Ancylogastra magnifica Bassi 2021, sp. n.

Ancylogastra magnifica Bassi, sp. n.

(Figs 2, 11, 12, 13, 27)

Holotype male with labels: 1) Holotypus; 2) H[au]t Katanga, Tsinkolobwe [Democratic Republic of the Congo, 11°10’S, 26°34’E], 21.XI.[19]30, J. Romieux legit, 3) GS 1417 MHNG 4) GS 2199 GB; 4) Ancylogastra magnifica Bassi, Holotype, G. Bassi det. Deposited in MHNG.

Paratypes: 2 males, H[au]t Katanga, Tsinkolobwe, 12.XII.[19]30, J. Romieux legit, GS 6208 GB, MHNG and RCGB; 1 male, 1 female, H[au]t Katanga, Tsinkolobwe, 15.XII.[19]30, J. Romieux legit, MHNG; 1 female, H[au]t Katanga, Sakania, 7.XII.[19]31, J. Romieux legit, GS 5384 GB, MHNG; 1 female, Malawi, Nyika Nat [ional] Park, Juniper Forest, 2340 m, 10°44’S, 22° 53’ E, 22.XII.2010, R. Murphy legit, GS 5333 GB, RCGB; 1 female, Malawi, Kasungu N[ational]P[ark], Black Rock Camp, 1050 m, 13°01’S, 33°07’E, 4.I.2012, V. Kovtunovich legit, GS 6200 GB, RCGB; 1 female, Urundi [Burundi]: Kitega [Gitega, 03°26’S, 29°54’E], 10.XII.1963, Dr. M. Fontaine, GS 6204 GB, RMCA; 1 female, n 1393, N[orth] Rhodesia [Zambia], Solwezi [12°11’S, 26°24’E] 5.XII.52, P. Johnsen, GS 2957 GB, ZMUC.

Other material: 1 female, H[au]t Katanga, Panda, 18.XII.1929, J. Romieux legit, MHNG, excluded from type series because the specimen is without abdomen.

Diagnosis. Ancylogastra magnifica sp. n. (Fig. 2) externally resembles A. amphiaula (Fig. 1), especially in faint specimens, but the forewing is slightly broader, with apex less rounded and termen almost straight, and the black median stripe is larger and reaches the termen. In the male genitalia, a shorter uncus and gnathos, the v-shaped juxta, a shorter vinculum, and a shorter phallus distinguish A. magnifica sp. n. (Figs 11, 12) from A. amphiaula (Fig. 9). The female genitalia of A. magnifica sp. n. (Fig. 27) have an almost rounded sterigma, a narrow and longer ductus bursae with a lateral arm narrow with a large and sclerotised distal sac, as opposed to the bifid sterigma and the small distal sac of A. amphiaula (Fig. 25).

Etymology. The new species derives its name from the Latin magnificus-a = marvellous, referring to the very nice habitus of the adult.

Description (Fig. 2). Wingspan: males 27–28 mm, females 27–31 mm. Labial palpi four times as long as eye diameter, dark brown with upper and inner side white. Maxillary palpi subtriangular, dark brown tipped white. Antenna bipectinate in male, with rami twice as long as flagellomere, brown with costa dark brown; in female simple, brown with costa blackish brown becoming paler distally. Frons rounded, moderately produced, white suffused with pale yellow. Ocelli and chaetosemata normally developed. Vertex white. Tegulae white with inner side black. Thorax white, suffused with pale yellow. Forewing subtriangular, with rounded apex and termen large and straight; ground colour white with scattered black and brown scales; medial stripe blackish brown, enlarging distally and reaching termen, subdorsal stripe narrow, blackish brown, reaching termen; subterminal area poorly defined by a white and brown inner fascia; seven black subterminal dots; fringes silvery white with short scales tipped bronze brown; underside brown suffused with white. Hindwing white with brown suffusion and brown terminal line below apex; fringes white; underside white suffused with brown along costa. Foreleg bronze brown; mid and hindleg bronze brown with inner side white. Abdomen grey with first segments bordered with brown; sternites grey brown; anal tuft ivory yellow. Sclerotisations of male abdominal segment VIII as in Fig. 13.

Male genitalia (Figs. 11, 12). Uncus slightly longer than gnathos, almost straight and with rounded apex. Gnathos with slightly upcurved tip. Tegumen very long and narrow. Vinculum stout, caudally bifid. Pseudosaccus subconical, small. Juxta large, v-shaped, folded apically. Valva elongated, five times longer than average width, with ventrobasal bulge and rounded cucullus; costal arm longer than valva, narrow, strongly sclerotised, distally upcurved and with acuminate apex. Phallus short, two-thirds of valva length, broad, distally upcurved; vesica with one small subtriangular cornutus and scattered scobinations.

Female genitalia (Fig. 27). Papillae anales elongated, with rounded extremities. Apophyses posteriores basally drop-like, then very narrow and slightly curved apically. Abdominal segment VIII subrectangular, moderately sclerotised.Apophyses anteriores slightly longer than apophyses posteriores, narrow, slightly curved. Sterigma with lamella antevaginalis slightly produced, rounded or slightly concave medially. Ostium bursae moderately sclerotised. Ductus bursae twice longer than corpus bursae, with a short hourglass-shaped sclerotisation basally, then wrinkled and partially scobinate; lateral extension longer than ductus bursae, arm narrow and sclerotised, distal sac spongy and sclerotised in posterior half of its length. Corpus bursae suboval, membranous with rows of scobinations basally and medially.

Distribution. Widespread in Central Africa: Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi and Zambia.