Coleophora antiatlasella Tabell, 2023

Tabell, Jukka, Kullberg, Jaakko, Mutanen, Marko, Tokár, Zdenko & Sihvonen, Pasi, 2023, New and little known Coleophora Hübner, 1822 species from Morocco. Part I (Lepidoptera, Coleophoridae), Zootaxa 5374 (2), pp. 151-195 : 169-170

Coleophora antiatlasella Tabell , sp. nov.

Barcode Index Number: BOLD:ACY6522

Figs. 12, 13, 25, 45, 46, 60

Type material. Holotype ♀ (GP 5438 J. Tabell, DNA sample 24532 Lepid Phyl ): Morocco, Anti-Atlas , Tiznit Prov., Tafraout 24 km SW, 1125 m, [29.5806 N 9.1727 W] 13.IV.2015, J. Tabell leg. http://id.luomus.fi/GBT.20 (coll. MZH) . Paratype: 1 ♂ (GP 5457 J. Tabell, DNA sample 24528 Lepid Phyl ) Morocco, Tiznit Prov., Mirleft 3.2 km SSW, 10 m, 12.IV.2015, J. Tabell leg. (coll. TAB) .

Diagnosis. C. antiatlasella is close to C. scabrida Toll, 1959 , C. adipella sp. n., and C. antiqua Baldizzone, 2020. Male genitalia can be distinguished by the shape of sacculus (dorsocaudal protuberance markedly broader in C. antiqua), cucullus (narrower in C. antiqua, shorter in C. scabrida ) and phallotheca (shorter in C. antiqua and C. scabrida ). Female genitalia are similar to those of C. adipella , but the anterior apophysis and the colliculum are shorter, and C. sarehma , but the spinulate section of ductus bursae is markedly shorter.

Molecular data. Both type specimens were sequenced successfully, resulting in 658 bp barcodes. The nearest neighbour to C. antiatlasella is C. adipella , with a 1.86 % minimum divergence. The barcodes of C. antiatlasella exhibit 0.15 % maximum intraspecific variation. Male and female specimens are considered conspecific based on the DNA information.

Description.Adult. Wingspan 10.5 mm. Antenna white, annulated with brown, first segments covered by ochreous white scales. Scape ochreous white, below brown, not tufted. Labial palp dirty white, below pale brown, second article 2x longer than third article. Head, thorax and tegula pale ochreous brown, mixed with white. Forewing pale ochreous brown with scattered dark brown scales and white scales. Costal stripe from base to ½, distinctly edged, then expanded to near apex, no distict lower margin. Costal fringe cilia pale ochreous white to pale ochre, dorsal fringe cilia brownish grey. Hindwing pale grey, fringe cilia pale brownish grey, apically paler. Abdomen light grey, slightly lustrous. In female dark scales are blackish brown and form short stripes.

Abdominal structures. No tergal latero-posterior bar. Transverse bar slightly curved, slightly tapered medially, proximal edge broadly sclerotized, distal edge unsclerotized medially. Tergal sclerite 3–3.5x as long as wide, covered with 30 conical spines (on T3).

Male genitalia. Gnathos knob suborbicular. Tegumen constricted medially, pedunculum slightly dilated. Transtilla narrow, apically expanded. Valvula thimble-shaped, moderately narrow. Cucullus ear-shaped, slightly tapered basally. Sacculus well sclerotized; ventral margin slightly convex, oblique, ventrocaudal angle rounded, with a sclerotized ridge; dorsocaudal angle with a robust hook-shaped protuberance pointing inwards; dorsal margin with a small roundish tooth. Phallotheca very long, apex swollen, membranous, rods partially fused, narrow, with a small triangular apical tooth. Vesica broad, with a bundle of four spiniform cornuti.

Female genitalia. Papilla analis elongate, narrow, covered with short bristles. Anterior apophysis as long as sterigma, posterior apophysis 2.3x as long as anterior one. Sterigma trapezoidal, 1.3x as wide as long, proximal margin straight, distal margin rounded, covered with short bristles, medial excavation wide and deep. Ostium broadly U-shaped, situated medially on sterigma. Colliculum tubular, 1.35x as long as sterigma, slightly tapered anteriorly, well sclerotized, surfaced with fine horizontal ridges. Spinose part of ductus bursae as long as colliculum, straight, with two lateral bands, posterior section of ductus bursae sclerotized, coiled, anterior section membranous, narrow, coiled. Corpus bursae ovoid, with a leaf-shaped signum.

Biology. Early stages unknown.

Distribution. Morocco, known from two localities.

Etymology. The specific name refers to the collecting area of the paratype specimen.