Plagiocrossa picrodora (Meyrick, 1913)

(Figs. 3F, 6 C–G)

Lecithocera picrodora Meyrick, 1913: 294 . TL: Three Sisters [Mpumalanga], South Africa. [TMSA].

Plagiocrossa picrodora; Janse, 1954: 348.

Adult. (Figs. 3L, 6E). See also Janse (19 54, Pl. 195, Fig. 2). Wingspan, 16 mm.

Diagnosis. Wing venation given by Janse (1954, Pl. 142, Fig. 9), and labial palpus given by Janse (1954, Pl. 142, Figs. 10 & 12). Abdomen with broad spinous zones on the tergites (Fig. 6G).

Male genitalia (Figs. 6C, D, F). See also Janse, 1954, Pl. 142, Fig. 6 (line drawing); Pl. 151, Fig. 3 (photo). Valva with a digitate lobe at middle, then deeply emarginated on ventral margin, aedeagus stout, nearly parallel sided, with heavily sclerotized both margins apically, with patch of numerous spines beyond middle.

Female genitalia. See Janse (1954, Pl. 142, Figs. 11 & 12- line drawings).

Material examined. Type no. 580, ♀ (lectotype, designated here), [South Africa], Three Sisters, Barberton, leg. A.J.T. Janse, gen. slide no. CIS-6601, deposited in TMSA. Three additional specimens (one with the same locality label as the type) are preserved in TMSA. For this study, 2♂ (Transkei, Langeni for. 26 x [19]87, N.J. Duke) were dissected (gen. slide no. CIS-7219/Park and CIS-7220/Park (together with the forewing, illustrated in Fig. 6E).

Distribution. South Africa (Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga) (Meyrick 1913).

Remarks. The male genitalia of the species can be separated from those of Lecithocera by having a distinct thumb-like process on ventral margin medially. The specimens examined here are much larger than the types, with wingspan 16 – 17 mm (vs. 11 mm of the type), but their genitalia match well.