Mesophleps palpigera ( Walsingham, 1891 )

Li, Houhun & Sattler, Klaus, 2012, A taxonomic revision of the genus Mesophleps Hübner, 1825 (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) 3373, Zootaxa 3373, pp. 1-82 : 23-24

Mesophleps palpigera ( Walsingham, 1891)

( Figs 1, 26, 60, 89, 119)

Gelechia palpigera Walsingham, 1891 , Trans. ent. Soc. Lond. 1891: 94, pl. 4, fig. 31. LECTOTYPE ♀ [not ♂], MOZAM- BIQUE, Baía de Maputo (‘Delagoa Bay’) (Druce) (Walsingham no. 9322) (slide no. 3686; BMNH), here designated [examined].

♂, ♀. Wingspan 9.0–15.5 mm. Labial palpus recurved, variable, segment 2 round in cross-section, distally not much thicker than at base, dark brown to black, apex slightly thickened dorsally with white scales; segment 3 about three-quarters length of 2, white, rarely some black scales on apex. Antenna with alternating greyish white and brown rings. Forewing yellowish brown to light ochreous brown, dorsum sometimes darker greyish brown; costa basally with delicate brown edge, distal three-fifths with slightly wider brown to blackish brown stripe interrupted by faint oblique white line running from distal quarter towards termen, black spots variable, discal and plical often small, sometimes absent, plical often streak-like, discocellular and tornal sometimes large, connected by shadow; termen with small number of indistinct black spots, usually two near apex more distinct.

Genitalia ♂ ( Fig. 60). Uncus sub-rectangular, with lateral margins more or less parallel and caudal margin slightly convex; gnathos hooks slender, about four-fifths length of uncus; downturned distal part of vinculum about one-third its total length, anterior and posterior margins slightly concave, posteriorly sclerotized, sometimes medially with small incision; phallus short, basal three-quarters bulbous, distal quarter abruptly narrowed.

Genitalia ♀ ( Figs 89, 119). Dorso-posterior margin of segment VIII strongly convex; subostial plate variable, more or less trapezoid, caudal margin straight to weakly concave at ostium bursae; sclerotized antrum short, usually funnel-shaped; ductus bursae thin, about twice length of apophyses anteriores, entering corpus bursae posterolaterally; corpus bursae ovoid to weakly pyriform, anteriorly broad, posteriorly tapered, slightly longer than ductus bursae; ductus seminalis from cervix bursae.

Remarks. G. palpigera was originally described from ‘Type, ♂ ♀, Mus. Wlsm.’. According to the labelling of the two specimens, Walsingham’s description and illustration were based on his ‘female’, and it would seem logical to designate that specimen as the lectotype. However, doing so would have some undesirable consequences as unfortunately both specimens are females and are not conspecific; in fact, although they are extremely similar superficially, they represent two different species-groups within the genus Mesophleps . Basing the identity on Walsingham’s original female would leave the species currently known as palpigera without a name whilst M. nairobiensis would have to be synonymized. Bradley dissected in 1956 the syntype labelled by Walsingham as a male, and many subsequent identifications were based on a comparison with that specimen, and although it lacks the head and the genitalia preparation (BMNH slide no. 3686) is far from perfect, we reluctantly designate it here as the lectotype to preserve almost 50 years’ identifications of ‘ palpigera ’ and thus maintain stability. The syntype correctly labelled by Walsingham as a female is M. nairobiensis .

Variation observed in some parts of the male and female genitalia appears to be individual rather than geographic. In the male the uncus is slightly variable; in a specimen from the Ivory Coast (slide no. 23309) it is posteriorly more strongly convex than in specimens from Uganda and Malawi. In the female there is some variation in the shape of the subostial plate and the length of the antrum. The latter may be shorter than the subostial plate, of equal length or, on rare occasions, slightly exceeding its anterior edge.

Biology. Host-plants (bred specimens examined): Bauhinia , Parkinsonia aculeata (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae ), Acacia sp. , Albizia (‘ Cathormion ’) altissimum ’, A. lebbeck (Leguminosae, Mimosoideae ), Cajanus cajan , Crotalaria retusa , Lonchocarpus cyanescens , Millettia zechiana , Pericopsis (‘ Afrormosia ’) laxiflora , Tephrosia bracteolata (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae ).

Incorrect or unconfirmed host-plants: Shorea robusta (Dipterocarpaceae) ; Cassia , Senna corymbosa , S. obtusifolia (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae ); Leucaena (Leguminosae, Mimosoideae ); Crotalaria sp. , C. saltiana , Glycine sp. , G. max , Indigofera sp. , Lablab purpureus , Sophora tomentosa , Tephrosia sp. , T. candida , T. hookeriana , T. sinapou (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae ); Coffea sp. , C. liberica , C. quillou (Rubiaceae) ( Robinson et al. 2001: 263). Pithecellobium pallens (Leguminosae, Mimosoideae ) ( Grimm 1995: 321). Parkinsonia aculeata (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae ) ( Van Klinken 2005: 414).

Distribution. Ivory Coast, Niger, Nigeria, Zaire, Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Madagascar, South Africa. All records of M. palpigera (‘ Brachyacma palpigera ’) from India, Sri Lanka, Seychelles, China ( Gaede 1937: 423), Vietnam (‘ Tonkin, Cho Ganh (Duport)’) [Ninh Binh Province, Cho Ganh (= Cho Ghenh), 20°10’N 105°57’E] ( Joannis 1931: 725), the Philippines ( Diakonoff [1968]: 157), New Guinea (‘Mafulu 4000 ft xii.; Kokoda 1200 ft vii (Cheesman)’) ( Meyrick 1938: 513), Australia ( Edwards 1996: 198) and the New World (various authors) are incorrect and apply to other Mesophleps species.

Material examined (15 ♂♂, 37 ♀♀, including 4 ♂♂, 18 ♀♀ genitalia preparations)

Ivory Coast: 8 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀, Lamto, ex Lonchocarpus cyanescens , Tephrosia bracteolata , Millettia zechiana , Parkinsonia aculeata , Afrormosia laxiflora , Cathormion altissimum , Crotalaria retusa , larvae vii, viii, xi–i., em. viii, ix, xii– i.1981 –1984 (Gillon). Niger: 2 ♂♂, Borodarou, ex pod of Acacia , 20.i.2000 (Polaszek & Bal.). Nigeria: 1 ♀, Ibadan, 8.xii.1913 (Lamborn). Zaire (‘Belgian Congo’): 2 ♀♀, Eala, bred iii.1936 (Ghesquiere). Uganda: 1 ♀, Kawanda, ex Bauhinia sp. (BR 1901), iv.1959 (Matega); 4 ♀♀, Ruwenzori Range, Semliki forest, 2850 ft, 22.vii.–3.ix.1952 (Fletcher); 2 ♀♀, Ruwenzori Range, Bugoye, 4500 ft, 5–10.ix.1952 (Fletcher); 2 ♀♀, Ruwenzori Range, Ibanda, 4700 ft, 4–12.viii.1952 (Fletcher); 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, Kampala, 3.iii.1930, 26.iii.1932, x.1935, (Hargreaves; Taylor); 4 ♀♀, Mabira Forest, 3000 ft, 15.vii.2000 (Agassiz). Kenya: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Nairobi, 15.xii.1990 – 1.v.1991 (Houhun Li) ( NKUM); 1 ♀, Thika, 6000 ft, 30.iii.1999 (Agassiz). Malawi (‘Nyasaland’): 3 ♀♀, from dry seed pods of Albizia lebbeck , 1, 2.iv.1933, (Lamborn); 2 ♂♂, Blantyre, Agricultural Development Division, Matapwata Mangunda, ex Cajanus cajan (unspecified); 1 ♀, Mt Mulanje (15°58'S 35°39'E), 1000 m, 9.xii.2002 (Agassiz). Mozambique: 1 ♀, lectotype of G. palpigera (as above); Madagascar: 1 ♀, Betroka, xi.1953 (Diehl). South Africa: 1 ♀, Mpumalanga (‘Transvaal’), Barberton, 5.xii.1910 (Janse); 1 ♀, KwaZulu-Natal (‘Natal’), 22.iii.1967 (Taylor); 2 ♀♀, KwaZulu-Natal (‘Natal’), Clansthal, 15.iii.1979 (Whitebread).