, by the crossvein between M and the Ms1a base, by the end of the genital styles being truncated, and by the apex of the aedeagus being curved to the left.