Muiralevu medleri Zelazny, 2011

Zelazny, B. & Webb, M. D., 2011, 3071, Zootaxa 3071, pp. 1-307 : 58

Muiralevu medleri Zelazny , sp. nov.

( Fig. 182)

Description. Length of forewings in male about 4.3 mm. Colour stramineous; in front of eyes faintly orange; a purple spot above eyes. Like in Muiralevu africanus (Muir) , forewings glassy with faint infuscations. Sc+R branched well before middle of forewing; Ms1b and Cu1 connected by a short cross-vein; a trapezoid cell at base of Ms1. Hindwings with tip of R branched. Male pygofer with prominent and pointed lateral processes. Genital styles rounded; proximal dorsal process short, distal dorsal process elongated. Aedeagus stem with a ventral, serrated ridge on the right side, and with two small teeth on the dorsal side; two pointed processes arising from stem, near junction with apical portion; the right one (A in Fig. 182) is curved forward, the left one (B in Fig. 182m) is curved ventrad; apical portion membranous with a pointed process arising from the left base (D in Fig. 182n) and two terminal processes, the left one (E in Fig. 182) slender and pointed, the right one (F in Fig. 182) a thin elongated blade armed with minute teeth.

Etymology. The species is named for J.T. Medler who collected the holotype and ' medleri ' is a latinized noun used in the genitive case.

Type material. Holotype ♂ (forewing 4.3 mm), NIGERIA; labels: 1) Coll. I. R. Sc.N.B. / Nigeria: Agbabu/ W State 3 Mar. 1973 / J. T. Medler Coll. ( IRSNB).

Distribution. Nigeria.

Diagnosis. All known species of Muiralevu from West Africa are similar in external appearance. Muiralevu medleri can be recognized by the structure of the male aedeagus, in particular it lacks any long and slender processes and the apical portion bears a blade-like terminal process covered with minute teeth. M. africanus has similar processes compared to those labelled A and B in Figure 182, which, however, are not curved and directed caudad and dorsad.