A newly discovered biodiversity hotspot of many-plumed moths in the Mount Cameroon area: first report on species diversity, with description of nine new species (Lepidoptera, Alucitidae)

Peter Ustjuzhanin; Vasily Kovtunovich; Szabolcs Sáfián; Vincent Maicher; Robert Tropek

doi:10.3897/zookeys.777.24729

A newly discovered biodiversity hotspot of many-plumed moths in the Mount Cameroon area: first report on species diversity, with description of nine new species (Lepidoptera, Alucitidae)

Zookeys. 2018 Jul 30:(777):119-139. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.777.24729. eCollection 2018.

Authors

Peter Ustjuzhanin¹, Vasily Kovtunovich², Szabolcs Sáfián³, Vincent Maicher^{3

4}, Robert Tropek^{3

5}

Affiliations

¹ Altai State University, Lenina 61, Barnaul, 656049, Russia Altai State University Barnaul Russia.
² Moscow Society of Nature Explorers, Bolshaya Nikitskaya 6, Moscow, RU-103009, Russia Moscow Society of Nature Explorers Moscow Russia.
³ Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czechia University of South Bohemia České Budějovice Czech Republic.
⁴ Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czechia Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology České Budějovice Czech Republic.
⁵ Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, CZ-12844 Prague, Czechia Charles University Prague Czech Republic.

Abstract

Fifteen species of many-plumed moths are recorded from the Mount Cameroon area, SW Cameroon, West Africa. Nine species: Alucitalongipenis Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, sp. n., A.lidiya Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, sp. n., A.ludmila Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, sp. n., A.escobari Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, sp. n., A.mischenini Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, sp. n., A.fokami Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, sp. n., A.janeceki Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, sp. n., A.besongi Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, sp. n., and A.olga Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, sp. n., are described as new for science. Four species are recorded as new from Cameroon: A.acalyptra, A.chloracta, A.coffeina, and A.spicifera. By these records, the Mount Cameroon area has become the richest known Afrotropical locality for the Alucitidae, highlighting its tremendous value for biodiversity conservation.

Keywords: Alucitidae; Cameroon; Mount Cameroon; biodiversity; many-plumed moths; new records; new species; tropical rainforest.