Afrikanetz foucauldi, Yakovlev & Prozorov & Traore & Sulak & Müller, 2023

Yakovlev, Roman V., Prozorov, Alexey M., Traore, Mohamed M., Sulak, Harald & Müller, Günter C., 2023, New species of the genus Afrikanetz Yakovlev, 2009 (Lepidoptera: Cossidae, Cossinae) from the Hoggar Mountains (Southern Algeria), Ecologica Montenegrina 67, pp. 12-16 : 13-15

Afrikanetz foucauldi sp. nov.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4E1EC9CC-8AAF-4765-B0B0-01DE3CD57535

Figs 1‒2

Material. Holotype, male, South Algeria, Hoggar Mts., 1600‒2400 m, Febr. 2011, leg. Müller & Mooser; slide Prozorov 2022/0451 ). Paratype: 1 male, same locality and data (both specimens deposited in research collection of G. Müller, Freising, Germany / Bamako, Mali) .

Description. Male. Length of fore wing 15‒16 mm. Antenna equal to 1/3 of fore wing in length, bipectinate, setae three times longer than antenna stem in diameter. Thorax and abdomen densely covered with light-brown scales. Fore wing light-brown with fine black strokes along costal margin, thin black wavy lines from discal portion to submarginal area (most bright discally and submarginally), small black elongated stroke in medium portion of vein Cu 1, poorly expressed light-brown portion postdiscally (in area of radial trunk veins), fringe mottled, darker at veins, lighter between veins. Hind wing light-brown, with hardly visible grey reticulated pattern, fringe mottled, darker at veins, lighter between veins.

Male genitalia. Uncus tapered, of medium length, apically poorly acute; gnathos arms of medium thickness and length; gnathos roll-shaped, densely covered with tiny spikes; valve with clearly expressed sacculus, apical third of valve membranous, apex of valve lanceolate; costal margin of valve (in medium third) with robust strongly sclerotized crest of three expressed peaks (the most pronounced peak is the middle one); transtilla process long, relatively thin, poorly curved throughout all length, distally gradually narrowing, apically acute; juxta tapered with two long lateral processes diverged at acute angle; saccus robust, cylindrical; phallus relatively thin, slightly shorter than valve, poorly curved throughout all length, abdominal surface of phallus (preapically) with three small spikes – two paired proximally, third one – apically, vesica aperture in dorso-apical position, vesica without cornuti.

Female unknown.

Diagnosis. The species is characterized by the relatively small size and the poorly modified fore wing pattern. It clearly differs from the other species of the genus in the distinctive three-pronged crest on the costal margin of the valve.

Etymology. New species named after Charles Eugène de Foucauld de Pontbriand, Viscount of Foucauld (1858–1916) ‒ a French officer, explorer, geographer, ethnographer, Catholic priest and hermit who lived among the Tuareg people in the Hoggar Mountains. He was assassinated in 1916; canonized by Pope Francis in 2022.

Discussion. The finding of the genus Afrikanetz specimen in South Sahara is of interest, since it significantly expands the range of the genus to the north, and is also the first record of the genus in the desert belt of Africa ( Fig. 3 ).

Figures

Figure 3. Distribution map of Afrikanetz spp.

Figures 1–2. Afrikanetz foucauldi sp. nov., holotype male and its genitalia (slide Prozorov 2022/0450; private collection of G. Müller, Freising, Germany / Bamako, Mali).