Yponomeuta malagasella, Agassiz, 2019

Agassiz, David J. L., 2019, The Yponomeutidae of the Afrotropical region (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutoidea), Zootaxa 4600 (1), pp. 1-69 : 11-12

9. Yponomeuta malagasella sp. nov.

Description of adult ( Plate 2). Wingspan 16–19 mm. Head pale grey, labial palpus whitish, base of segment 3 dark fuscous; flagellum pale grey, scape with dark ring distally. Thorax and tegula pale grey with black spots. Forewing grey, a transverse elongate subbasal black spot, five longitudinal rows of black spots and a few along termen, terminal fringe concolorous with wing. Hindwing dark grey, fringe concolorous.

Male genitalia ( Plate 9). Uncus rounded with lateral knobs, socius long, gently curved and pointed with a pair of small spines at apex, one a little before it; gnathos broad arms tapering irregularly with apex rounded; valva simple, sacculus reaching just beyond half length of valva, saccus drawn out into a spherical knob. Aedeagus long and bent with a pair of weakly defined cornuti (BMNH 34194).

Female genitalia ( Plate 18 ). Papilla analis broad, lamella postvaginalis with curved sides meeting in central ϒ, ostium small, antrum short, ductus scobinate and broader at each end but long and narrow, corpus bursae ovoid, signum spined with two projections, one broad and tapered, the other perpendicular to plate, narrow with serrate edges.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species in the genus by its dull ground colour of varying tint, in the male genitalia by the gnathos arms and rounded saccus, in the female genitalia by the three dimensional signum and caudal pads of lamella postvaginalis being close together.

Biology. Not known. Adults recorded in January, March, August and September.

Distribution. Madagascar.

Derivation of the name. From the Malagasy Republic where the species occurs.

Type material. Holotype ♂: Diego Suarez 8.i.1917 (J. Melou) BMNH Microlep 34354, NHMUK010919523. 4 paratypes: MADAGASCAR: iii.1917 BMNH Microlep 34342, Diego Suarez 16.viii.1917 BMNH Microlep 34194, 25.viii.1917, 6.ix.1917 BMNH Microlep 34195 ( NHMUK).

Other material examined: 1 ♀ Betroka, 1955. E. Diehl, BMNH Microlep 33641, 1 without abdomen v.1952 , E.

Diehl ( NHMUK).

Figures

PLATE 18.