Coleophora arcana Baldizzone 2022, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Baldizzone, Giorgio
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Coleophoridae
Coleophora
Coleophora arcana

description: Coleophora arcana, sp. nov.
(Figs. 3, 15–18)
Holotype ♂ (GP Bldz 15047) “ Äthiopien, Sidamo | 5 km W Yabello | 6.5.2008, 1750m | leg. S. Naumann ”, [4°53′0″N, 38°5′0″E, 1860 m], coll. MfN.
Diagnosis. Medium sized species of overall white appearance, with a small brown dot in the cell of the forewing. The species cannot be compared with any other known species, due to the structure of the male genitalia, which are unmistakable, in particular for the elongated longitudinal structure at the middle of the tegumen and for the characteristic wing shape and size of the cucullus.
Description. Wingspan 13 mm. Head white, light ochre suffused on the dorsum and frons. Antenna: scape white on the outer side, ochre on the inner side, without erect scales, flagellum ringed light ochre and white. Labial palpus light ochre, white suffused dorsally, the second segment is about 2.5 times as long as the third. Proboscis of normal shape. Thorax and tegula white. Forewing white, scattered with few brown scales and a small linear brown dot on cell; costal fringes white, suffused with yellow in the apical part, dorsal fringes white. Hindwing light brownish grey, fringes light grey. Abdomen dirty white.
Abdominal structures (Fig. 18) No posterior lateral struts, transverse strut slightly curved, more sclerotized and wider on the proximal edge, especially in middle. Tergal disks (3rd tergite) about 4 times longer than wide, covered with about 27-28 conical spines.
Male genitalia (Figs. 15–17): Gnathos knob shaped as horseshoe. Tegumen stout, slightly medially constricted; pedunculus short, slightly expanded. Transtilla of triangular shape, narrow at base, more sclerotized on dorsal edge, joined in middle; originating from transtilla an elongate structure more sclerotized at the edges with numerous small triangular protuberances, wider at the base, distally tapered with apex exceeding middle of tegumen. Valvula well sclerotized, covered with robust setae and elongated in ventral part, with curved outer edge. Cucullus large, similar to a wing, much more sclerotized in dorsal part, very expanded in ventral one. Sacculus rounded in ventral angle, well sclerotized and notched on lateral edge, with a curved and more robust tooth in the dorsal angle. Phallotheca large, with two juxta rods, almost symmetrical, sclerotized only in dorsal part, more widely in basal half, surmounted by three irregular teeth, then narrowed to apex. Cornuti numerous gathered in a long braid, progressively longer towards apex where some protrude as long and sinuous.
Female genitalia: Unknown.
Bionomy. The early stages and the foodplant are unknown.
Distribution. Ethiopia.
Etymology. The name derives from Latin arcanus [- a, - um] = arcane, mysterious, due to the strange shape of the male genitalia
description: Published as part of Baldizzone, Giorgio, 2022, On the taxonomy of Afrotropical Coleophoridae (VII). New species of genus Coleophora Hübner, 1822 from Central, Southern Africa and Oman (Lepidoptera, Coleophoridae), pp. 431-442 in Zootaxa 5133 (3) on pages 435-436, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5133.3.7, http://zenodo.org/record/6524209