Meharia ostrauskasi Ivinskis & Saldaitis, 2013

Yakovlev, Roman, Ivinskis, Povilas, Rimsaite, Jolanta & Saldaitis, Aidas, 2013, Description of two new species of Meharia Chrétien, 1915 (Lepidoptera: Cossidae) from East Africa, Zootaxa 3635 (5), pp. 587-590 : 589-590

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.3635.5.9

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E9E4E5F7-590C-4FA2-872A-FDDEAD899031

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14050058

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/0388879E-FFD4-FFCF-FF38-FE79FB708C90

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Meharia ostrauskasi Ivinskis & Saldaitis
status

sp. nov.

Meharia ostrauskasi Ivinskis & Saldaitis sp. nov.

( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 )

Holotype: male ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 ), “ Kenya E, W. of Mwingi 30.11.2010, Snižek lgt.” (deposited in MWM/ZSSM), genital preparation number PI 0 0 30.

Diagnosis. Externally the new species is most similar to M. acuta Wiltshire ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 ) and M. murphyi Yakovlev & Saldaitis sp. n. ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 ). It differs from M. acuta by a rounded apex and the absence of white longitudinal spots on the forewing. It differs in the male genitalia by a bird beak-shaped uncus, a longer and even ventral margin of the valva, an absence of a rod crossing the surface of the valva and a dorsally curved saccus. It differs from M. murphyi by size (the wingspan is nearly two times shorter), in forewing submarginal and postdiscal bands being brown and weakly expressed. In the male genitalia, the saccus of M. ostrauskasi ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 B) is well developed, the caecum penis wider, with one ventrally and two dorsally directed cornuti.

Description. Male ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 A): wingspan 30 mm, forewing length 14 mm; head yellow-white, antenna bipectinate, 11 mm length, pecten four times longer than flagellum diameter. Labial palpi two times longer than diameter of head, flagellum covered with yellowish-white, laterally yellow mixed with brown scales. Thorax light brown, abdomen brown. Forewing narrow long with rounded apex, grey yellow mixed with brown scales, forming not clear markings consisting of three oblique parallel bands in the antemedial, postmedial and apical area. Apical band complete and clear, postmedian long and interrupted, antemedian like paths. Hindwings glossy brown, elongated, apex rounded. Fringe on wings light brownish. Underside of wings unicolor grey-brown.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 3 View FIGURE 3 B–C): uncus massive, medium-sized, beak shaped, tapered, branch of gnathos tightened at middle, evolved to medium-sized massive with flat rounded apex gnathos; tegumen medium-sized; valvae relatively short, very wide in base, 1/3 of valva strongly sclerotised, inner and external sides of this sclerotisation fenestrate, sniped; from middle of length valva slightly narrowing, apex rounded, apex of transtilla triangular, juxta small, forked in apex widening, margins sniped; saccus long, semioval, curved dorsally 90°; phallus short, massive in base, curved, in apex in ventral side with one in dorsal with two short strong aciform cornuti.

Female unknown.

Bionomics and distribution. It is known only from the Mwingi area of Eastern Kenya. A single male specimen was attracted to a light at the end of November. The new species was collected in savannah type biotope dominated by various acacias and bushes. It flies with other typical dry savannah moths such as Streblote acaciae (Klug) (Lasiocampidae) and Melittia haematopis Fawcett (Sesiidae) .

Etymology. The species is named after the well-known entomologist Dr Henrikas Ostrauskas.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Lepidoptera

Family

Cossidae

Genus

Meharia

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