Urodeta talea Sruoga & Prins, 2011, sp. n.
Creators: name: Sruoga, Virginijus
name: Prins, Jurate De
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2011
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Momphidae
Urodeta
Urodeta talea

description: Urodeta talea sp. n.
(Figs 2, 3, 5, 72–82)
Type material. Holotype: 3, CONGO DEM. REP., Bas-Congo, 320 m, Nat. Res. Luki-Mayumbe, 05°27’S 13°05’E, 15.iii.2006, leg. J. & W. De Prins. Specimen ID: RMCA ENT 0 0 0 0 0 4118, gen. prep. MRAC / KMMA 0 0 616 (RMCA).
Paratypes: CONGO DEM. REP., Bas-Congo, 320 m, Nat. Res. Luki-Mayumbe, 05°27’S 13°05’E: 1Ƥ, 15.iii.2006. Specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000005257; 2 Ƥ, 22.iii.2006. Specimen IDs: RMCA ENT 0 0 0 0 0 4117, 0 0 0 0 0 5258, gen. prep. MRAC / KMMA 0 0 617 (RMCA), leg. J. & W. De Prins; 1Ƥ, 05.iv.2006. Specimen ID: RMCA ENT 0 0 0 0 0 5259, gen. prep. MRAC / KMMA 0 0 618 (RMCA), leg. J. De Prins. CONGO DEM. REP., Bas- Congo, 320 m, Nat. Res. Luki-Mayumbe, 05°37’S 13°05’E: 33, 1Ƥ, 16.v.2007. Specimen IDs: RMCA ENT 0 0 0 0 0 5260, 0 0 0 0 0 5262, 0 0 0 0 0 5264, 0 0 0 0 0 5266, gen. prep. MRAC / KMMA 0 0 619 (RMCA); 33, 4Ƥ, 23.v.2007, leg. J. & W. De Prins. Specimen IDs: RMCA ENT 0 0 0 0 0 5263, 0 0 0 0 0 5268, 0 0 0 0 0 5269, 0 0 0 0 0 5261,, 0 0 0 0 0 5265, 0 0 0 0 0 5267, 0 0 0 0 0 5270, gen. prep. MRAC / KMMA 0 0 620, 0 0 621 (RMCA).
Diagnosis. Urodeta talea is externally very similar to U. gnoma (Sruoga & De Prins), known from Kenya (for external characters and male genitalia refer to Sruoga & De Prins 2009). The main differences between U. talea and U. gnoma are the following: (1) inner surface of cucullus in U. talea without long process, in U. gnoma inner surface of cucullus with long, slender and acute process; (2) spinose knob of gnathos in U. talea nearly rounded, width/length ratio not exceeding 1.5, in U. gnoma spinose knob of gnathos wider than long, width/length ratio greater than 2; (3) phallus in U. talea with strongly sclerotized narrow streak along the ventral margin, in U. gnoma it is without sclerotized streak along the ventral margin; (4) two clusters of cornuti in U. talea consist of 12–15 and 12–16 ones, in U. gnoma 2–3 and 6–7; (5) apex of phallus in U. talea strongly curved ventrad, without long ventral incision, in U. gnoma it is nearly straight and with long ventral incision.
Male (Figs 72, 73). Forewing length 2.7–3.0 mm; wingspan 6.2–6.6 mm (n=7). Head: Frons pale ochre, background layer with some metallic lustre; vertex and neck tuft pale ochre, some scales with dark brown tips; labial palpus very short and straight, whitish above, fuscous below; scape broader than flagellum, covered with pale ochre scales with dark brown tips; flagellum pale brown, weakly annulated with darker rings basally. Thorax and tegula covered by pale ochre scales with dark ochre and brownish black tips. Ground colour of forewing pale ochre to ochre, mottled by dark ochre tips of scales; denser dark ochre and brownish black scales forming streak extending oblique at 2/5 of costa towards tornus of wing. Brownish black scales forming one large spot of raised scales on fold before middle of wing, and two small spots at 1/5 and 2/5 from base of wing. Fringe scales brownish grey with irregularly scattered brownish black tipped scales. Hindwing brownish grey, its fringe paler.
Female. Forewing length 2.8–3.2 mm; wingspan 6.6–7.0 mm (n=9). Similar to male, but antenna with more distinct annulations.
Male genitalia (Figs 74–76). Uncus short, posterior margin weakly sclerotized. Spinosed knob of gnathos nearly round. Valva short and broad; sacculus convex, distally strongly concave, forming sharp angle when meeting cucullus; cucullus narrow and long, directed ventrally, tightly fused with cucullus of another valva. Ventral shield of juxta about two times longer than broad, weakly sclerotized. Vinculum U-shaped, narrow, strongly sclerotized. Phallus short, about 4 times longer than broad, with narrow, stick-shaped sclerotization along ventral margin; vesica with several minute spines and two clusters of large cornuti (12–15 and 12–16) slightly varying in size.
Female genitalia (Figs 77–82). Papillae anales very short. Apophyses posteriores and anteriores absent. Ostium bursae situated in membrane between sterna 7 and 8. Antrum short, broader than deep, evenly sclerotized. Colliculum short, broadly dilated, strongly sclerotized, with minute internal spines. Ductus bursae very long, spirally coiled, with minute internal spines throughout its length. Corpus bursae with minute internal spines; signum formed from 6–7 stout teeth, slightly varying in size (Figs 79–82).
Biology. Unknown.
Flight period. Based on specimens available, adults fly from mid-March to late May.
Distribution. So far this species is known only from the province of Bas-Congo of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Figs 2, 3, 5).
Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin talea (a slender stick) in reference to the stick-shaped longitudinal sclerotization of phallus.
Remarks. In the male genitalia the juxta apically is fused with the phallus, therefore during preparation, if the phallus is removed, the apical part of juxta can be separated along with the phallus.
description: Published as part of Sruoga, Virginijus & Prins, Jurate De, 2011, New species of Elachistinae (Lepidoptera: Elachistidae) from Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, pp. 1-32 in Zootaxa 3008 on pages 9-10, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.278510