New species of many-plumed moth (Lepidoptera: Alucitidae) from the Democratic Republic of Congo
Author
Ustjuzhanin, P. Ya.
Author
Kovtunovich, V. N.
Author
Streltzov, A. N.
text
Russian Entomological Journal
2020
2020-12-31
29
2
199
202
http://dx.doi.org/10.15298/rusentj.29.2.13
journal article
10.15298/rusentj.29.2.13
0132-8069
13165981
Alucita romieuxi
Ustjuzhanin et Kovtunovich
,
sp.n.
Figs 1–2
.
TYPE MATERIAL
.
Holotype
,
♂
, (
MHNG
gen.pr. 202005),
Democratic Republic of Congo
, Ht
Katanga, Tshinkolobwe
, 25.I. [19]31,
J. Romieux
leg.
DESCRIPTION: External characters (
Fig. 1
). Head, thorax and tegula white. Antenna light grey. Labial palpus white, twice longer than longitudinal eye diameter, directed forward and slightly up, second segment interspersed with grey scales. Wingspan
10 mm
. Wings snow-white, longitudinal light brown portions of scales along lobes of all wings. These portions longer and more contrast on fore wing, shorter and less contrast on hind wing. Fringe of white hairs. Hind leg white.
Male genitalia (
Fig. 2
). Uncus evenly wide, apically flat. Gnathos short, thin, apically uncinately curved. Valve narrow, membranous. Anellus arms short, wide. Saccus arched. Aedeagus robust, slightly longer than all genital structure, with two large spiky cornuti.
Female unknown.
DIAGNOSIS. In the white colour of the wings and in the longitudinal brown portions of scales on the lobes, the new species resembles to
Alucita snezhinka
Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, 2018
, but differs in the less contrast light brown portions of scales which are short on the hind wings. In the male genital structure, the new species is close to
Alucita crococyma
(Meyryck, 1937)
in the similar shape of the uncus. In the large aedeagus exceeding all the genital apparatus, the new species is similar to
A. snezhinka
, but differs in the uncus and gnathos structure, and in the anellus arms.
FLIGHT PERIOD: January.
ETYMOLOGY. The species is named after the Swiss entomologist Jean Romieux (1893–1951), who collected its specimens.