Spulerina cuneata, Sruoga & Prins, 2023

Sruoga, Virginijus & Prins, Jurate De, 2023, New species, new country distribution records, and a new generic combination of Afrotropical Acrocercopinae (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), Zootaxa 5285 (1), pp. 75-115 : 102-104

Spulerina cuneata , sp. n.

( Figs 20A–H )

Material examined. Holotype: ♁, Congo Dem. Rep., Bas-Congo, 320 m, Nat. Res. Luki-Mayumbe , 05°27’S 13°05’E, 15.iii.2006, leg. J. & W. De Prins. Gen. prep. VS558, in coll. RBINS. Paratype: 1♁, same label as in holotype. Gen. prep. VS515, in coll. RBINS.

Diagnosis. In wing pattern and male genitalia, this species closely resembles Spulerina multispina sp. nov. and S. polula sp. nov. known from the same locality. The new species is hardly distinguishable by external characters, however, it can be well diagnosed in male genitalia. The main differences are the following: (1) valva in S. cuneata parallel-sided on basal 2/3, in S. multispina sp. nov. on basal 1/2, and in S. polula sp. nov. on basal 3/5; (2) in S. cuneata the length/width ratio of longest tooth of fan-shaped comb is 6, in S. multispina sp. nov. it is 4, and in S. polula sp. nov. it is 2; (3) tegumen in S. cuneata with 2 pairs of subapical setae, in S. multispina with one pair, and in S. polula sp. nov. with 3 pairs of subapical setae; (4) vesica in S. cuneata sp. nov. with numerous tiny cornuti scattered in apical part of the aedeagus, in S. multispina sp. nov. it is with stronger spines aggregated in a large mass, and in S. polula sp. nov. vesica is with one long rod-like cornutus and two rows of smaller ones.

Description. Adult ( Figs 20A, B ). Forewing length: 2.7–2.8 mm.

Head: Frons and vertex white with few pale yellow-brown scales; occipital tufts brownish grey. Labial palpus ca. 2 times as long as width of head, drooping, white, second palpomere grey-brown in apical part, terminal palpomere with some grey-brown scales medially. Maxillary palpus 0.4 as long as width of head, basal palpomere white and terminal grey-brown. Antenna 1.2 as long as forewing, scape white, with large grey-brown flap of scales below, pedicel brown-black; flagellum pale brown-grey with basal part white.

Thorax: Grey-brown; tegulae grey-brown with white posterior margin. Forewing yellowish brown with four white transverse fasciae outlined by dark brown edges; first fasciae incomplete; subapical white streak interrupted by ground colour into costal blotch with brown-black streak inside it and a small dorsal spot; greyish white apical spot very small, inconspicuous; apical fringe dark brown, subapical dorsal fringe yellow-grey. Hindwing brown-grey, its fringe scales somewhat paler. Fore coxa white, with grey-brown basal and apical patches; fore femur dark brown with small medial white patch; fore tibia dark brown, with white basal patch; tarsomeres I–III white with dark brown medial patches, tarsomeres IV–V white; mid coxa white, with dark brown apical patch; mid femur dark brown with small medial and apical white patches and subapical tuft of dark brown scales, mid tibia white, with basal and apical dark brown patches, tarsomeres I–III white with dark brown medial patches, tarsomeres IV–V white; hind coxa white with small dark brown apical patch, hind femur white with small dark brown basal and apical patches, hind tibia white, with dark brown basal and subapical patches, tarsomeres I–III white with dark brown medial patches, tarsomeres IV–V white.

Abdomen: Grey-brown dorsally and white ventrally, sterna with dark brown anterior margins. Dorsocephalic apodeme of male tergum VIII widened basally, truncated apically, about 0.6 as long as segment VII ( Fig. 20H ).

Female. Unknown.

Male genitalia ( Figs 20C–G ). Tegumen narrow and elongate, ca. 0.7 as long as valva, with two pairs of subapical and one pair of apical setae. Valva nearly straight and parallel-sided on basal 2/3, then strongly upcurved apically, thus costal margin shallowly concave at its apical 1/5; fan-shaped comb at apical 1/3 of valva, with 9–11 wide apically blunt teeth on strongly sclerotized C-shaped base; long androconial scales scattered on outer surface of valva near base and shorter and wider ones slightly caudad. Vinculum short, saccus tapered apically. Aedeagus straight, tubular, as long as valva, with two lateral sclerotized ridges on basal 1/2; vesica with numerous tiny spines apically.

Host plant(s). Unknown.

Flight period. Adults on the wing are recorded in mid-March.

Distribution. Known only from type locality in the west of DRC.

Etymology. The specific name is from the Latin ‘ cuneata ’ (wedge), in reference to the triangular shape of the saccus.

Remarks. The head in both type specimens are somewhat abraded and therefore the description is approximate.

Figures

FIGURE 20. Spulerina cuneata sp. nov., male. A, adult, scale bar 1 mm; B, head, frontal view; C, genitalia, general view (aedeagus removed); D, aedeagus; E, cornuti; F, valval comb; G, cornuti; H, caudal part of abdominal pelt. A–E, H, holotype, gen. prep. VS 558; F–G, paratype, gen. prep. VS515. Scale bar 0.1 mm.