The Alucitidae (Lepidoptera) of Malawi with descriptions of five new species
Author
Ustjuzhanin, Petr
Author
Kovtunovich, Vasily
text
Zootaxa
2016
4126
4
533
547
journal article
38770
10.11646/zootaxa.4126.4.5
4cd185c3-e2f3-4c34-acf1-2b3b3b39d8e9
1175-5326
258953
C49319B0-B2E9-44A8-A337-452546C963C8
Alucita murphy
Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich
sp. nov.
Figs. 30–31
Type
material:
Holotype
, male, (
BMNH
22777), Zomba Plateau,
28.ii.–02.iii.2014
, R.
Murphy
.
Description. External characters.
Head, thorax and tegula pale yellow. Labial palpus wide, yellow brown, 2 times as long as longitudinal eye diameter, directed forward. Third segment short, thin, separated from first two. Antenna pale yellow. Wingspan
20 mm
. Wings elongate, pale yellow. Wing base noticeably pale. First lobe with six elongate brown spots. Wings with four distinct narrow zig-zag-shaped, transverse bands. Fringe between lobes with alternating areas of black, white and yellow hairs creating contrasting colour of wings. Small spot of dark scales at tip of each lobe of both wings.
Male genitalia.
Uncus long, wide, slightly narrowed in middle part, apex flat with small notch. Gnathos long, narrow, tapered at apex, slightly shorter than uncus in length. Gnathos arms bent at apex. Valves narrow, long, widened in distal part. Anellus arms straight, rather narrow, equal to valvae in length. Phallus straight, rather wide, length 2/3 of entire genital structure, middle part with cornutus in form of serrated elongated plate, distal part with short spinous cornutus.
Female unknown.
Diagnosis.
The wing pattern of
A. murphy
is unique among African
Alucitidae
. In male genitalia, the new species is similar to
A. crococyma
by the form of the uncus. The long and wide valvae are similar to those of
A. spicifera
.
A. murphy
differs from both of them by the phallus with a peculiar cornutus in form of serrated elongated plate, by the tapered narrow gnathos and a specific color of the wings.
Flight period
: February–March.
Etymology
. The new species is named in honour of Raymond
Murphy
, explorer of the insect fauna of
Malawi
.