Alara frigida Zelazny, 2011

Zelazny, B. & Webb, M. D., 2011, 3071, Zootaxa 3071, pp. 1-307 : 22-23

Alara frigida Zelazny , sp. nov.

( Fig. 135)

Description. Forewings 2.2 times longer than wide, length: male about 3.5 mm, female about 4.5 mm. Colour white to stramineous; a faint grey mark above the eyes; mesonotum brown; abdomen stramineous, in males some parts light brown. Forewings white, powdered, faintly infuscated around apical parts of Sc, R, and M as well as around apices of Ms1a and Ms1b; veins white, greyish in the darker parts; costa and apical margin faintly orange. Hindwings colourless. Rostrum not quite reaching end of abdomen; eyes and antennae small. Forewings with Sc+R fork in basal third; Ms1 branched well before its middle, bases of Ms1 and Cu1 connected by a cross-vein. Male genitalia with pygofer narrow, slightly produced at the sides. Genital styles broad, slightly truncate at apex, dorsal processes separated by a small, semicircular gap with strongly sclerotized borders. Stem of aedeagus long; apical part short, with a dorsal impression, the sides forming two small humps near the tip.

Etymology. The species name is a Latin adjective (frigidus, -a, -um = cold).

Type material. Holotype ♂ (forewing 3.5 mm, body 1.8 mm), PAPUA NEW GUINEA; labels: 1) NEW GUINEA: PAPUA / S. Highlands / Aiyurop , nr. Mendi / 1530m, X-7-1958 2) J.L. Gressitt / Collector ( BPBM) . Paratypes. Same data as holotype, 1 ♀ (fw. 4.5); NE, East Highlands , Aiyura, 1800m, 10.I.1964, 1 ♀ (fw. 4.4), R . Straatman ( BPBM).

Distribution. New Guinea (Papua).

Diagnosis. Alara frigida is similar to A. lingua sp. nov., also from New Guinea, but is much lighter in coloration, especially the forewings.