Alara armifera Zelazny, 2011

Zelazny, B. & Webb, M. D., 2011, 3071, Zootaxa 3071, pp. 1-307 : 18

Alara armifera Zelazny , sp. nov.

( Fig. 126)

Description. Forewings 2.1 times longer than wide, length about 2.7 mm. Holotype: Colour red, including genitalia; labium and legs stramineous, but fore tibiae and tarsi tinted with red. Forewings powdered, strongly infuscated; veins red to reddish brown. Hindwings of same coloration. Antennae elongated; rostrum slightly surpassing tip of abdomen. Forewings with Sc+R fork in basal third; Ms1 branched in its apical half; base of Ms1 touching Cu1. Male genitalia with pygofer narrow. Genital styles broad, slightly tapering towards the end; proximal dorsal process short and slender; base of distal dorsal process broad, nearly touching proximal process. Stem of aedeagus wide; apical part flat, the tip curved to the left, right side with a large, pointed process, directed forward. Paratypes: In two paratypes antennae and genae stramineous tinted with red.

Etymology. The species name is a Latin adjective (armifer, -era, -erum = bearing arms).

Type material. Holotype ♂ (forewing 2.7 mm, body 1.5 mm), INDONESIA: PAPUA; labels: 1) NEW GUINEA: NETH./ Cyclops Mts.: Ifar / 300m, XI-24-1958 2) ZINGIBER-/ ACEAE 3 ) J.L. Gressitt / Collector ( BPBM) . Paratypes. INDONESIA: PAPUA: Sentai , 90+m, 15. VI .1959, 1 ♂, T . C. Maa; Bodem, 100m, 11 km SE of Oerberfaren, Sarmi District. 7–17. VII .1959, 4 ♂ (fw. 2.6), Maa (all in BPBM) .

Distribution. New Guinea (Indonesian part).

Diagnosis. Alara armifera is indistinguishable externally from A. schmidti sp. nov., also from New Guinea. The males can be recognized by the apical part of the aedeagus having a fine, pointed tip and a large pointed lateral process.