Luffia kirsteni K. Larsen, 2020

Larsen, Knud, 2020, New information on the genus Luffia Tutt, 1899 (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) from the Canary Islands with description of a new species Luffia kirsteni sp. nov. from Fuerteventura, Metamorphosis 31 (1), pp. 1-3 : 1-2

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.4314/met.v31i1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E6F875EF-DE63-4FAE-A9CB-19035028D0B8
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/4F0687DF-F573-C920-FCD0-9B260D1659B0
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Luffia kirsteni K. Larsen
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Luffia kirsteni K. Larsen View in CoL , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1–2a View Figure 1 View Figure 2 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:E6740C11-D548-4616-B575-4E7557BF73FB

Material examined. Holotype ♂, SPAIN: Canary Islands, Fuerteventura: Barranco tras del Lomo , 28˚07′53″N 14˚17′12″W, 100 m, 25–26.ii.2019 leg. Knud Larsen.

Paratype ♂, SPAIN: Canary Islands, Fuerteventura: Lajares 4.5 km. S, 165 m . 1.iii.2019 leg. Knud Larsen. Gen. prep. 3509 ♂ K. Larsen.

Description. Male. Wingspan 13 mm. ( Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ) Head rough haired, white. Thorax and abdomen grey. Antenna ( Fig. 2a View Figure 2 ) with 24 segments, covered with light scales and strongly pectinate. Forewing triangular with costa slightly curved and pointed and termen nearly straight, dorsum straight. Ground colour whitish with two light brown crossing bands: one close to the base and a broader band beyond middle of the wing dividing into two bands close to costa. Two dark brown dots at costa close to tip. The first whitish band has two very thin brownish curved lines in the middle; the second divided with a very thin dark brown line close to termen. Termen itself has a row of minute white spots just before the brown dividing line. The hindwings are grey. All fringes are grey with a especially with the broad dividing bands. In the male genitalia, the valva is narrower, clasper and phallus larger and tegumen more rounded than in other species, distinctions very clear by comparison with the figures of the male genitalia of Luffia lapidella (Goeze, 1783) ( Fig. 4).

brownish tint. The underside of the forewing is like the upper side but the markings are very weakly visible. The underside of the hindwing is light grey. Legs are grey with long tibia and the distal segments are brownish ringed.

Male genitalia ( Figs 3a & b View Figure 3 ). Valva narrow elongate, rounded distally. Clasper very broad, rounded and long with the tip reaching 4/5 of the lengths of the valva. Tip of clasper slender and short with small spines. Tegumen strongly curved with a small indention distally. Anellus short and broad, rounded distally and pointed caudally. Juxta distinctly sclerotized. Tendon weak, covered with fine spines. Saccus slender, rounded caudally, length a little less than one third of the genitalia. Phallus longer than the genitalia, simple, same widths and curved at both ends.

Female genitalia. Not known.

Diagnosis: Luffia kirsteni is characterised by its much larger size than all other Luffia sp. The forewing is triangular and pointed. The markings are striking Biology. Nothing known except for information from the collecting dates and the two localities. Type locality ( Fig. 5 View Figure 5 ) and the other locality where the species was found are both covered by rough stones and lava fields with sparse vegetation ( Fig. 6 View Figure 6 ), with lichens growing on the lava.

Etymology. The species is named after my ever patient and understanding wife.