Ptilothyris taiensis Elliott 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Elliott, Imogen R.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Lecithoceridae
Ptilothyris
Ptilothyris taiensis

description: Ptilothyris taiensis Elliott, sp. nov.
(Figs 2 & 4A–E)
Type material. Holotype, ♂: “ IVORY COAST, 174m / Taï NP. Taï Research Station / 05°49’59.8”N, 07°20’32”W, / 5-10.VII.2015. Light Trap / Aristophanous,M., Moretto,P., / Ruzzier, E., leg. / ANHRT:2017.14” // “ANHRTUK / 00109056 ” // “Gen. slide No. / IE 429 / prep by I. Elliott ” (ANHRT).
Paratypes (2 ♂♂). 1♂: “ IVORY COAST 1171m / Mt. Tonkoui Peak / 07°27’15.2”N, 07°38’12.5”W / 19- 27.xi.2019 Actinic Light / Trap. Aristophanous, M., / Dérozier, V., Moretto, P., / Ouattara, S. Leg. / ANHRT:2019.23” // “ANHRTUK / 00215997 ” // “Gen. slide No. / IE 418 / prep by I. Elliott” (ANHRT). 1 ♂: “ IVORY COAST 1171m / Mt. Tonkoui Peak / 7°27’15.2”N, 7°38’12.5”W / 3-7.v.2017 General coll. / Aristophanous, A., / Aristophanous, M., / Geiser, M., Moretto, P., leg. / ANHRT:2017.25” // “ANHRTUK / 00052419 ” // “Gen. slide No. / IE 431 / prep by I. Elliott ” (ANHRT).
Diagnosis. Ptilothyris taiensis sp. nov. (Fig. 2) is externally very similar to P. serangota but can be distinguished by its marginally narrower forewings (although this is sometimes difficult to determine due to variability in the relative condition of specimens). The most obvious differences can be seen in the male genitalia (Figs 4A–E): the uncus of P. taiensis sp. nov. is bifurcate (Fig. 4C), whilst that of P. serangota is broad and fan-shaped. Additionally, the lateral processes of the caudal lobe of the basal plate of the gnathos are reduced in P. taiensis sp. nov. and the trifurcate structure of the lobe is comparatively less developed. The shape of the valva is relatively similar between the two species but the caudal lobes of the juxta (ventral plate) are much shorter in P. taiensis sp. nov. (Fig. 4A) (proportionately speaking, the right lobe is around ¼ the length of the equivalent lobe in P. serangota). Whilst the phallus of P. serangota is distinctly narrow, elongate and without cornuti, that of the new species (Fig. 4B) is proportionally broader, possessing an elongate and sclerotised cornutus and a distinctive thorn-like carinal process (Fig. 4D).
Description. Male (Figs 2 & 4E). Forewing length 9.5–11.5 mm.
Head: Dark purple dorsally, some light orange scales originating from upper margin of compound eye and along base of clypeus. Antenna strongly bipectinate, basal 3/5 dark purple, terminal 2/5 yellowish-white, with gradually shortening flagellomeral branches towards apex. Labial palpus laterally compressed, saber-shaped; second segment thickened, light orange; third segment slender, as long as second, light orange with sparse black scales apically.
Thorax: Notum and tegula iridescent dark purple. Foreleg pale orange-yellow with medial tibial spur; midleg pale orange-yellow, tibia with terminal pair of spurs, outer spur half the length of inner; hindleg pale orange-yellow, medial and terminal pairs of spurs circa the same length, both with outer spur half the length of inner, tibia blackish along outer surface in distal half, light orange-yellow terminally, tarsus pale orange-yellow, blackish along outer surface. Forewing very elongate, as narrow as thorax, iridescent dark purple; costa very slightly convex in basal and apical 1/3, concave medially; apex obtuse; tornus evenly rounded; dorsum almost straight, sharply inflexed basally. Hindwing narrower than forewing; ground colour dark purple, pale yellow hyaline patching extending from base to pre-apical zone, cluster of light-orange hair pencils from base of anal margin.
Abdomen: Ventral surface yellowish orange from 1st to 6th segment, blackish beyond, dorsal surface blackish, with pair of yellowish orange hair-pencils along anterior margin of the 8 th segment segment, tergites with dense patches of spinules (Fig. 4E).
Male genitalia (Figs 4A–D): Uncus bifurcate (Fig. 4C), Y-shaped, narrow basally, twice the width apically, caudal lobes pointed apically. Gnathos (Fig. 4C): basal plate circa twice the width of uncus, trifurcate caudally; central process twice the length of lateral processes; hook-like medial process downcurved subapically. Valva elongate (Fig. 4A), circa the length of phallus; cucullus upturned, gradually narrowed towards apex, apically rounded, densely setose in proximal half. Juxta (Fig. 4A): ventral plate somewhat triangular, two pointed caudal processes, right process three times the length of left, caudal margin concave; dorsal plate shortly produced, 1/3 the length of ventral plate, trapezoidal with two short rounded lateral lobes. Vinculum short, narrow, sclerotised band. Phallus tubular (Figs 4B. & 4D.), gradually tapered towards sclerotised thorn-like ventral carinal process; cornutus large, elongate, circa half the length of phallic tube, vesica with cluster of small spinules medially (visible when vesica is everted).
Female. Unknown.
Etymology. The new species is named after the Taï National Park, Ivory Coast, where the holotype was collected, with the suffix “ensis” meaning “pertaining to” or “originating in”.
description: Published as part of Elliott, Imogen R., 2025, Two new species of the Afrotropical genus Ptilothyris Walsingham (Lepidoptera: Lecithoceridae, Torodorinae) from the Ivory Coast, pp. 557-564 in Zootaxa 5632 (3) on pages 561-563, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5632.3.8, http://zenodo.org/record/15372616