New species of Urodeta Stainton, 1869 (Lepidoptera, Elachistidae, Elachistinae) from Ghana and Democratic Republic of the Congo, with identification keys to the Afrotropical species of the genus Author Sruoga, Virginijus https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5687-8299 Life Sciences Centre of Vilnius University, Saulėtekio str. 7, LT- 10257 Vilnius, Lithuania virginijus.sruoga@gmail.com Author Prins, Jurate De https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7637-5755 Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, 1000 Brussels, Belgium text ZooKeys 2022 2022-03-11 1089 25 36 http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1089.79716 journal article http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1089.79716 1313-2970-1089-25 247A782021274510A2BA5C8D0A03440E C401974D34345C5F9FF6A65D2ECB091B Urodeta falcata sp. nov. Figs 1 , 2 , 5-14 Material examined. Holotype . Ghana • ♂ ; Ashanti Bobiri , 4 km NE Kubease , 6°41'N , 1°20'W ; 230 m alt.; 25 May 2011 ; J. & W. De Prins leg., gen. prep. VS510. Diagnosis. Urodeta falcata is a small, dark-coloured species with indistinct wing markings. In wing pattern and male genitalia, the new species is most similar to U. aculeata Sruoga & De Prins, 2011, known from Cameroon, U. tantilla Sruoga & De Prins, 2011, known from Kenya and U. maculata (Mey, 2007), known from Namibia. However, U. falcata can be distinguished most easily by the presence of two claw-shaped cornuti, pointed apex of phallus and long ventral shield of juxta. Figures 1-4. Collecting localities in Sub-Saharan Africa 1, 2 Bobiri Forest, Ashanti, Ghana 3, 4 Mayumbe Forest, Bas-Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Description. Male (Figs 5 , 6 ). Forewing length 2.2 mm; wingspan 5.0 mm ( N = 1). Head : frons, vertex and neck tuft pale grey, weakly mottled with dark brown tipped scales; labial palpus vestigial, visible only as very short greyish extension; scape greyish white below, brownish grey above, pecten pale grey; flagellum pale brown, weakly annulated with darker rings basally and slightly serrated apically. Thorax and tegula strongly mottled with scales basally pale grey and distally brownish grey. Forewing: strongly mottled with scales basally pale grey and distally brownish grey; wing darker beyond middle; fringe brownish grey. Hindwing and its fringe brownish grey. Figures 5-14. Urodeta falcata sp. nov., male, holotype 5 habitus 6 head, fronto-lateral view 7 general view of male genitalia (phallus removed) 8 sclerotized phallic tube 9 male genitalia, lateral view 10 central part of genitalia 11 distal part of phallus 12 gnathos and apices of cucullus, distal view 13 ventral cornutus 14 dorsal cornutus ( 5, 6, 8-10 in glycerol before permanent mounting in Euparal). Female. Unknown. Male genitalia (Figs 7-14 ). Uncus short. Spinose knob of gnathos long oval, twice as long as wide, oriented posteriorly (Fig. 12 ). Valva short and broad; costa concave; ventral margin of sacculus convex, distally meeting emargination of termen at a blunt angle; cucullus short and narrow, tapered apically, inner surface covered with long setae; transtilla short, strongly sclerotized. Ventral shied of juxta about 3 times as long as wide, strongly sclerotized. Vinculum U-shaped, proximal margin weakly concave. Sclerotized phallic tube short, as long as valva, with strongly sclerotized, wide band along ventral margin; distally tapered towards pointed apex; vesica with 2 large curved cornuti and numerous tiny, elongate spines. Biology. Unknown. Flight period. Based on the specimen available, adults fly in May. Distribution. So far, this species is known only from southern Ghana (Figs 1 , 2 ). Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin Urodeta falcata (sickle-shaped) in reference to the shape of cornuti in male genitalia. Remarks. The head of the holotype is somewhat abraded, therefore the description is approximate.