Eridachtha capensis Park 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Park, Kyu-Tek
name: Minet, Joël
name: Koo, Jun-Mo
name: Yu, Tae-Uk
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Lecithoceridae
Eridachtha
Eridachtha capensis

description: 9. Eridachtha capensis Park, sp. nov.
LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: BB0359D9-E4ED-431A-94C3-8E58451AD660 (Figs 16, 17)
Type specimens. Holotype male: South Africa, East Cape, Sneeuberg, Asante Sana, 22–26 i 2012, leg. W. Mey, LF, Aloe Ridge 25 i [20]12, Turm, gen. slide no. CIS-7601, in MfN. Paratypes: 1♂, same data as holotype; 5♂, same data as holotype, Waterkloof, 24 i [20]12, Light trap, gen. slide no. CIS-7061 (forewing slide no. CIS-7590); 3♂, same data as holotype, Seakloof, 26 i [20]12, Turm, gen. slide nos. CIS-7062 (COI Barcode CBNU215), -7599 (COI Barcode CBNU067); 2♂, Graaff-Reinet, Asante Sana, 22–26 xi 2013, leg. W. Mey, Glen Haven, Turm, 1,480 m, gen. slide CIS-7063 (COI Barcode CBNU059), -7583; 2♂, East Cape, Asante Sana, Zuurkloop, 26 i 2012, gen. slide no. CIS-7582; 1♂, East Cape, Asante Sana, 28 ii–5 iii 2014, leg. W. Mey, Zuurkloof, LF, 1 iii 2014, 1,300 m, gen. slide no. CIS-7584, all paratypes deposited in MfN.
Diagnosis. The new species can be distinguished from its allies by the forewing with an elliptical yellowish-orange patch beyond the middle of the discal cell (sometimes obscure) and R 3 short-stalked with R 4+5. The male genitalia are more or less similar to those of E. campanella Park, sp. nov., but in E. capensis Park, sp. nov. the basal plate of the gnathos is much shorter with a nearly straight caudal margin and the cucullus is less elongated.
Description. Male (Figs 16A–E). Wingspan 13.0–15.0 mm.
Head: bronze dark brown dorsally, with yellowish-orange erect scales laterally. Antenna longer than forewing; scape elongated, yellowish-orange speckled with dark-brown scales. Second segment of labial palpus thickened with rough scales ventrally; yellowish-orange speckled with dark-brown scales in basal 2/3 on outer surface, pale orange on inner surface; 3 rd segment strongly upturned, as long as 2 nd segment, yellowish-orange.
Thorax: bronze dark brown. Hind tibia yellowish-brown in basal 3/5 and white beyond, with long, hair-like scales above (Fig. 15E). Forewing elongated; ground colour yellowish-white to yellowish-orange, densely speckled with dark-brown scales evenly; large, elliptical yellowish-orange patch beyond middle of discal cell, sometimes obscure; costa arched around basal 1/3, then nearly straight; apex produced; termen oblique, slightly concave; venation (Fig. 15C) with R 3 short-stalked with R 4+5; R 4 and R 5 stalked for basal 3/5; R 5 to termen; M 2 close to M 3 at base; M 3 arising midway between M 2 and CuA 1; CuA 1 from lower corner of discal cell; CuA 2 near lower corner of discal cell; discal cell weakly closed. Hindwing greyish; venation: M 2 stalked with M 3 +CuA 1 for basal ¼ (M 3 and CuA
1 being coincident); discal cell weakly closed.
Abdomen: no spinous zones on dorsal surface; sternite VIII slightly concave medially (Fig. 17F).
Male genitalia (Figs 17A–E): uncus basal lobes elliptically elongated. Gnathos basal plate rather short, trapezoidal, nearly parallel-sided with an almost straight caudal margin. Costal bar narrow, nearly not angulate medially. Valva broad basally; cucullus elongated, with costal margin convex beyond half, densely setose, with numerous minute spines along ventral margin; apex rounded; sacculus slightly dilated distally, heavily sclerotized; saccular margin slightly concave. Juxta shield-shaped, lateral margin convex, with slender latero-caudal processes, about 2/3 the length of juxta; median process on anterior margin large, spatulate. Vinculum broad, with a rounded saccal zone. Aedeagus as wide as cucullus, with ventral margin strongly arched, bifurcated apically with a pair of small, triangular processes on dorsal margin pre-apically; cornutus consisting of a small plate with arrow-like apex, about 1/5 the length of aedeagus.
Female unknown.
Distribution. South Africa (Cape).
Etymology. The species name is derived from the type locality, Cape.
description: Published as part of 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, pp. 275-307 in Zootaxa 5468 (2) on pages 298-301, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5468.2.3, http://zenodo.org/record/11615739