Coleophora notabilis, sp. nov.

(Figs. 12, 65–68)

Holotype ♂ (GP Bldz 16633) “REP. SOUTH AFRICA | Western Cape | Hoekwil, Bergplaas | 33°50’51 ” S 22°40’31”E | 460 m | 29.-30.xi.2016 | L. Aarvik, K. Larsen, A. Kingston ”, in coll. NHMO.

Diagnosis. Species of uniform beige appearance, forewing with a small dot in the cell. The male genitalia are different from all those of all known Afrotropical species. The phallotheca of C. notabilis resembles a little that of C. meyi Baldizzone & van der Wolf, 2004 in the recurved apex of the more robust juxta rod, but with obvious differences in the shorter length and the apical dilatation; the rest of the genital structure of C. meyi is completely different, especially in the long protuberance at the dorsal angle of the sacculus and the numerous cornuti gathered in a curved and elongate formation.

Description. Wingspan 12 mm. Head beige, white upper the eye. Antenna: scape beige without erect scales, flagellum ringed beige and dirty white. Labial palpus, almost completely hazelnut colour on both sides and white on upper surface; third article about half length of second. Proboscis short, normal shaped. Thorax and tegula beige. Forewing beige, with a few scattered brown dots in distal half, one of which is a little larger in cell; cilia beige. Hindwing light brown; cilia beige. Abdomen beige.

Abdominal structures (Fig. 68): No posterior lateral struts. Transverse strut thick, middle constricted. Tergal disks (3 rd tergite) length about 6 times their width, covered with about 20 small spines.

Male genitalia (Figs. 65–67): Gnathos knob globular. Tegumen constricted in middle, pedunculus very dilated on outside. Transtilla curved, thin at base, gradually expanded to rounded apex. Valvula sclerotized, with rounded ventral edge and robust and long setae in dorsal half. Sacculus curved and more sclerotized on ventral edge, narrow lateral edge, with rounded expansion at ventral angle and small round tooth at the dorsal one. Phallotheca with two juxta rods, longer one robust, pointed and folded back in apical 1/4; other rod shorter and straight, pointed, less sclerotized and divided into two parallel parts of different thickness in apical 1/3. Five short cornuti of different lengths clustered at their base.

Female genitalia: Unknown.

Bionomy. The early stages and the foodplant are unknown.

Distribution. RSA (prov. Western Cape).

Etymology. From Latin notabilis [- e] = remarkable. Due to the peculiar shape of the phallotheca.