Tricerophora commaculata (Meyrick, 1921)
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https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/dez.65.25747 |
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lsid:zoobank.org:pub:4FE56A19-4D03-4C35-B4E5-CB1E7469B4CC |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/FF205684-6F71-55A8-989F-F642F3A0C73F |
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scientific name |
Tricerophora commaculata (Meyrick, 1921) |
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Tricerophora commaculata (Meyrick, 1921)
Telphusa commuculata Meyrick, 1921 - Annals of the Transvaal Museum 8 (2): 69
Type material examined.
Holotype of T. commaculata , ♀: [Mozambique] "Magude, 11.1910, C.J. Swierstra" | " Telphusa commaculata Meyr., Type Mo. 2517." | "g. 5544" | “994” ( TMSA). Paratypes: 2 ♂, Inyack Isl., ix.1910 (Breijer) (gen. slide 5282, 8617) ( TMSA).
Other material examined.
1 ex. (abdomen missing), [ Mozambique] Lour. Marques, xi.3.21, P.E.A. (Hardenberg) ; 1 ♂, 1 ex. (abdomen missing), [ South Africa], Pretoria N., ix. 1949 (G. v. Son) (gen. slide 8408) ; 1 ♀, Pretoria N., x.1948 (G. van Son) (gen. slide 8406) ; 2 ♂, Zoutpan, Pta , 4-10.ii.1929 (G.v.Son) (gen. slide 5152; 606/14, O. Bidzilya) ; 1 ♂, Lower Sabi , 26.iii.1952 (Janse & Vari) ; 1 ex. (abdomen missing), Lower Sabi , 26.iii.1962 (Janse & Vari) (all TMSA) ; 1 ♂, Zimbabwe, Bulawayo, Matopo Nat. Park , 28-30.xi.1993 (Mey & Ebert) (gen. slide 322/07, O. Bidzilya) ( MfN) .
Diagnosis.
The species is defined by black forewings with white area along dorsal margin and diffuse white spots on 1/3 and 2/3 on costal margin. Externally is nearly indistinguishable from T. rukinga sp. n. and T. pundamilia sp. n. The valva, broadened medially on base, wrinkled and curved inwardly before middle, and the medially displaced sacculus are characteristic for the male genitalia. The female genitalia are distinct by the tubular antrum sub-equal in length with sternum VIII and the apophysis anterioris, together with the funnel-shaped ostium and long arms of the signum.
Description.
Adult (Figs 1-4 View Figures 1–10 ): Wingspan 15.0-18.0 mm. Head, thorax and tegula white to light grey; segment 2 of labial palpus with short tufts of scales at base, underside with brush of scales, outer surface black at base, three brown rings from middle to apex of segment, inner surface off-white; segment 3 narrow, pointed, light grey irregularly mottled with black; forewing narrow, prolonged, ground colour grey-whitish, densely mottled with brown and black-tipped scales, costal margin with black touch at base and in middle, broad black medial fascia from base to apex, fringe grey black-tipped; hindwing narrow, grey, apex short, weakly pointed.
Male genitalia (Fig. 21 View Figures 21–24 ): Posterolateral processes of tegumen short, pointed; uncus long, evenly curved; gnathos half the length of uncus, gradually broadened towards rounded top; tegumen a little more than twice as long as broad; valva moderately broad, weakly extending beyond the top of uncus, distinctly curved inwards and wrinkled at 1/3, inwardly broadened on base, hairy after half length, apex pointed; sacculus displaced medially, about 1/4 length of valva, with outwardly curved tip; vinculum three times as broad as long and length 1/4 of valva, posteromedial lobe narrow, pointed apically, about 1/4-1/5 length of valva; saccus broad,weakly narrowed towards rounded apex; phallus weakly swollen on base, distal portion weakly sclerotized, cornutus weakly curved, finely serrated.
Female genitalia (Fig. 29 View Figures 29–30 ): Sternum VIII 1.5 times as long as broad, lateral sclerites broadened in basal half; ostium funnel-shaped, strongly edged, weakly wrinkled; apophysis anterioris about as long as a length of segment VIII; antrum sub-equal in length in apophysis anterioris, tubular; ductus bursae as long as antrum, weakly broadened towards corpus bursae, with short colliculum; corpus bursae sub-ovate; signum with long serrated arms, the anterior one slightly longer than the posterior one, placed in lateral broadening of the corpus bursae.
Distribution.
RSA, Mozambique, Zimbabwe.
Biology.
Adults have been collected from September to November and in February-March.
Notes.
T. commaculata was described on the basis of one female holotype collected in Magude (Mozambique) and two male paratypes from Inyack Island (Mozambique). Additional specimens associated by Janse with T. commaculata are from Lourenço Marques (Mozambique), Pretoria, Zoutpan and Kruger National Park (RSA). The holotype matches externally both to paratypes and other specimens except for the head and labial palpi that are white in holotype rather than greyish-white. However, the female genitalia of the holotype (gen. slide 5544) do not match the female from Pretoria (gen. slide 8406) that is figured in the original description ( Janse 1960, Pl. 57 g, h). The males including ones from Pretoria and Zoutpan, are similar externally to the female from Pretoria and identical in the genitalia to each other. It is remains unclear if these males are conspecific with the female holotype from Magude or with the female from Pretoria. We provisionally follow Janse and consider the males being T. commaculata until additional material becomes available.
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.