Rhotana sectator Zelazny, 2011

Zelazny, B. & Webb, M. D., 2011, 3071, Zootaxa 3071, pp. 1-307 : 81

Rhotana sectator Zelazny , sp. nov.

( Fig. 213)

Description. Forewings broad, 1.6 times longer than wide, length: male 4.3–5.0 mm (mean = 4.7, n= 3), female 3.9–4.3 mm. Colour stramineous to light brown; fore and middle femora faintly tinted with orange. Forewings not powdered, faintly yellow-brown, interrupted by hyaline areas; small, lightly infuscated stripes across middle of Cu, apex of Cu, near middle of Ms1b and base of Ms1, and just distad of the basal median cell; veins stramineous, in some specimens faintly orange in apical half of forewings. Hindwings colourless. Carinae of vertex and face well separated; rostrum long, labium surpasses hind coxae by about half of its length; subantennal processes and lateral carinae of pronotum well developed. Forewings with apex of Sc nearly straight; Sc+R fork at middle of wing; Ms1 branches just before the end of its basal third, Ms1b touches apical part of Cu1, a large triangle at the base of Ms1. Male genitalia with pygofer narrow; anal segment with two small ventral processes near apex. Genital styles widening towards end; proximal dorsal process large and broad; distal dorsal process elongated; a fine, needle-shaped process on the inside near the ventral margin. Apical part of aedeagus ending in a tongue-like process and bearing two prominent, contiguous, dorsal lobes.

Etymology. The species name is a Latin noun ( sectator = a follower) used in apposition.

Type material. Holotype ♂ (forewing 5.0 mm), PAPUA NEW GUINEA; labels 1) NEW GUINEA (NE)/ Korop , Upper Jimmi / V. 1300 m. VII-12-'55 2) J.L. Gressitt / Collector ( BPBM) . Paratypes. PAPUA NEW GUINEA, Sarmi, W. of Hollandia , 20–23. VII .1959, 1 ♂ (fw. 4.7), T . C. Maa; Sentani, 90+ m, 22. VI .1959, 1 ♂ (fw. 4.3) 1 ♀ (fw. 3.9), T . C. Maa; Ifar, 300–600 m, 22. VI .1959, 1 ♀ (fw. 4.3), T . C. Maa; NE, Busu R ., E. of Lae, 100m, 14.IX.1955, sex unknown (fw. 5.2), J.L. Gressitt. (all BPBM) .

Distribution. New Guinea (Papua).

Diagnosis. Rhotana sectator shares common features with R. luteola sp. nov., R. triplex sp. nov., and R. melichari sp. nov., all from the same region, like separated facial carinae, a long rostrum, and male genital styles which widen towards the end and bear a large, broad proximal dorsal process. These characters are uncommon among other species of Rhotana . The male genital styles, like in R. melichari sp. nov., also bear a fine needleshaped process at the inner ventral side (not found in other Rhotanini ). In coloration, R. sectator comes closest to R. luteola . It can be separated from that species by the inner needle-like process on the male genital styles, as well as by the forewings lacking any larger marks and having an acute angle between the hind margin and the apex of Cu1.