Scythris pelinaula Meyrick, 1916: 14

D’Entrèves, Pietro Passerin, Bengtsson, Bengt Å. & Roggero, Angela, 2012, Taxonomic note on Scythris pangalactis Meyrick 1933, with the description of a new species from Iran and a new synonymy (Lepidoptera, Gelechioidea, Scythrididae), Zootaxa 3323, pp. 50-56 : 54-56

Scythris pelinaula Meyrick, 1916: 14

( Figs 2 A, 3A–B)

Type material. Lectotype Ψ: Kaolach, Senegal ( BMHN). Paralectotype Ψ, same locality ( BMHN). Scythris pangalactis Meyrick, 1933: 369 new synonymy

Type material. The type locality is Dar-Fur, El Fasher, Sudan. The only specimen (Ψ) labelled as type in BMHN collection (K. Tuck, pers. comm.) is here designed as lectotype of Scythris pangalactis , while the second specimen from the same locality is designed as paralectotype.

Other specimens examined. Saudi Arabia: 1 ɗ, 1 Ψ [ SMNK] SW Arabia, Wadi Maraba, 142 km N of Jizan, 350 m, 13.iv.1979, Amsel leg. (Genital slides 3305 and 2231 PdE); 1 ɗ [ SMNK] Wadi Marah, 81 km S of Biljurshi, Asir region, SW Arabia, 2000 m, 26–27.iv.1979, Amsel leg. (Genital slide 3304 PdE); 1 ɗ [ SMNK] Ryad, central Arabia, 700 m, 31.viii–16.ix.1959, Diehl leg. (Genital slide 3714 PdE); 2 ɗɗ [ SMNK] Al Dalhan, near Ash Sherayi, 2180 m, 19–20.ix.1980, W. Büttiker leg. (Genital slides 9380 and 9384 PdE); 1 Ψ [ SMNK] Wadi Marah, 81 km S of Biljurshi, Asir region, SW Arabia, 2000 m, 29.iv–2.v.1979, Amsel leg. (Genital slide 3316 PdE). Jordan: 1 ɗ [ SMNK] Dead Sea southern coast, 15–27.iii.1933, Amsel leg. (Genital slide no. 845 PdE). Iran: 1 Ψ [ MIZT] Anbar-Abad (Djiroft), SO Iran, 21–30.iv.1956, Richter leg. (Genital slide 837 PdE).

Diagnosis. Externally, S. pelinaula closely resembles S. tridentata sp. nov., described above, and S. monochreella (Ragonot, 1896), with which it is often confused. Other similar cream-white species, such as S. nivicolor Meyrick, 1916, S. pollicella Bengtsson, 2002 a, and S. multiplicella Bengtsson, 1997 a, occur in sympatry. These species have markedly different male genitalia, allowing them to be easily identified through the study of these structures.

Description. Forewing length 12–16 mm. Male ( Fig. 2 A). Forewing upper surface evenly whitish to light brown; yellowish white fringe. Hindwing upper surface whitish, glossy, with yellowish cream fringe. Forewing and hindwing lower surface evenly very light brown, and glossy. Cream-white head, with yellowish white palpi, and light cream proboscis. Light brown thorax and abdomen. Legs from yellowish white to very light brown. Antenna almost as long as the forewing, evenly brown, except for the very light brown scape and firsts segments. Male genitalia ( Fig. 3 A–B). Uncus elongate and narrow, pentagon-shaped, bearing thick, long setae on sides. Gnathos forming a large arch, with three sharp prolongations, the medial one twice longer than lateral ones and down-arched at tip; lateral protuberances thorn-shaped, larger at base. Tegumen almost as long as uncus, triangular. Medial edges of valvae fused for almost the proximal two-thirds. Valvae short and subtriangular, with sharp apex bearing very long setae. Phallus very short and stout, one third as long as valvae, down-turned, articular process short, well-sclerotized and distally inserted near apex of valvae. Juxta well-sclerotized and Y-shaped encircling phallus at base. Vinculum broad, partially fused with valvae. S8 subtriangular, with two diverging prongs at apex, and two small protuberances at base fused to T8. T8 constituted by two symmetrical portions partially fused only at apex, each one bearing a well-developed and often bifid expansion at side, and well-sclerotized base. Female. External features identical to those of the male. Female genitalia. Papillae anales oval and membranous. Apophyses posteriores two-thirds longer then apophyses anteriores. Sterigma small, cap-shaped. Ostium bursae oval and narrow. Segment 8 longitudinally carrying semilunar wrinkles. Well-sclerotized segment 7 ventrally with a dome-shaped sclerotization (notched in middle at distal margin, spatular apices of notch downturned) and dorsally with subrectangular sclerotization. Individual variation. Specimens of S. pelinaula show minor colour variation, some specimens having slightly darker forewings (i.e., very light brown), often with the apices light brown.

Biology. The life cycle is unknown. In Saudi Arabia the species was collected from March to May and from August to September, while the Jordan specimen was collected in March, and the Iranian one in April. Larvae were collected on Acacia tortilis (Phabaceae) , the only known host plant until now ( Ghesquière 1940).

Distribution. The species is widespread in the Afrotropical region and in the southern portion of the Eastern Palaearctic region. Material previously identified as S. pelinaula must be carefully re-examined to determine if there are cryptic species within the S. tridentata species-group. Specimens have been found in Bandar Abbas, Iran ( Passerin d’Entrèves & Roggero 2010) and Jiroft, Iran, where it is sympatric with S. tridentata sp. nov. (see above).

Remarks. This species is closely related to S. tridentata sp. nov. from Iran. The female genitalia were published as S. pangalactis by Bengtsson (2002b) without describing them. The male and female of S. pelinaula were matched by BÅB on the basis of the discovery of both sexes in the same localities and date.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Facies. A, S. pelinaula; B, S. tridentata. Scale bar = 2 mm.

FIGURE 3. S. pelinaula. A, S 8 and T 8. B, complex uncus-gnathos-tegumen-phallus-vinculum; S. tridentata. C complex uncus-gnathos-tegumen-phallus-vinculum. D, S 8 and T 8. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.