Geraldocossus is a monotypic genus of moths in the Politzariellinae subfamily of the carpenter miller moths.[1] Its sole species, Geraldocossus durrelli, is found in Cameroon.[2] It is solely known from two male specimens.[2]

Geraldocossus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Cossidae
Genus: Geraldocossus
Yakovlev & Sáfián, 2016[1]
Species:
G. durrelli
Binomial name
Geraldocossus durrelli
Yakovlev & Sáfián, 2016[1]

Description

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Geraldocossus durrelli is of medium size, with a forewing length of 15 mm. Its short and wide forewings are darkly coloured with a faint pattern and have rounded apices and mottled black and brown fringes. The hindwings are an unpatterned dark grey with a uniformly grey fringe. The underside of the forewings is black, that of the hindwings is grey; both hold no patterns. The thorax and abdomen are covered with dark scales, brown in case of the thorax and black on the abdomen. Antennae are simple.[2]

G. durrelli can be distinguished from other species in the Politzariellinae subfamily based on male genitalia, from which it differs by the presence of needle-like spines at the apices of the gnathos branches and by the complicated juxta-structure which includes three pairs of lateral processes.[2]

Distribution

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G. durrelli is known solely from Mount Cameroon, where both known specimens were collected on the south-western slope at an altitude of 1100 m above sea level, in the submontane zone.[2]

Etymology

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Both the generic and specific name are in honour of Gerald Durrell.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Geraldocossus | AfroMoths". www.afromoths.net. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Yakovlev, R. V.; Sáfián, S. (26 May 2016). "Geraldocossus gen. nov. (Lepidoptera, Cossidae) from Mount Cameroon (West Africa)". Zootaxa. 4114 (5): 595–599. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4114.5.8. PMID 27395152. Retrieved 8 March 2017.