Coccothera albolineana Larsen 2023, spec. nov.
Creators: name: Larsen, Knud
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Tortricidae
Coccothera
Coccothera albolineana

description: Coccothera albolineana spec. nov. Figs. 12–16.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: CCF07CF5-99BE-4CFE-81F4-C6F247E5356B
Material examined
Holotype: ♂, Kenya: Central: Naro Moru, 0°9'4.99" S, 37°0'37.57" E, 3–6.xi.2013, 1960 m, leg. D. Agassiz, S. Beavan, R. Heckford, K. Larsen & M. Ngugi, coll. KL later ZMUC; gen. prep. ♂ 4372 KL.
Paratypes: Kenya: 1 spec. Rift Valley, Lake Elementeita, 6000 ft, 15.xii.1999, leg. D.J.L. Agassiz, coll. Agassiz; gen. prep. ♀ 4373 KL; 1 spec. Rift Valley, Gilgil, 2100 m, 00˚32' S, 36˚22' E, 26.xi.2005, leg. D.J.L. Agassiz, coll. Agassiz; gen. prep. ♀ 4374 KL; 2 spec. Central: Naro Moru, 00°09'04.99" S, 37°00'37.57" E, 3–6.xi.2013, 1960 m, leg. D. Agassiz, S. Beavan, R. Heckford, K. Larsen & M. Ngugi, coll. KL; gen. prep. ♀ 4371 & ♀ 4375 KL.
Republic of South Africa: 1 spec. Limpopo: 10 km WNW Louis Trichardt, Madi A Thavha Lodge, 23°01'02" S, 29°49'40" E, 1008 m, leg. K. Larsen & A. Kingston; gen. prep. ♀ 4701 KL.
Description
Imago: (Figs. 12–13). Wingspan 7–8 mm. Head grey, with white tipped scales, dorsally longer and raised scales. Thorax as head, abdomen dark grey. Antenna 50% of forewing, grey with fine white rings. Labial palps short, coloured as head, legs the same but with white spurs. Forewings triangular with slightly indented termen, ground colour dark grey to black with fine light beige strigulation bordered with a fine white cross line. Median fascia darker grey bordered towards basal blotch by a shiny metallic line reaching two thirds from dorsum in the middle partly interrupted by a small black spot. Speculum shiny metallic bordered dorsally with small black spots. Between speculum and costa, a small white area divided by four fine black lines gradually shorter against costa. Four white costal strigula. Termen with a black basal line, cilia grey. Hindwings deep brown, sometimes white towards base. At termen a bright light basal line. Cilia with a narrow deep brown shadow followed by a light area dorsally white. Underside of wings deep grey at base of hindwings sometimes lighter.
Male genitalia: (Fig. 14). Valva short, evenly wide with a round exceedingly small cucullus, weakly haired and with two tiny thorns ventrally. Pedunculus very weak and phallus short, sausage shaped with emarginated curved apex.
Female genitalia: (Figs. 15–16). Labium irregular, apophyses anterior short, broader at apex. Sterigma circular with sclerotized lamella postvaginalis. Subgenital plate strongly emarginated dorsally. Ductus bursa short and bursa with two tiny thorn-shaped signa.
Diagnosis
Coccothera albolineana spec. nov. is defined by its small size, the white dividing line between basal blotch and median fascia and the round white blotch towards apex divided by four fine black lines. Speculum is dorsally half bordered with well-defined black spots. The male differs from C. nicomacha in the exceedingly small valva with tiny teeth at cucullus ventrally and in the shape of phallus. In the female genitalia it differs in the shape of sterigma with sclerotized lamella postvaginalis and the strongly emarginated subgenital sternite, shorter ductus bursa and two very tiny thorn-shaped signa in bursa.
Biology
Only the six mentioned specimens are known, found from November to December. Localities are more dense forest savannah. Host plant is unknown.
Distribution
Kenya: Central and Rift Valley
Republic of South Africa: Limpopo province.
Etymology
The species is named after the characteristic white markings which make the species quite easy to identify.
description: Published as part of Larsen, Knud, 2023, Description of a new species from Africa in genus Coccothera Meyrick, 1914, with additional taxonomic and faunistic information on two other Coccothera species (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Grapholitini), pp. 50-58 in Metamorphosis 34 (1) on pages 55-57, DOI: 10.4314/met.v34i1.5, http://zenodo.org/record/14119348