Ezishnola nitidipicta, László, 2025

Ezishnola nitidipicta View in CoL sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A2B0E55B-F91C-4A0D-A038-866E70AEBC92

( Figs 9–12 View Figures 1–15 , 42–43 View Figures 38–43 , 63–64 View Figures 59–66 )

Holotype. Male , “ REPUBLIC OF CONGO 540m / Odzala-Kokoua National Park, / Kokoua base / 01°28'39"N, 15°16'42"E / 05–13.ix.2024 MV light trap / Bashford, M., László, G., / Talani, M., Volynkin, A. leg. / ANHRT:2024.15” // “ANHRTUK / 00413067” // “Gen. slide No. / LGNA 1961 ♂ / prep. by Gy.M. Laszlo ” ( ANHRT). GoogleMaps

Paratypes.

Republic of Congo. 3 males, with the same data as the holotype, gen. slide Nos: LGNA 1453, LGNA 1454 GoogleMaps ; 1 male, Odzala-Kokoua National Park , Imbalanga Camp, 00°45'47"N, 15°15'39"E, 480m, 05– 11.iv.2024, actinic light trap, Bashford, M., László, G., Talani, M., Yaba Ngouma, S. leg. GoogleMaps ; 1 male, same site and collectors, 05–09.iv.2024, MV light trap, gen. slide No.: LGNA 1519; 2 males, 2 females, Nouabale-Ndoki National Park , Mbeli camp, 02°14'23.8"N, 16°23'52.1"E, 372m, 14–20.ii.2023, actinic and MV light trap, Bakala N., M., Dérozier, V., Kirk-Spriggs, A., László, G. leg., gen. slide Nos: ANHRT 02551 , ANHRT 02555 (males), ANHRT 02550 , LGNA 1503 (females) ( ANHRT) GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis. Forewing length 10.0–11.0 mm in males, 11.0– 11.5 mm in females. Ezishnola nitidipicta sp. n. is reminiscent of E. inopinata but can be distinguished by its paler, whitish-grey forewing ground colour, the more contrasting, narrower and shorter fascia between the outer angle of postmedial line and the termen, and the typically less extensive tornal patch of the forewing.

In terms of male genitalia, E. nitidipicta sp. n. is easily distinguishable from all other species in the genus by the shape of the valva, which extends distally into a short and narrow but prominent rounded-quadrangular apical projection. In all other aspects of the male genitalia, E. nitidipicta sp. n. shares identical features with its congeners.

In the female genitalia, this new species has a pair of small, elongated, elliptical signa bursae. In contrast, all other species possess considerably larger signa bursae, except for E. congolana sp. n., which has even smaller but more rounded signa compared to E. nitidipicta sp. n. Another species displaying similarly small signa bursae is E. pindura sp. n.; however, this latter new species has a slightly shorter ductus bursae, a longer tubular distal, and a smaller dilated proximal section of the corpus bursae and broader, less elongate signa compared to E. nitidipicta sp. n.

Genetic information. This species was not included in the genetic analyses.

Etymology. The specific epithet is a compound word made up of the Latin adjectives “ nitidus ”, meaning “ bright ”, and “ pictus ”, meaning “ painted ”, referring to the bright and contrasting markings of this new species.

Distribution. Ezishnola nitidipicta sp. n. is known solely from the Northwestern Congolian lowland forests of the Nouabalé-Ndoki and Odzala-Kokoua National Parks in northern Congo.