Ptilothyris crassiella Park, 2019

Park, Kyu-Tek, Mey, Wolfram, Koo, Jun-Mo, Prins, Jurate De & Cho, Soowon, 2019, Revision of the genus Ptilothyris Walsingham, 1897 (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea: Lecithoceridae), with descriptions of eight new species from Africa, Zootaxa 4567 (2), pp. 201-235 : 222-223

10. Ptilothyris crassiella Park , sp. nov.

( Figs. 13 A–J)

Type specimens. Holotype: male, Uganda, Kibale Nat. Park, Biol. Field Station , 19–24 xi 2014, LF leg. W. Mey, gen slide no. CIS-7078, wing slide no. CIS-7006, COI barcode CBNU056 . Paratypes: 1♀, same data as holotype, gen slide no. CIS-7041, COI barcode CBNU050—above types are deposited in MfN ; 1♂, Uganda, Kasese Distr., Kibale Nat. Park, 36N TF 0 582 6208, 1500 m, 19-24 x 2014, leg. Leif Aarvik & Knud Larsen, gen slide no. CIS- 7095, COI barcode CBNU073—deposited in NHMO ; 1♂, Uganda, Western 27 km of Masindi Budongo Forest 985 m, 1°55′58″N, 31°42′40″E, 31 x 2014, D. Agassiz, K. Larsen & M. Ochse, gen slide no. CIS-7090—deposited in NHMUK .

Diagnosis. Ptilothyris crassiella is superficially similar to P. hylodes sp. nov., but it can be distinguished from the latter by the following: antenna dorsally dark brown whereas pale yellow speckled with blackish scales in P. hylodes ; in male genitalia, the median lobe of basal plate of gnathos short, rounded caudally, cucullus with concave costa, curved inward apically, whereas the latter with nearly straight costa and somewhat straight outward apically; phallus with a spiny plate-like cornutus near middle, while such a plate absent in P. hylodes . The hair-pencils are longer than those of the latter. It is also differentiated from P. hylodes or P. drepanodes by the COI barcode sequences.

Description. Male and female ( Figs. 13 A–D). Forewing length 10.0– 11.5 mm.

Head: Purplish dark fuscous dorsally, with greyish orange erect scales laterally. Antenna bipectinate, basal half purplish dark fuscous, orange white beyond. Second segment of labial palpus ( Fig. 13C ) thickened, pale greyish orange, speckled with brown scales on outer surface; 3 rd segment shorter than 2 nd, more or less thickened, same color as 2 nd segment; female antenna slender, slightly serrate.

Thorax: Notum and tegula purplish dark fuscous. Forewing dark purple with black antemedian fascia; postmedian fascia inconspicuous; costa nearly straight, arched in apical 1/4; apex obtuse; termen slightly convex; venation ( Fig. 13D ) with R 1 strongly bent near base, arising before middle of discal cell; R 3 and R 4 stalked in basal 1/8; R 4 reaching costa, close to apex; R 5 absent,; M 1 close to R 3+4 at base; M 2 arising from lower corner of cell; M 3, CuA 1 and CuA 2 on a common stalk, rather evenly spaced; 1A+2A narrowly forked in basal 1/5; cell about 3/5 the length of wing, closed. Hind wing much broader than forewing, brownish grey; apex obtuse; termen oblique, slightly sinuate medially; cell weakly closed before middle of wing; venation with M 1 short-stalked with Rs; M 2 absent; M 3 and CuA 1 short-stalked.

Abdomen: Orange white from base to sternite VII on ventral surface, with rough fuscous scales terminally; zones of dense spines well-developed on tergites, with a pair of long hair-pencils laterally on anterior margin of abdominal segment VIII, longer than length of segment VII ( Fig. 12H ).

Male genitalia ( Figs. 13 E–G) with uncus slightly emarginate on caudal margin medially. Median lobe of basal plate of gnathos short, rounded; lateral lobes rounded apically. Valva elongate; costa with broad expansion in basal 1/3; cucullus elongate, with gently concave costa, narrowed toward apex, with dense hair-like scales on surface, especially around ventro-proximal margin. Ventral plate of juxta with large, thumb-like caudal lobe, right-angled; dorsal plate with broad band centrally. Vinculum banded, less sclerotized medially. Phallus shorter than valva, slightly bent at 1/4–1/3 ventrally, with minute spinules scattered in distal half; cornuti with a row of spines distally, about 1/4 the length of phallus, and a spiny plate near middle.

Female genitalia ( Figs. 13I, J ) with abdominal sternite VIII deeply emarginated in U-shaped medially. Apophyses anteriores thick, about 3/5 the length of apophyses posteriores. Ostium bursae more narrowly emargnated, reaching near middle of lamella antevaginalis. Antrum quadrate, weakly sclerotized. Ductus bursae sclerotized in posterior half, slightly twisted, wrinkled and oblique, then widened and membraneous in anterior half; dusctus seminalis broad, arising from near middle. Corpus bursae elongate, as long as ductus bursae, junction with ductus bursae indistinct; signum large, tilted semicircular in shape.

Distribution. Uganda.

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin, crassus (= thick, stout), referring to the more or less thick 3 rd segment of the labial palpus.

Figures

FIGURE 12. Ptilothyris hylodes Park. A, Holotype, male, in MfN; B, Antenna and labial palpus, dorsal view; C, Labial palpus, lateral view; D, Male genitalia, holotype, gen. slide no. CIS-7003; E, Phallus, with a close-up of cornutus; F, Uncus and gnathos; G, Abdomen, holotype, with hair-pencils.

FIGURE 13. Ptilothyris crassiella Park. A, Holotype, male, in MfN; B, Lateral view; C, Antenna and labial palpus, lateral view; D, Venation, slide no. CIS-7006; E, Male genitalia, holotype, gen. slide no. CIS-7078; F, Phallus, with a close-up of cornutus; G, Lateral view of uncus and gnathos; H, Abdomen, holotype, with hair-pencils; I, Female genitalia, gen. slide no. CIS-7041; J, Signum.