Ptychopseustis butleri, Agassiz, 2022

Agassiz, David, 2022, The tribe Cybalomiini (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea, Crambidae, Glaphyrinae) of sub-Saharan Africa, Zootaxa 5174 (2), pp. 101-156 : 130-131

Ptychopseustis butleri sp. n.

Imago (fig. 41): Wingspan 18–19 mm. Head and appendages pale greyish ochreous, palpi porrect, maxillary palpus = diameter of eye, labial palpus 2× diameter of eye, antenna ⅔ length of forewing. Thorax and tegulae pale greyish ochreous. Forewing ground colour pale greyish ochreous, costa very slightly concave until ¾ then bent down to apex, a blackish mark on costa at 2/5, irregular fascia from there becoming weaker towards dorsum, another blackish mark on costa at 3/5 and a fascia from there at first oblique then weakly towards tornus, blackish scales on costa between this fasica and apex, a series of blackish dots before termen, terminal line dark brown, fringe fuscous. Hindwing of similar colour to forewing, slightly darker apically, a fuscous costal spot on costa (more conspicuous on underside), fringe as forewing. Hind leg blackish at base and with a large and small tuft of scales on tibia blackish mixed pale fuscous.

Male genitalia (fig. 75): Uncus tapered and rounded, gnathos half length of uncus, evenly coniform, valva with sides parallel, apex rounded, a small process arising near costa before apex on inner (ventral) side, vinculum bearing a cluster of about six specialised setae on each side, half of them curved towards apex, the other half sharply angled before apex. Aedeagus curved, small spines near apex, bearing a long serrate cornutus about ⅓ lenght of aedeagus.

Female genitalia (fig. 106): Ostium membranous, colliculum sclerotised, ductus bursae about ⅔ length of abdomen, abruptly widening before corpus bursae, corpus spherical mostly covered with small sclerotised ridges.

Diagnosis: Distinguished from other species in the genus by its larger size, greyish colouration and the characters of the genitalia described above.

Life history not known.

Derivation: named after Rhett Butler on whose property the species was found.

Distribution : Known only from the type locality in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe.

Type material: Holotype ♀ ZIMBABWE: Manicaland, Upper Bvumba 1680 m. 19° 07’ 15” S 32° 40’ 10” E 4.xii.2018 D. Agassiz & K. Larsen (abdomen in gelatin capsule - dry). Two paratypes 1♂ 1♀ same locality as holotype 5.xii.2018 slides DJLA 1591 and 1704.