Dragmatucha vulcaniella Park & Karisch, 2021

Park, Kyu-Tek & Karisch, Timm, 2021, The family Lecithoceridae (Lepidoptera, Gelechioidea) from Bioko Island (Equatorial Guinea), with descriptions of five new species, Zootaxa 4995 (3), pp. 581-593 : 591-593

Dragmatucha vulcaniella Park & Karisch , sp. nov.

LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:263B337A-A789-4871-A7CC-8D344E9CA0E5

( Figs. 8 A-D)

Type specimen. – Holotype: ♀, Equatorial Guinea, Island of Bioko (former Fernando Póo), Gran Caldera Volcanica de Luba u Ose, outer NNE slope about 4 km SSW Ruiché, 5 km S of Luba, higher altitude primary rain forest, 1,200 m, 3°22’30” N 8°32’30” E, 20.viii.1994, at light, leg. T. Karisch, gen. slide no. 3825/ Karisch, deposited in the coll. Karisch ( SDEI).

Diagnosis. This new species is superficially similar to D. saltualis Park, 2020 which was described from a single male from Kenya, but it can be distinguished by the forewing pattern: the yellowish-white antemedian band much narrower and slightly broadened toward inner margin, whereas in the latter the band broader, at least 1.5 times and broadened toward costa; postmedian line narrow with even width, whereas in the latter it is more broadened in anterior half.

Description. Female ( Figs. 8A, B ). Forewing length 9.0 mm.

Head: Pale yellow dorsally, also pale yellow on frons. Antenna slightly shorter than forewing; scape elongated, dark brown ventrally; flagellum pale yellow, lacking distinct annulations. Second segment of labial palpus thickened, slightly arched, pale yellow on outer surface, paler on inner surface; 3 rd segment slightly upturned, slender, slightly longer than 2 nd segment, yellowish white, speckled with brownish scales.

Thorax: Tegula and thorax pale yellow dorsally; with broad patches of long scales at distal ends of coxa ventrally. Median leg with femur and tibia pale yellow; tibia with a pair of spurs, the outer one about 1/3 the length of the inner one; hind leg with pale-yellow femur; tibia with long, pale yellowish-brown rough scales medially, pale yellow in distal half. Forewing ground color grayish orange, with pale-yellow narrow subbasal line; pale-yellow broad antemedian transversal fascia arising from basal 1/3 of costa to 1/3 of inner margin; postmedian fascia linear, pale yellow, strongly angled at beyond middle outwardly; basal zone before antemedian fascia and the zone beyond postmedian fascia dusted with yellowish-brown scales; apex obtuse; termen oblique, slightly sinuate; fringes pale yellow, shiny.

Abdomen: Yellowish brown, each segment with narrow yellowish-white line along posterior margin, last segment pale yellow. Spinose zones on dorsal surface ( Fig. 8C ) broadly occupied with somewhat long spines.

Female genitalia. ( Figs. 8C, D ): Abdominal sternite VIII broadly emarginated into more than half medially. Apophyses anteriores about 1/3 the length of apophyses posteriors. Ostium bursae broadly developed. Antrum cupshaped, membranous. Ductus bursae broad, long, about 2.5 times than the length of corpus bursae, with several small spines medially; ductus seminalis arising from beyond half. Corpus bursae ovate; signum large, elliptical, broadened transversally, with nearly symmetrical upper and lower plates; median groove broad.

Distribution. So far only known from the type locality on Bioko.

Etymology. The species name is derived from Latin, vulkanus (= volcano, god of fire), referring to the area of the type locality.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Dragmatucha vulcaniella Park & Karisch, sp. nov.: A, adult, holotype; B, labial palpi in lateral view; C, label; D, female genitalia, slide no, 3825/Karisch, with close-up of signum. Scale bar for the genitalia with aedeagus: 1.0 mm.