Elachista planca Sruoga & Prins, 2009, new species

Elachista planca, new species

(Figs. 2, 10, 15, 29–31)

Type material. Holotype: Ƥ, KENYA, Aberdares National Park, Karuru Falls, 2980 m, 12.iv.2000, 00°22’S 36°54’E (N6), Ugo Dall’Asta, specimen ID RMCA ENT 0 0 0 0 0 5181, gen. prep. MRAC / KMMA 0 0 479 (RMCA).

Diagnosis. Elachista planca is a narrow-winged species with a white pattern on a brownish-grey forewing ground colour. The female genitalia of E. planca resemble only superficially those of E. oritropha Bradley, 1965, which is known from Uganda. The new species differs by the wing pattern, the less deeply incised ostium bursae and the irregularly diamond-shaped signum, which is heavily sclerotized.

Female (Fig. 10). Forewing length 4.4 mm; wingspan 9.6 mm (n=1). Head: Frons whitish, vertex and neck tuft brownish grey; labial palpus whitish with weak yellowish tint, third segment brownish grey below; antenna brownish grey, annulated with blackish brown. Thorax and tegula brownish grey. Forewing: ground colour brownish grey; indistinctly delimited whitish transverse fascia at 1/3 of wing, not reaching dorsal margin; white spot in 2/3 of costa, another similar spot slightly before it at tornus; fringe scales in apex white, otherwise grey. Hindwing including fringe pale brownish grey.

Male. Unknown.

Female genitalia (Figs. 29–31). Papillae anales elongate, covered with short setae, few long setae in lateral area and few long and stout ones near apices; basal sclerotized bar rather wide dorsad from apophyses posteriores. Apophyses posteriores distally curved outwards and apophyses anteriores S-shaped, only slightly longer than posteriores. Tergum 8 well sclerotized, posterior margin deeply concave. Ostium wide, dorsal wall covered with acute spines; antrum wide, gradually tapered, posterior part of antrum with internal spines, anteriorly gradually tapered into indistinct colliculum. Colliculum with several tiny internal spines. Membranous anterior part of ductus bursae gradually broadened towards corpus bursae. Corpus bursae pyriform, at most with few tiny internal spines medially; signum unevenly sclerotized and irregularly rounded plate without prominent teeth.

Biology. Unknown.

Flight period. Based upon the single specimen available, adults fly in April.

Distribution. So far this species is known only from Aberdares National Park in the Central Province of Kenya (Figs. 2, 15).

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin planca (broad board) in reference to the shape of the signum.