Capulopsyche, Unnikrishnan & Sobczyk & Jose & Jose, 2023

Unnikrishnan, Usha Ayyath, Sobczyk, Thomas, Jose, Roby Thekkudan & Jose, Joyce, 2023, Capulopsyche keralensis gen. et sp. nov., a new genus and species of the subfamily Taleporiinae (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) from Kerala, India, Zootaxa 5258 (3), pp. 270-284 : 271-272

Capulopsyche gen. nov.

Type species. Capulopsyche keralensis sp. nov.

Diagnosis. Males with fully developed wings, females wingless, without ocelli. Within Taleporiini , the number of veins from the forewing dc varies by genus. None of the Palaearctic and oriental Taleporiini genera have nine of forewing dc veins and five dc-veins in the hind wing. This characteristic is unique to Capulopsyche gen. nov. The other genera ( Bankesia Tutt, 1899 , Kozhanchikovia Saigusa, 1961 and Altobankesia Dierl, 1966 ) have six dcveins in the hind wing. On the other hand, genera with five dc-veins in the hindwing are distinguished by fewer dc-veins in the forewing: Sciopetris Meyrick, 1891 with eight and Solemasia Zagulajev, 1996 with seven veins. The three genera from Southern Africa, Barbaroscardia Walsingham, 1891 , Lythrophila Meyrick 1918, and Thranitica Meyrick, 1908 have six dc-veins in the hind wing. While Bankesia and Altobankesia have an additional cell in the dc forewing, Kozhantshikovia and Solemasia Zagulajev, 1996 lack it. Kozhantshikovia has very narrow, Y-shaped scales and a long saccus, in Pseudobankesia Meier, 1963 , Taleporia Hübner, [1825] , Bankesia Tutt, 1899 , and Sciopetris Meyrick, 1891 the scales are very wide and the saccus is shorter. The larval cases differ significantly from the other known Taleporiini larval cases. The cases are double-walled. The inner case is tubular and its lumen is round. The outer case is wide with a curved top. It is shorter than the inner case. The larval cases are hung on threads for pupation.

Etymology: Capulo (Latin) coffee refers to the moth being recorded from coffee plantations and to the predominant colour of the moth and psyche (Latin) butterfly, psychid.

Description. Male. Head. Vertex and frons covered with semi-erect scales, and a tuft of hairs projecting dorsally in the frons area. Occiput with densely arranged narrow scales with bidentate apices, and these scales are also present in the surrounding areas of eyes, Eyes small, additional ocelli absent. Labial palpi curved upwards, three-segmented. Antenna short, the filiform segments ciliated on both sides and dorsally with small scales.

Thorax. Barely covered with scales on the dorsal side. The forewings and hindwings are thickly covered with scales, the outer margins of both pairs of wings have fringes, the forewing fringes are short and broad, and the hindwing fringes are distinctly narrower and long. Forewings nearly oval-shaped, WI 2.6 mm. Nine veins arise from forewing dc, accessory cell absent. The hindwings are shorter than the forewings, length of 2.9 mm including fringes, WI 2.92 mm. Five veins arise from hindwing dc, and frenulum as a single bristle. Forelegs with a long hairbrush originating from the middle length of the tibia and extended along with the tarsal segments. Midlegs with one pair, hindlegs with two pairs of tibial spurs. Spurs of each pair of clearly different lengths.

Abdomen. Densely covered with scales, length 1.5 mm.

Genitalia. Tegumen elongated, posterior margin arched, deeply notched in the middle, ending in two curved thorns. Vinculum short, V-shaped, saccus short and pointed.

Female. Wings reduced to tiny, structureless lobes, without scales. Antenna short, eyes present. Legs with reduced tarsal segments.