Phyllonorycter brachylaenae ( Vári, 1961 )

Prins, Jurate De & Kawahara, Akito Y., 2012, Systematics, revisionary taxonomy, and biodiversity of Afrotropical Lithocolletinae (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), Zootaxa 3594 (1), pp. 1-283 : 87-90

25. Phyllonorycter brachylaenae ( Vári, 1961)

( Figs 59, 60 , 206–210 , 318 , 379 )

Lithocolletis brachylaenae — Vári (1961: 220–221; pl. 23, fig. 7; pl. 65, fig. 11; pl. 105, fig. 5); Bland (2010: 3).

Phyllonorycter brachylaenae — Vári & Kroon (1986: 17, 136, 157); Swain & Prinsloo (1986: 14); Kroon (1999: 12, 95); Dall’Asta et al. (2001: 33); Vári et al. (2002: 26); De Prins & De Prins (2005: 276); De Prins & Mozūraitis (2006: 59, fig. 2, 61 fig. 6).

Diagnosis. Second dorsal strigula in forewing and whitish abdomen ventrally are distinctive characters of P. brachylaenae , and distinguishes this species from P. hibiscina . In general, specimens of P. brachylaenae are slightly larger than those of P. hibiscina . However, due to variation in size of specimens, the second dorsal strigula/ patch and other external characters are not sufficient to separate this species from other Afrotropical Phyllonorycter having two fasciae, two costal and one dorsal strigula, such as the dombeyae , hibiscina , and rhynchosiae species groups. Females of P. brachylaenae have short posterior and anterior apophyses which are easily distinguished from P. hibiscina which has very long posterior apophyses. The general morphology of male genitalia in both P. hibiscina and P. brachylaenae is very similar, except slight differences in aedoeagus. P. brachylaenae lacks tiny spine on vesica, which is present in P. hibiscina .

Material examined. Holotype: ♂, [1] [ South Africa] ‘ Pretoria / 20.x.1949 / [leg.] L. Vári / Ac. [quisition] no: 184’; [2] ‘ Lithocolletis / brachylaenae Vari / Holotype’. [3] ‘G[enitalia] / 7126’. [4] ‘ Lithocolletis / brachylaenae Vári / ♂ HOLOTYPE No 6414’, in TMSA.

Paratypes: 43♂ and 36♀, (including 2♀ genitalia preparations). South Africa: 1♀, Pretoria, 23.iv.1949, [leg.] L. Vári, Ac[quisition]. no 153; G.[enitalia] 7127♀, Lithocolletis brachylaenae Vári ♀ ALLOTYPE No 6415, in TMSA . 43♂, 35♀, Pretoria, 17.x.1949, 19.x.1949, 15.iv.1950, 19.iv.1950, 20.iv.1950, 21.iv.1950, 22.iv.1950, 25.iv.1950, 26.iv.1950, 28.iv.1950, 29.iv.1950, 01.v.1950, 02.v.1950, 03.v.1950, 12.v.1950, 15.v.1950, 28.vii.1950, 31.vii.1950, 02.viii.1950, 04.viii.1950, 05.viii.1950, 08.viii.1950, 09.viii.1950, 11.viii.1950, 12.viii.1950, 30.vi.1954, 05.vii.1954, 09.vii.1954, 11.vii.1954, 13.vii.1954, 13.iii.1955, 14.iii.1955, 15.iii.1955, 18.iii.1955, 21.iii.1955, 23.iii.1955, [leg.] L. Vári, Ac[quisition]. no 184, 206, 211, 221, 226, 262, 1334, 1545; Lithocolletis brachylaenae Vári PARATYPE No 6416—6493, in TMSA .

Additional material: 4♂ and 4♀ (including 3♂ and 2♀ genitalia preparations) and 69 specimens. South Africa: 1♂, Debengeni, vii.1954, [leg.] L. Vári, Ac[quisition]. no. 1327, gen. prep. 7128♂, in TMSA . 1♀, Rustenburg, 12.iii.1956, [leg.] L. Vári, gen. prep. 7680♀, Ac[quisition]. no. 1739, in TMSA . 1♂, Pretoria, 06.v.1985, R. B. Copley, gen. prep. 7723♂, in TMSA . 1♂, 2♀ (1♀ without abdomen), Pretoria, 18.iii.1955, 23.iii.1955, 11.viii.1971, [leg.] L. Vári, Ac.[quisition] no. 1545, Phyllonorycter brachylaenae (Vári) , det. L. Vári 1961, gen. prep. De Prins 3695♂ (MRAC/KMMA 00368), specimen IDs: RMCA ENT 000004114—000004116, in RMCA. 1♂, 1♀, Pretoria, 15.iv.1950, 21.iv.1950, [leg.] L. Vári, Ac[quisition].no. 206, Lithocolletis triarcha Meyrick (misidentification), gen. prep. De Prins 3708♂ and 3709♀, and 3710♀, in ZMHB. 3 specimens, Debengeni, vii.1954, [leg.] L. Vári, Ac.[quisition] no. 1327, in TMSA . 4 specimens, Hartebeespoort Dam, Pret.[oria] Distr[ict]., 07.vii.1952, 04.viii.1952, 10.ix.1952, Ac[quisition]. no. 549, in TMSA . 56 specimens, Pretoria, 14.ix.1949, 26.x.1968, 23.vii.1971, 25.vii.1971, 28.vii.1971, 30.vii.1971, 31.vii.1971, 01.viii.1971, 04.viii.1971, 11.viii.1971, 15.viii.1971, 17.viii.1971, 18.viii.1971, 08.ix. 1971, 07.x.1975, 08.x.1975, 27.iv.1977, [leg.] L. Vári, Ac[quisition]. no 3170, 3454, in TMSA . 1 specimen, same locality data, 07.ix.1965, [leg.] G. Vári, in TMSA . 2 specimens, Pretoria N[orth], 20.vii.1961, 31.vii.1961, [leg.] D. W. Rorke, Ac[quisition]. no. 2310, in TMSA . 1 specimen, Pretoria, 27.ix.1958, [leg.] R. B. Copley, in TMSA . 2 specimens, Rustenburg 08.iii.1956, 11.iii.1956, [leg.] L. Vári, Ac.[quisition] no. 1739, in TMSA . 1 specimen, Rustenburg Natuurreservaat, 14.x.1975, Ac[quisition]. no. 3468, in TMSA . 1♀, Pretoria, 17.iv.1950, [leg.] L. Vári, Ac.[quisition] no. 211. This specimen is not mentioned in the original description ( Vári 1961: 221) but it bears exactly the same data as paratype no 6428 in the TMSA and it is labeled as a paratype in the ZMHB .

Redescription. Adult ( Figs 59, 60 ). Forewing length: 3.06–3.33 mm.

Head: Vertex tufted mainly with white, piliform scales with suffusion of ochreous piliform scales; lateral sides of vertex covered with short, ochreous, very slightly tufted scales; frons smooth, covered with long appressed, piliform, white scales. Labial palpus slightly longer than diameter of compound eye, drooping, directed lateroanteriorly or drooping and pointing ventrally, palpomere I white with dark brown, one large scale situated subapically on outer margin, palpomere II white with 2 smaller, dark brown scales situated longitudinally on outer margin, palpomere III with one tiny dark brown scale subbasally on outer margin; maxillary palpus white, haustellum developed, light beige. Antenna almost as long as forewing, flagellomeres light beige with fuscus infusion more intense at apices of flagellomeres, giving flagellum a slightly ringed appearance; pedicel beige with numerous very slender, fuscous longitudinal stripes; scape white at anterior half and ochreous posteriorly, 8–10 pecten pale ochreous, in some specimens ochreous pecten intermixed with a few white pecten.

Thorax: Ochreous golden with broad white arched band anteriorly, shiny golden ochreous posteriorly; tegula golden ochreous with white posterior half. Forewing elongate, ground colour golden ochreous with white markings consisting of basal streak, two transverse fascia, two costal strigulae and two dorsal strigulae; basal streak very fine, slightly oblique toward apex, not reaching first fascia, in most specimens not edged but a few blackish scales can be present on dorsal margin (in holotype); first white fascia at 1/4 of costa, twice broader at dorsum than at costa, oblique towards apex, 3× slightly curving, finally edged with black scales apically; second white fascia at 1/ 2 ca. twice broader at dorsum than at costa, slightly oblique towards apex, constricted at middle or subcostally, finelly edged with row of blackish scales basally and with a few dispersed scales on apical margin; first costal and first dorsal strigulae at 3/4 of forewing, opposite each other, almost of equal size (in holotype dorsal strigula is larger), triangular shaped, almost touching each other with their tips at midline or preserving small gap covered with blackish scales, first costal and first dorsal strigulae edged basally, first costal strigula in holotype edged on both sides, in many specimens only very few scales are present on apical margin of strigula, in majority of specimens apical margin of strigulae not bordered; second costal strigula at apex, brightly white, comma shaped, bordered with 7-8 black sparse scales along basal margin; 2 dorsal strigula at tornus indistinct, without bording; a patch of blackish scales at tornus surround second dorsal strigula; outer margin of tornal sector bordered with irregularly dispersed blackish scales; fringe short pale ochreous with a fringe line of a row of long blackish brown tipped scales running from apex to tornus, long light fuscous along dorsal margin. Hindwing uniformly pale fuscous, fringe light fuscous. Fore coxa pale fuscous, fore femur dark fuscous ochreous, fore tibia fuscous ochreous dorsally and dirty white ventrally, tarsomeres I and II white with fuscous apices, tarsomere III and IV entirely fuscous, tarsomere V dirty white. Mid-femur dirty white with oblique fuscous stripe basally and subapically, tibia white with oblique ochreous stripe subbasally and another latitudinal ochreous band subapically, tibial spurs white with dark ochrous subapices, tarsomere I white with broad fuscous ochreous band at subapix, tarsomere II white with fuscous ochreous apex, tarsomere III entirely fuscous ochreous, tarsomeres IV–V dirty white. Hind femur dirty white with ochreous band basally, hind tibia white with golden ochreous apical 1/3, tibial spurs white, tarsomeres I and II with pale ochreous apices, terminal tarsomeres white with pale beige shine.

Abdomen: Dark fuscous dorsally with pale fuscous shiny terminal genital segments, dirty white ventrally. Sternum VIII of male short, rounded caudally.

Male genitalia ( Figs 206–210 ). Tegumen very weakly sclerotized, conus shaped, with very short and slender setation at apical 1/4; a long stiff, thick macroseta is present on dorsal subapex of tegumen; basal half of tegumen twice broaden, covered with sparse round minute scale like soccets (visible at 200×), protrusion of tuba analis is visible. Subscaphium sharply pointed, apical sector without setae. Valvae symmetrical, ca. 250 µm long, slightly broadening apically, ventral margin only ca. 5% longer than dorsal, cucullus area somewhat quadrangular with rounded angles, slightly enlarged apically; a strongly sclerotized suture runs obliquely from 1/2 of dorsal margin towards ventroapex; median surface of valva between suture and dorsal margin is covered with long setae, sparse setae are distributed along ventral margin of valva. Vinculum sclerotized, half rounded, significantly broader caudally towards base of saccus; saccus slender, slightly bulbed caudally, moderately long, shorter than valva, ca. 217 µm long. Transtilla very strongly sclerotized, U-shaped, horizontal bar is broader than vertical ones, vertical bars narrow with blunt apices; anellus developed sclerotized, conus-shaped, strongly holding aedoeagus. Aedoeagus slightly longer than valva, ca. 306 µm in length, slightly broader at coecum and gently tapering towards blunt vesica; subvesica with two long, thick, rod-like cornuti, ca. 96 µm long, ca. 1/3 length of entire aedoeagus.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 318 ). Papillae anales laterally compressed about twice as wide as long, anterior sector more heavily sclerotized than posterior, setose with long setae irregularly dispersed; sclerotized basal bar not developed. A slender needle-like strongly sclerotized projection, ca. 146 µm long, extending from papillae anales, reaching middle of segment VIII. Posterior apophyses sclerotized, slender, broad at bases, short, ca. 250 µm long, reaching posterior margin of segment VII with their apices, apices sharp. Segment VIII weakly sclerotized, connected dorsally and ventrally. Anterior apophyses slightly longer than posterior, ca. 270 µm long, broad at bases but bases are not fused to ring, slender with sharp apices, straight. Ostium bursae round with narrow ring-like sclerotized edge, located at middle of segment VII, antrum melanized, with narrow suture along anterior part of antrum, ca. 152 µm long, sterigma (lamella post-vaginalis) as small, lightly sclerotized cuticle fold. Ductus bursae moderate, narrow, without modifications; corpus bursae somewhat narrow oblong, with a large oval area set with minute spines and long narrow band-like signum, stretching all along corpus bursae, ca. 425 µm long, just not reaching caudal sector; signum squamose, covered with short fine spines. Ductus spermathecae rather short stretches from ostium bursae to anterior margin of segment VII, membranous with 15–16 compact convolutions terminating in moderately enlarged ellipsoid vesicle located at posterior margin of segment VII.

Variation. There is a significant variation of second dorsal strigula pattern on forewing. It can vary from a comma-shaped patch to only a few elongate dirty white scales which are hardly visible.

Habitat. Understory vegetation in secondary forests. Mines of P. brachylaenae can be found together with P. hibiscina (Vári, unpublished manuscript notes).

Host plant(s). Asteraceae : Brachylaena discolor DC and B. rotundata S. Moore — Vári 1961: 221, Swain & Prinsloo 1986: 14, Kroon 1999: 12, Dall’Asta et al. 2001: 33, De Prins & De Prins 2005: 276, manuscript notes of Vári: note No 0153 of 16/04/1949, note No 0184 of 03/10/1949, note No 0206 of 10/04/1950, note No 0211 of 13/ 04/1950, no No 0221 of 15/04/1950, No 0221 of 15/04/1950, note No 0226 of 21/04/1950, note No 0262 of 22/07/ 1950, No 1327 of 15/06/1954, note No 1334 of 27/06/1954, note No 1545 of 12/03/1955, note No 1739 of 04/03/ 1956, note No 2310 of 03/07/1961, note No 3170 of 18/07/1971, note No 3454 of 23/09/1975, and note No 3468 of 08/10/1975.

Mine. A moderate, semi-circular, semi-transparent tentiform mine on the underside of the leaf without folds; fine black frass along edge of mine; pupation in very slender, white cocoon; exuvium protrudes epidermis of a leaf before adult emerges ( Vári 1961: 221, De Prins & De Prins 2005: 276). The mining period is ca. 4-14 days (See Material examined and Vári’s notes: note No 0153 of 16/04/1949, note No 0184 of 03/10/1949, note No 0206 of 10/04/1950, note No 0211 of 13/04/1950, no No 0221 of 15/04/1950, No 0221 of 15/04/1950, note No 0226 of 21/ 04/1950, note No 0262 of 22/07/1950, No 1327 of 15/06/1954, note No 1334 of 27/06/1954, note No 1545 of 12/ 03/1955, note No 1739 of 04/03/1956, note No 2310 of 03/07/1961, note No 3170 of 18/07/1971, note No 3454 of 23/09/1975, and note No 3468 of 08/10/1975.

Flight period. Adults are confirmed as active at two separate periods during the year: 1) from early March to middle of May, and 2) from late June to late October. The great majority of specimens were collected in July and August.

Distribution. ( Fig. 379 ). Recorded only from South Africa ( Vári 1961: 221).

Figures

FIGURES 57–62. Adults. Scale bar 1 mm. 57, Phyllonorycter grewiella, ♂, Yemen, Ibb, Al Qa’idah, 28.iv.1998, leg. M. Fibiger et al., in ZMUC. 58, Phyllonorycter acutulus, holotype ♂, Kenya, Aberdares, 12.iv.2000, leg. U. Dall’Asta, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000004451. 59, Phyllonorycter brachylaenae, holotype 6414♂, South Africa, Pretoria, 20.x.1949, leg. L. Vári, in TMSA. 60, Phyllonorycter brachylaenae, ♀, South Africa, Pretoria, 18.iii.1955, leg. L. Vári, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000004114. 61, Phyllonorycter dombeyae, holotype ♂, South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi, mine 15.vii.2008, leg. C. Lopez-Vaamonde, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000005040. 62, Phyllonorycter hibiscina, holotype 6403♂, South Africa, Hennops River, 12.ix.1950, leg. L. Vári, in TMSA.

FIGURES 206–210. Male genitalia. Scale bar 100 µm. 206–210, Phyllonorycter brachylaenae. 206–207, the drawing is made by Willy De Prins after the genitalia prep. Vári 7523, in TMSA. 206, lateral view. 207, aedoeagus. 208–210, genitalia prep. De Prins 3709, in ZMHB. 208, ventral view. 209, sternum VIII. 210, aedoeagus.

FIGURES 318–319. Female genitalia. Scale bar 200 µm. 318, Phyllonorycter brachylaenae, genitalia prep. De Prins 3710, in ZMHB. 319, Phyllonorycter dombeyae, paratype, genitalia prep. MRAC/KMMA 00459, in RMCA.

FIGURES 379–390. Distribution of Afrotropical Lithocolletinae species. 379, Phyllonorycter brachylaenae. 380, Phyllonorycter dombeyae. 381, Phyllonorycter hibiscina. 382, Phyllonorycter ipomoellus. 383, Phyllonorycter turensis. 384, Phyllonorycter hibiscola. 385, Phyllonorycter lemarchandi. 386, Phyllonorycter albertinus. 387, Phyllonorycter caudasimplex. 388, Phyllonorycter leucaspis. 389, Phyllonorycter ololua. 390, Phyllonorycter didymopa.