Introduction

Tortricidae of Ethiopia are still very little known and since the MEYRICK (1932) publication of the results of an expedition to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) in the years 1926-1927 only the collecting trips discussed below were made. The history of the entomological expeditions of the University of Molise (Italy) to southeast Ethiopia in the years 2009 and 2010 were described by RAZOWSKI & TREMATERRA (2010). The two expeditions to the Oromia Region by the entomologists of the University of Molise and University of Milano were mentioned by same authors (RAZOWSKI & TREMATERRA, 2012). Results of an expedition made in February-March 2017 by the entomologists of the University of Molise to Amhara Region and Oromia Region in Central-Northeast Ethiopia were published by RAZOWSKI et al. (2018).

The material of the present study comes from new expeditions made in North-Western Ethiopia from August 2017 to July 2018 by Dr Tesfu Fekensa Tujuba (University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy and the Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia). The itinerary of the expeditions visited five sites of Amhara Region (Amber, Bradi, Choke Mts, Delima and Wof-Washa).

The characteristics of the collection sites are as follows.

AMBER (Figure 1): Amber is located at 30 km south of the city of Debre Markos. The collections site is situated at an elevation of 2460 m on adjacent to the main road’s north side (latitudes 10º15’15”N and longitudes 37º51’35”E). Despite the latitude, the higher parts of these regions tend to share characteristics with oceanic climates, though it also tends to be noticeably drier during the “low- sun” season, with mild summers and noticeably cooler winters. The locality receives a mean annual rainfall of 1300-1380 mm and the temperature ranges between 15ºC and 22ºC. It has a very small remaining of natural forest with evergreen shrub and tree savannah, which is often both shrubs and acacia bushes. The study area has high diversity of the medicinal plant species of the families Lamiaceae, Solanaceae and Asteraceae.

BRADI (Figure 2): Bradi natural forest is located at Guangua district, Awi Zone in North-Western Ethiopia. It is part of the Gojam Floristic Region, western Ethiopian highlands. This natural forest was categorized as Dry Evergreen Afromontane vegetation present in the territory of Blue Nile basin. The forest patch is situated between latitudes 10º51’4.35”N and longitudes 36º37’15.86”E. The altitudinal range lies between 1830 m and 2182 m and the area encompasses 458 hectares of land. The vegetation of the area is dominated by Rothmania urcelliformis (Hiern) Bullock, Vepris dainellii (Pic. Serm.), Rytigynia neglecta (Hiern) Robyns, Albizia schimperiana (Prota) and Croton macrostachyus Hochst. ex Delite. The sites of collections are at 1830 m/a.s.l. and at 2182 m/a.s.l.

CHOKE MTS (Figures 3-4): The forest patch is situated between latitudes 10º51’4.35”N and longitudes 36º37’15.86”E. This area have quite a few springs. Most of them emerge from nowhere, creating little muddy streams with flattened yellow flowers. But there are also buzu sheep grazing at this high altitude, so most of the muddy streams became trampled with little sheep hooves and started to resemble wallowing areas. Agricultural activity is extensive, with cultivation up to 3000 m/a.s.l. In the sites were rocks and lichens. The major natural habitats are moist moorland with giant Lobelia sp., Alchemilla sp., sedges and tussocks of Festucasp. and other grasses, montane grasslands and meadows, cliffs and rocky areas. Woody plants, Erica sp., Hypericum revolutum (Forssk.) Vah and Arundinaria alpina K. Schum. are only found in patches. The collections sites are in a mosaic environment at: 2510 m/a.s.l., 2530 m/a.s.l., and 2590 m/a.s.l..

DELIMA (Figure 5): It is a dry evergreen montane forest in Machakel Woreda, East Gojjam Zone. The Machakel Woreda has an area of 79556 hectares with 23 rural kebeles in the administrative center of Amanuel. The study site is situated between three Kebeles of the Woreda (latitudes 10º37’26”N and longitudes 37º40’50”E). The average annual rain fall and temperature of the Woreda is between 900 mm to 1800 mm and 18ºC and 25ºC, respectively. Machakel region is experiencing high levels of environmental degradation. Deforestation rates are as high, and only 7% of degraded forest fragments remain. Forest fragments are dominated by few species, mainly Acacia abyssinica Hochst. ex Benth. and Croton macrostachyus Hochst. ex Delile. Forest cover is observed to be low and shrub and bush cover dominate. The collections site is at 2377 m/a.s.l.

WOF-WASHA (Figure 6): Natural forest covers an area of 54000 hectares. The area has a mean annual rainfall and temperature of about 1200 mm and 15.5ºC, respectively. The altitude of the area ranges between 1500 m and 3100 m. Wof-Washa Forest is located in North Shewa Administrative Zone (latitudes 8º58’18”N and longitudes 38º32’20”E), central highlands of Ethiopia. The forest is under steady human and livestock pressures which is believed to reduce the area of the Wof-Washa Forest as time goes on. Some of the common woody species in Wof-Washa Forest include Juniperus procera Hochst. ex Endl, Afrocarpus falcatus Thunberg, Polyscias fulva (Hiern) Harms, Hypericum revolutum Vahl, Ekebergia capensis Sparrm., Bersama abyssinica Fresen., Olea hochstetteri Bak., Celtis africana Burm., Hagenia abyssinica (Bruce) Gmel., and Prunus africana (Hook.) Kalkm. The collections site is at 2900 m/a.s.l. (BEKELE, 1994; TEKETAY & BEKELE, 1995).

During the expeditions 40 Tortricidae species were collected, 15 species of which are new to science. The new genus Thiopeiais described, and Syntozyga alatheta (Razowski & Trematerra, 2010) is a comb. n. Females of Procrica ophiograpta (Meyrick, 1933), Lobesia semosa Diakonoff, 1992, Eccopsis brunneopostica Razowski & Trematerra, 2010, and Parabactra addisalema Razowski & Trematerra, 2018 are also described. Twenty-three species were repeatedly found: Procrica ophiograpta (Meyrick 1932); Lozotaenia sciarrettae Razowski & Trematerra, 2010; Lozotaenia karchana Razowski & Trematerra, 2010; Metamesia physetoma (Meyrick, 1932); Metamesia episema Diakonoff, 1960; Metamesia designata (Meyrick, 1921); Lobesia semosa Diakonoff, 1992; Lobesia talyana Razowski & Trematerra, 2012; Eccopsis wahlbergiana Zeller, 1852; Eccopsis brunneopostica Razowski & Trematerra, 2010; Pareccopsis addis Agassiz & Aarvik, 2014; Afroploce karsholti Aarvik, 2004; Aterpia niphoclasma Diakonoff 1992; Bactra helgei Aarvik, 2008; Parabactra addisalema Razowski & Trematerra, 2010; Syntozyga alatheta (Razowski & Trematerra, 2010); Endothenia ethiopica Razowski & Trematerra, 2010; Endothenia albapex Razowski & Trematerra, 2010; Epinotia latiloba Razowski & Trematerra, 2010; Gypsonoma paradelta (Meyrick, 1925); Eucosmocydia zegiana Razowski & Trematerra, 2018; Cydia tytthaspis Razowski & Trematerra, 2010; Thaumatotibia batrachopa (Meyrick, 1908).

Material and methods

Adults were collected during the night using UV-LED light traps and from a white sheet placed behind the same light. Genitalia were prepared using standard methods, the abdomen was macerated in 10% KOH and dissected under a stereoscopic microscope, the genitalia were separated and mounted in euparal on a glass slide. Adults and slides are housed in P. Trematerra Collection, Campobasso (Italy).

Systematic part

COCHYLINI

Eugnosta amharana Razowski & Trematerra, sp. n. (Figure 7)

Material examined: Choke Mts, Holotype ♂, 2590 m, 16-V-2018 (GS 3138PT); paratypes: Choke Mts, 2510 m, 1 ♂, 7-IV-2018 (GS 3163PT). 2590 m, 1 ♂, 21-IX-2017 (GS 3164PT).

Description: Male, wing span 18 mm. Head and thorax yellow. Forewing almost uniformly broad; costa weakly convex; termen straight, slightly oblique. Ground colour yellow, basal fourth of costa and base of dorsum suffused brown, remaining part of latter spotted brown, suffused brownish-grey, browner at tornus; concolous darker suffusion from before tornus to costal half of median fascia. Markings brown extending from mid-dorsum to beyond mid-costa, oblique from median cell to latter. Cilia damaged, remnants yellowish. Hindwing cream distinctly strigulated greyish brown; cilia damaged.

Male genitalia (Figure 32): Socii long, very slender; valva tapering terminad with costa slightly curved posteriorly; sacculus simple, tapering terminad; median part of transtilla broad, deeply concave apically; juxta small; aedeagus longer than valva with short ventral termination and broad, rounded coecum penis; cornuti, two long slender, capitate spines.

Female unknown.

Dignosis: E. amharana is related to E. marginana Aarvik, 2010 from Uganda but the socius of latter is short and the median part of transtilla without terminal incision.

Etymology: The name refers to the Amhara Region (Ethiopia).