Alucita sochivkoi Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich

Ustjuzhanin, Petr & Kovtunovich, Vasily, 2016, The Alucitidae (Lepidoptera) of Malawi with descriptions of five new species, Zootaxa 4126 (4), pp. 533-547 : 545-546

Alucita sochivkoi Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich sp. nov.

Figs. 32–33

Type material. Holotype, male, ( BMNH 22778), Uzuzu Hill, 02.i.2009, Kovtunovich V. & Ustjuzhanin P.

Description. External characters. Head, thorax and tegula yellow brown. Labial palpus yellow brown, twice as long as longitudinal eye diameter. Third segment short, directed up. Antenna yellow. Wingspan 16 mm. Fore wing yellowish brown. Series of elongate brown spots on first lobe of fore wing. Wide brownish zig-zag-shaped band in distal part of fore wing. Basal part darkened with dark brown scales. Hind wing pale, interspersed with small brown strokes along all lobes. Dark hair bundles in distal part of fifth and sixth lobe.

Male genitalia. Uncus thin, short, slightly tapered at apex. Gnathos long, widened in distal part, slightly longer than uncus. Gnathos arms wide in basal part, thin and arched in distal part. Valva narrow, long, poorly sclerotized. Anellus arms forming fish tail-shaped extension. Phallus straight, equal in length to entire genital structure, cornuti formed as clusters of small needle–like thorns, sclerotized cord in middle part. Apical part of phallus with small carina.

Female unknown.

Diagnosis. A. sochivkoi is distinctive by the unusual structure of the anellus arms. The wing colour is somewhat similar to that of A. ectomesa , but differs from it by the wider band in the distal part of the fore wing, the long labial palpi and the larger wings.

Distribution. Malawi.

Flight period: January.

Etymology. The species is named after our colleague Andrey Sochivko ( Russia, Moscow), who accompanied us on expeditions to Malawi.

Figures

FIGURES 32 – 33. Alucita sochivkoi Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich sp. nov. Fig. 32. Adult, male (holotype); Fig. 33. Male genitalia (holotype, 22778 BMNH).