Lecithocera grisella Park & Yu & Jeong 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Park, Kyu-Tek
name: Yu, Tae-Uk
name: Jeong, Su-Yeon
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Lecithoceridae
Lecithocera
Lecithocera grisella

description: Lecithocera grisella Park, sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 38751B19-E836-4A56-AA21-121706C5C22D
(Figs 2, 8)
Type specimens. Holotype male: Tanzania, Morogoro Distr. & Town, 550−600 m, 19 iii 1992, leg. L. Aarvik, gen. slide no. CIS-7562, in NHMO. Paratypes: 2♀, same locality, 22 & 23 iv 1993, leg. L. Aarvik, gen. slide no. CIS-7567; 1♀, Morogoro Distr., Kitulangaro For. Res. 420−540 m, 28 ii 1993, leg. L. Aarvik, gen. slide no. CIS-7568; 1♂, Morogoro Distr., Kimboza For. Res. 300 m, 22 viii 1992, leg. L. Aarvik, in NHMO. 1♂, Kenya, Naro Moru (Nyeri Co., Central) 6,500 ft, 27 xii 1999, leg. D.J.L. Agassiz, gen. slide no. CIS-7561, in NHMUK.
Diagnosis. The new species is similar to Lecithocera ideologa Meyrick, 1937, which was described from S. Africa, but it is much smaller with the forewing costa slightly arched beyond basal 2/3 and the termen very oblique. The male genitalia are also similar to those of L. ideologa (Fig. 8c), but can be distinguished by the following characters: 1) gnathos basal plate more elongated with convex caudal margin (straight in L. ideologa); 2) cornuti consisting of a long stick which is strongly curved apically, about 2/5 the length of aedeagus, a long row of short spines forming U-shape in basal half, and a patch of spines present near apex (whereas in L. ideologa, cornuti with a heavily sclerotised, elongated-triangular plates, with a cluster of spines dorso-basally and weakly sclerotised similar plate at middle as in Fig. 8c); 3) lacks of small triangular processes pre-apically (whereas in L. ideologa, male genitalia with a pair of triangular processes). The male genitalia of L. grisella sp. nov. are also similar to those of L. sceptarcha Meyrick, 1920, (the depository of the lectotype in MNHN), but the new species can be distinguished by the gnathos basal plate of L. sceptarcha which is extremely broadened with concave caudal margin. The female genitalia (Fig. 11) of the new species also can be distinguished from those of L. ideologa by the shape of the signum which is broadened, trapezoidal in L. grisella sp. nov., but it is triangular in L. ideologa.
Description. Male and female (Figs 2, 2a, b). Wingspan 10.5−11.5 mm.
Head: yellowish-brown on frons and on vertex, with shiny light-yellow erect scales laterally. Antenna slightly longer than forewing; scape elongated, light yellow throughout; flagellum light yellow, with brownish annulations. Labial palpus (Fig. 2b) strongly arched; 2nd palpomere thickened, brownish grey on outer surface, pale yellow on inner surface; 3rd palpomere about 2/3 the length of 2 nd, pale yellow laterally, dark brown ventrally.
Thorax: notum and tegula yellowish brown. Hind tibia clothed with yellowish-white rough scales dorsally and brownish-grey rough scales ventrally; tarsi dark brown dorsally beyond the first segment, with white bands apically on each segment. Forewing elongated; ground colour yellowish brown evenly, with a pair of small dark-brown discal stigmata; costa slightly arched near base and beyond 2/3; apex obtuse; termen oblique; fringe concolourous with ground colour. Hind wing greyish white; apex sharply produced; venation with M 2 remote from M 3 at base; M 3 and CuA
1
stalked for basal 1/3.
Abdomen: segment VII with well-developed sclerotised linear processes laterally and with symmetrical triangular plates anteriorly; sternite VIII broadly developed, anterior margin slightly convex (Fig. 8b).
Male genitalia (Figs 8, 8a): uncus basal lobes digitate with V-shaped caudal margin. Gnathos basal plate rectangular, with slightly convex caudal margin; median process not strongly downturned apically. Costal bar heavily sclerotised, with a band, slightly angled before middle. Valva broad basally; cucullus elongated, tapering on ventral margin from about 2/3 to rounded apex. Juxta shield-shaped, protrusions on caudal margin small; anterior margin produced in a triangular shape. Aedeagus gently arched from basal 1/3, lacking a small triangular process on dorsal surface pre-apically; cornuti consisting of a long stick-like bar (about 2/5 the length of aedeagus), a long row of numerous spines in basal half, often in U-shape is present, with a large patch of spines near apex (Fig. 8a).
Female genitalia (Fig. 11): ostium bursae wide, gently concave. Antrum large, cup-shaped, slightly narrowed anteriorly. Ductus bursae narrowed in distal 2/5; median part much broadened, twisted, with weakly sclerotised as irregular plates. Corpus bursae semi-ovate, as long as ductus bursae; signum nearly heart-shaped, widened anteriorly, concave on posterior margin, with numerous conical spines.
Distribution. Tanzania (Morogoro), Kenya (Nyeri Co., Central).
Etymology. The species name is derived from Latin word, grise (= gray) with a Latin diminitive suffix, - ella, referring to the greyish ground colour of the forewing.
description: Published as part of Park, Kyu-Tek, Yu, Tae-Uk & Jeong, Su-Yeon, 2024, The genus Lecithocera (Lepidoptera: Lecithoceridae: Lecithocerinae) in Kenya and Tanzania, with descriptions of six new species, pp. 575-588 in Zootaxa 5538 (6) on page 578, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5538.6.4, http://zenodo.org/record/14240250