Dracontogena solii Aarvik & Karisch, new species

Dracontogena solii Aarvik & Karisch, new species

(Figs. 1, 11–13, 29, 43, 44, 64–67)

Type material. Holotype, 3, TANZANIA: Kilimanjaro Region: South Pare, Kilomeni, 7.xi.2010, G.E.E. Søli, genitalia slide NHMO 2010 (NHMO). Paratypes: 13,1Ƥ, KENYA: Mount Kenya, Chorogia 0 0o14’S 37o35’E, 1600 m., 13–14.iv.2001, J. & W. De Prins, genitalia slide 3 L. Aarvik 2007.015; genitalia slide Ƥ L. Aarvik 2007.016 (RMCA); 13,1Ƥ, Eastern Province, Marsabit Mountain, 2°9.26' N 37°58.20' E, 1530 m, 29.viii.2004, R. Copeland, genitalia slide 3 T. Karisch 2248, Ƥ USNM 84924 (USNM). TANZANIA: 1Ƥ, Arusha region, Ngorongoro, 3°14.37' S 35°30.41' E, 7500 ft., 08.v.2001, D.J.L. Agassiz, genitalia slide T. Karisch 2245 (DA). 13, ZIMBABWE: Bvumba 1.i. 1994 D.J.L. Agassiz, genitalia slide BMNH 32542 (BMNH).

Description. Adult. Male (Figs. 11, 12). Head: Black. Antenna black, scape white. Labial palpus 2 times diameter of eye, black, extreme tip white. Thorax: Greyish brown, with narrow light brown band in front, white posterior scale tuft, tegulae light brown. Legs dark grey, tarsi with paler rings, tibiae with basal, medial and distal light dots, hind tibia with beige scale tuft. Wingspan 17.0–21.0 mm. Forewing black, with some brown suffusion in tornal area; costal strigulae faint; connection between dorsal maculae narrow, but complete, outer macula triangular with dark streak; cilia brownish grey, one larger and one small white patch below apex. Hindwing light grey; basal scales narrower and darker than rest; conspicuous patch of broad, black scales below cell; veins darkened; termen curved inwards before anal corner; fringes white.

Female (Fig. 13). Head: As in male. Thorax: Wingspan 24.0 mm. Connection between dorsal maculae interrupted before outer macula. Hindwing darker grey than in male, paler at base.

Male genitalia (Figs. 43, 44). Valva with internal round scale patch, incised before cucullus, cucullus strongly spined by incision and also with spines along ventral and terminal edge; phallus (Fig. 44) short, 537–663 μm., bottle-shaped, with 12–18 small cornuti. Tergite 8 (Fig. 29) long.

Female genitalia (Figs. 64–67). Sternite 7 with deep U-shaped excavation; sterigma extended posteriorly as a tongue-shaped asymmetrical projection; posterior part of ductus bursae sclerotised; signa short. Extension of the sterigma varying in size and degree of asymmetry (Figs. 65–67).

Diagnosis. Males of D. solii n. sp. differ externally from the closely related D. bernardi by the presence of a patch of black sex scales on the hindwing upperside. The female of D. bernardi is unknown.

Distribution. Kenya, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.

Biology. The specimens from the Marsabit Mountain were reared from Caseria battiscombei R.E. Fries (Flacourtiaceae).

Etymology. The species is named after the collector of the holotype, Geir E.E. Søli.