Viperinus Park, 2021

Park, Kyu-Tek & Koo, Jun-Mo, 2021, A new genus Viperinus Park with descriptions of two new species, and two new species of the genus Protolychnis Meyrick, 1925 (Lepidoptera, Gelechioidea, Lecithoceridae) in Kenya and Tanzania, with a checklist of the world species, Zootaxa 4985 (3), pp. 359-370 : 360

Genus Viperinus Park , gen. nov.

LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8D462CDE-6BD9-4EDE-8AAD-69E0BCD360A2

Type species: Viperinus orbiosus Park & Koo , sp. nov. Type locality: Kenya .

Diagnosis. The new genus Viperinus has similar external morphological characters to Protolychnis : the antenna much shorter than the forewing length; the forewing ground color dark fuscous, with a distinct orange-white or creamy-white spot near the apical end of discal cell; M 2 in the hindwing absent. However, the male genitalia can be clearly distinguished by having a uniquely specialized pair of arched processes arising from base of each valva. The presence of a polygonal signal plate in the female genitalia of the new genus is also a diagnostic character when it is compared to Protolychnis species having a crescent signal plate.

Description. Head: Antenna shorter than the forewing length. Labial palpus with 2 nd segment thickened; 3 rd segment slender, nearly same length as 2 nd segment.

Thorax: Forewing is slightly broadened distally, ground color dark fuscous with a distinct orange-white spot at apical end of discal cell; blackish elliptical spots at 2/5 of the wing medially; apex obtuse; fringe concolorous with ground color. Hindwing broader than forewing, brownish gray; termen slightly concave medially.

Abdomen: Spinous zones forming a row along posterior margin of each dorsal tergite.

Male genitalia: Uncus broad basally, narrowed distally. Basal plate of gnathos produced distally; median process bent downwardly. Tegumen concave into wide V-shaped, with heavily sclerotized anterior margin. Valva with short basal part, slightly convex dorsally near base of costa; cucullus elongated, setose; a pair of specialized, arched processes arising one from each base of valva. Juxta poorly developed. Aedeagus with semi-ovate ventral lobe medially; dorsal margin heavily sclerotized.

Etymology. The generic name is derived from the Latin, vipera (= snake) with a Latin suffix, -inus, referring to the snake-like long processes in the male genitalia. The gender of the generic name is masculine.