Eridachtha crococorypha Park, 2024

Park, Kyu-Tek, Minet, Joël, Koo, Jun-Mo & Yu, Tae-Uk, 2024, Review of the Afrotropical members of the genus Eridachtha Meyrick, 1910 (Lepidoptera: Lecithoceridae: Lecithocerinae), with descriptions of 12 new species, Zootaxa 5468 (2), pp. 275-307 : 304

12. Eridachtha crococorypha Park , sp. nov.

LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: ( Fig. 20 )

Type specimens. Holotype female: Kenya, Rift Valley , Gilgil, 2,100 m, 0˚32’S 36˚22’E, 26 xi 2005, leg. D.J.L. Agassiz, gen. slide no. CIS-7595, in NHMUK.

Paratype: 1♀, Uganda, Mpigi, Mpanga For., 0˚12'24"N 32˚18'05"E, 27–30 iv 2019, leg. K.T. Park, J.M. Koo & J.D. Kim, gen. slide no. CIS-7430, in NIBR .

Diagnosis. The new species can be distinguished from the previously presented two new species by the hind tibia, which has yellowish-white rough scales without blackish scale tuft apically. The female genitalia differ from its allies by the antrum which is as a broadly modified semi-rounded plate with a triangular process on the caudal margin.

Description. Female ( Figs 20A–C ). Wingspan 14.5 mm.

Head: no differences can be observed from the new species, E. atrihispida Park , sp. nov., except the hind tibia of which is covered by yellowish-white rough scales, and is devoid of blackish scale-tuft apically. The forewing ground colour is pale orange. The hindwing ground colour is yellowish-white broader than the forewing.

Abdomen: no spinous zones dorsally.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 20D ): apophyses anteriores longer than 1/2 the length of apophyses posteriores. Lamella post-vaginalis with a triangular process on caudal margin, which is not well separated from the antrum. Antrum broadened, with broadly modified semi-rounded plate, with a triangular process on its caudal margin. Ductus bursae membranous, slightly longer than corpus bursae; ductus seminalis arises before corpus bursae. Corpus bursae large, ovate; signum with heavily sclerotized central ridge, and with weakly sclerotized upper and lower plates.

Male unknown.

Distribution. Kenya (Rift Valley), Uganda ( Mpigi).

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Ancient Greek, - croco (= orange), - coryph (= head), referring to the orange colour of the head.

Figures

FIGURE 20. Eridachtha crococorypha Park, sp. nov.: A, female, holotype (corresponding slide: no. CIS-7595); B, labial palpus; C, head, dorsal view; D, female genitalia of holotype. Scale bar for D: 0.5 mm.