Thubdora ghesquierei Park & De Prins, 2019

Park, Kyu-Tek & Prins, Willy De, 2019, Re-examination of the type specimens of Lecithoceridae (Lepidoptera), deposited in the Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA), Belgium, with descriptions of ten new species from DR Congo belonging to Thubdora Park and Torodora Meyrick, Zootaxa 4571 (4), pp. 451-476 : 456-457

Thubdora ghesquierei Park & De Prins , sp. nov.

( Figs. 4 A–E)

Type. Holotype: male, Mus. Congo, [ Equateur], Eala , x.1936, J. Ghesquière, gen. slide no. CIS-7247/ Park, in RMCA.

Diagnosis. The new species is distinguished from T. barbata and all the new congeneric species presented in this article by the head with creamy white scales anteriorly, the forewing lacking the orange-white costal patch, and the uncus of the male genitalia bifurcate with rounded caudal lobes and the valva nearly parallel-sided from near base, slightly upturned distally.

Description. Male ( Fig. 4A ). Wingspan 14.5 mm.

Head: Vertex dark brown; creamy-white scales on anterior surface, with pale-orange erect scales laterally. Antenna shorter than forewing; basal segment elongated, pale orange, slightly dilated apically; flagellum serrate, pale orange, with fine cilia ventrally. Labial palpus strongly upturned; 2 nd segment thickened, pale orange, shiny on inner surface, speckled with fuscous scales on outer surface; 3 rd segment as long as 2 nd segment, pale orange with a dark-brown ring at base, dark fuscous ventrally, sharply pointed apically.

Thorax: Tegula and thorax dark brown. Hind tibia orange white, covered with fuscous scales in basal 1/3 and distal 1/3 dorsally. Forewing slightly dilated distally; ground color dark brown evenly, lacking orange-white costal patch; costa slightly arched near base, then nearly straight; apex rounded; termen oblique, rounded near tornus; fringe concolorous, with distinct, narrow orange-white basal line. Hindwing broader than forewing, dark brown; fringe concolorous, with narrow orange-white basal line.

Abdomen with spinous zones on tergites; a pair of well-developed hair-like pencils between segments VII and VIII ( Figs. 4D, E ).

Male genitalia ( Figs. 4B, C ). Uncus bifurcate with thumb-like caudal lobes. Basal plate of gnathos broad, fanshaped, with slightly rounded caudal margin; median process relatively short, strongly bent downward beyond 3/5; apex sharply acute. Valva nearly parallel-sided from base to end of cucullus, slightly upturned apically, a broad, sclerotized band along costal margin; apex rounded. Juxta ovate, slightly concave on caudal margin, connecting with membranous triangular caudal plate. Aedeagus moderately thickened, slightly shorter than valva, distal half weakly sclerotized; cornutus forming a long row with numerous short spines, from near base to 3/4 of aedeagus.

Distribution. DR Congo ( Equateur).

Etymology. The species name is derived from the name of the collector of the type specimen.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Thubdora ghesquierei sp. nov.: A, adult, holotype; B, male genitalia, holotype, gen. slide no. CIS-7247/Park; C, ditto, aedeagus; D, abdomen; E, hair-like pencils between abdominal segments VII and VIII.