Muiralevu curvispinosus van Stalle, 1983

Zelazny, B. & Webb, M. D., 2011, 3071, Zootaxa 3071, pp. 1-307 : 57

Muiralevu curvispinosus van Stalle, 1983

Muiralevu curvispinosus van Stalle, 1983: 58 , Fig. 164

( Fig. 180)

Additional description. Similar externally to Muiralevu africanus (Muir) . Length of forewings in male 4.5–5.1 mm (mean = 4.8, n= 3). Stem of male aedeagus, near junction with apical part with two long, slender and pointed processes (A and B in Fig. 180), the right one (A in Fig. 180) is longer, slightly sinuate and sometimes serrated at its base (the latter feature was not described by van Stalle from the types); apical portion membranous with two processes arising from its inner base, the right one long and saw-like (C in Fig. 180), the left one short and pointed (D in Fig. 180); on the left side, near the end of the apical portion an additional pointed process (E in Fig. 180m) directed ventrad.

Etymology. The species name is a Latin adjective ( curvispinosus , -a, -um = with curved spines).

Type material. Holotype ♂ (not examined), CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC, La Maboke , 6–9.VI.1973, Coll. Linnavuori ( IRSNB).

Other material examined. CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: 1 ♂ (paratype of M. curvispinosus, IRSNB ) ; NIGERIA: Ilora, W State, 4.IV.1975, 1 ♂, J. T. Medler ; MW State, 1.IV.1975, 1 ♂, J. T. Medler (both IRSNB) .

Distribution. Central African Republic and Nigeria.

Diagnosis. All known species of Muiralevu from West Africa are similar in external appearance. Muiralevu curvispinosus can be recognized by the structure of the male aedeagus, in particular the lack of many teeth on the aedeagus stem and the presence of only one terminal pointed process on the apical part, which is shorter than the two terminal processes of M. africanus (Muir) , found in the same region, and directed ventrad.