Saccharodite insulana Zelazny, 2011

Zelazny, B. & Webb, M. D., 2011, 3071, Zootaxa 3071, pp. 1-307 : 131

Saccharodite insulana Zelazny , sp. nov.

( Fig. 272)

Description. Forewings 1.9 times longer than wide, length: male about 2.9 mm, female 2.9–3.5 mm. Colour stramineous; frons and genae faintly orange; mesonotum brown but scutellum stramineous; fore tibiae light brown; abdomen dark orange (in female sternites lighter), genitalia stramineous. Forewings slightly powdered; a large red mark around base of last subcostal sector; faintly infuscated from apex of Cu to base of Ms1, from base of Ms2 to second costal cell, along apical crossveins, and along apical margin; most veins bright orange-red but following veins stramineous; first 2 subcostal sectors, Sc+R, parts of Sc, base of M, Cu, claval veins, parts of Cu1, Ms1a, Ms1b, Ms2, and veins near apical margin; all margins except along clavus orange-red; 2 short dark stripes along base of Sc+R. Hindwings colourless, but apical margin and tip of R red. In profile junction of vertex and face very slightly angulated; subantennal processes not connected to margins of facial carinae; rostrum surpassing post trochanters. Forewings with Sc+R fork at middle of wing; basal median cell slightly broader than basal cell between Sc+R and M; no triangle at base of Ms1. Male genitalia with pygofer narrow. Genital styles oval; proximal dorsal process short and slender; distal dorsal process elongated. Apical portion of aedeagus short and broad, tip with an irregular, membranous lobe.

Etymology. The species name is a Latin adjective (insulanus, -a, -um = insular).

Type material. Holotype ♂ (forewing 2.9 mm), SOLOMON ISLANDS; labels: 1) SOLOMON IS./ MALAITA: Auki / 2–20m, IX-21 -'57 2) J.L. Gressitt / Collector 3) Alpinia ( BPBM) . Paratype. SOLOMON ISLANDS: NW, Malaita , Dala, 14. VI .1964, 1 ♀ (fw. 2.9), Malaise trap, R . Straatman ( BPBM) .

Distribution. Solomon Islands.

Diagnosis. Saccharodite insulana resembles Sa. dionaea sp. nov., also from the Solomons, and both show variation in coloration. Although Sa. dionaea is usually much more orange and red, separation can be difficult in some cases. The most consistent difference seems to be the hind margin of the forewings around the clavus tip which is colourless in Sa. insulana , but bright orange-red in Sa. dionaea . Usually Sa. insulana can be also recognized by its stramineous head with only faintly orange coloration of frons and genae, as well as by the stronger coloured forewing veins. Sa. insulana can be separated from Sa. basipunctulata (Melichar) which is also found in the Solomons by its orange-red forewing veins.