Phyllonorycter dombeyae De Prins, 2012

Prins, Jurate De & Kawahara, Akito Y., 2012, Systematics, revisionary taxonomy, and biodiversity of Afrotropical Lithocolletinae (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), Zootaxa 3594 (1), pp. 1-283 : 90-92

26. Phyllonorycter dombeyae De Prins , new species

( Figs 61 , 211–213 , 319 , 380 )

Diagnosis. The wing pattern of P. dombeyae is almost identical with that of P. hibiscina . Minor differences exist in thorax coloration. The anterior sector of the thorax of P. hibiscina is ochreous, whereas the rest of the thorax is white. In P. dombeyae the anterior sector of the thorax is white and the rest is ochreous. There are minor differences in coloration of mesothoracic legs as described above. Male genitalia of P. dombeyae closely resemble those of P. hibiscina , however, valvae in P. dombeyae are longer, more slender than in P. hibiscina . The suture on ventral valval surface follows the midline in P. dombeyae , whereas in P. hibiscina the suture is shorter and crosses the subcostal area of valval surface. The tegumen in P. dombeyae is longer and narrower and the apical part more elongate and cone shaped; in P. hibiscina the tegumen is short, broad, sharply narrowing; the length of the saccus in P. dombeyae is half that of the valva, whereas in P. hibiscina the saccus is as long as the valva or only slightly shorter. The aedoeagus is longer and slenderer in P. dombeyae than in P. hibiscina . The female genitalia of P. dombeyae can be easily distinguished from other species of the hibiscina group by their very long apophyses, almost reaching the anterior margin of segment VII, and the absence of a signum on corpus bursae.

Holotype: ♂, [1] ‘ South Africa / KwaZulu-Natal / Hluhluwe-Imfolozi N.[ature] P.[ark] / Hilltop Camp / mine 15.vii.2008 / leg. C. Lopez-Vaamonde’; [2] ‘e.l. Dombeya sp. / [ Malvaceae ] / 15.viii.2008 ’; [3] ‘Gen. Prep. 3747♂ / De Prins’; [4] ‘MRAC/KMMA / 00458’; specimen ID: [5] ‘ RMCA ENT 000005040 ’; [6] ‘Holotype ♂ / Phyllonorycter / dombeyae / De Prins, 2012 ’ in RMCA.

Paratypes: 3♂, 10♀ (including 1♂, 2♀ genitalia preparations). South Africa: 3♂, 10♀, KwaZulu-Natal, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi N.[ature] P.[ark], Hilltop Camp, mine 15.vii.2008, leg. C. Lopez-Vaamonde, e.l. Dombeya sp. [ Malvaceae ], 15.viii.2008, gen. prep. De Prins 3745♂, 3746♀, 3748♀ (MRAC/KMMA 00456, 00457, 00459), specimen IDs: RMCA ENT 000005037–000005039, 000005041, 000005043–000005049, in RMCA, 1♂, 1♀ in BMNH.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 61 ). Forewing length: 2.28–2.48 mm.

Head: Vertex slightly tufted with pale ochreous piliform scales directed radially, intermixed with dirty white scales, latter more abundant in central part of head; frons smooth, snowy white with silver shine. Labial palpus slightly longer than diameter of compound eye, narrow, drooping apically, pointed downturned, dirty white, with dark ochreous round scales running along two terminal palpomeres laterally from inner side, with two tiny dark brown spots on both lateral sides of apex of basal palpomere; maxillary palpus pale beige, small with truncaterounded apex, haustellum pale beige terminally 3–4× curved. Antenna slightly shorter than forewing, consisting of 30–31 flagellomeres; scape white at anterior half and light ochreous with dark brown tipped scales edging ochreous part of scape at posterior half; 8–10 dirty white pecten of variable length, often ca. half diameter of eye; pedicel smaller than scape, pale beige with dark ochreous in apical 1/3, following flagellomeres intermixed with dark ochreous; terminal flagellomeres entirely ochreous.

Thorax: Shiny white anteriorly with broad, pale ochreous band posteriorly, posterior tip of thorax white; tegula light ochreous with white posterior edge. Forewing light ochreous with white markings consisting of very short basal streak, two transverse fasciae, two costal strigulae, and one dorsal strigula; basal streak very short, slightly oblique, directed towards apex, not edged; first fascia at 1/4, broad, oblique towards apex, both margins parallel to each other, terminating just before costa, finely edged with blackish apically; second fascia at middle of forewing angulated, narrowed at middle, hour-glass shaped, broad at dorsum and at costa, finelly edged with blackish basally with a few blackish scales apically bordering constriction of fascia; first costal strigula at 3/4, triangular, not reaching middle of forewing, finally edged basally, extending partly to apical edge; first dorsal strigula opposite first costal strigula, triangular, as large as first costal strigula or slightly larger, ending just before middle of forewing, finely edged with black scales basally, with extention of black scale irroration between first costal and first dorsal strigulae; second costal strigula at apex, white, comma shaped, broadly and irregularly edged on both sides with numerous blackish scales; fringe line long, distinct, consisting of brown tipped scales along termen; fringe short along termen to tornus with silver shine, long whitish with golden shine along tornus. Hindwing pale grey with slight ochreous shading and with long fringe concolourous with hindwing. Fore costa and fore femur greyish fuscous with slight ochreous shading, apical part of fore femur ochreous, fore tibia greyish fuscous, tarsomeres greyish fuscous except terminal, which is dirty white; midfemur beige ochreous with white apex, mid-tibia dirty white with irroration of brownish ochreous, irregular patches on base, middle part and apex of mid-tibia, tibial spurs fuscous brownish with white apices, tarsomere I white at base and apex with dark fuscous elonagte patch in middle, tarsomere II dirty white with fuscous apex, tarsomere III fuscous, terminal tarsomeres dirty white; hind femur white with golden shine, hind tibia white at base and ochreous nearly to apex with long erect hairs, apical spurs white with fuscous subapical ring, medial spurs ca. 3/4 length of tibia, light fuscous with white apical part, tarsomere I white with subapical ochreous patch, tarsomere II white with ochreous base and apex, tarsomere III white with small, faint, ochreous spot on apex, terminal tarsomeres white.

Abdomen: Terga I–III light ochreous with bronze shine concolorous with fprewoing, following tergites ochreous–fuscous (darker than tergites I–III), genital segments beige-ochreous; abdomen whitish or pale beige ventrally. Descaled sternum VIII of males spade shaped, slightly tapering caudally with rounded caudal apex, densely set with tiny spicules.

Male genitalia ( Figs 211–213 ). Tegumen long, ca. 302 µm, subconical, truncate and weakly sclerotized at apical part, arms of tegumen broaden towards apex, abuting to each other but not contiguous at apical 2/3 of tegumen, apical part spinulosae, tuba analis not protruded, Valvae symmetrical, elongate, gradually dilating towards apex, ca. 271 µm in length, with rounded apical part, slightly down-curved; a strongly sclerotized suture, ca. 169 µm long, extending obliquely from subdorsal margin toward ventroapex; median surface of valva sparsely setose with long setae on discal area and densely on apical area, apical margin of cucullus rough, protuberant. Vinculum short, strongly sclerotized, half rounded, with short more thickly sclerotized lateral margins, forming short concave arms articulating dorsally with tegumen and ventrally with dorsal margin of valva, significantly broader caudally towards base of saccus; saccus slender, of moderate length, ca. 140 µm, gently obtuse caudally. Transtilla complete, very strongly sclerotized, H-shaped, thick, horizontal part ca. 92 µm long, cephalic lobes ca. 71 µm long; anellus weakly sclerotized, fultura superior cone shaped, supporting aedoeagus. Aedoeagus longer than saccus, ca. 250 µm long, tubular, slightly broader at coecum and gently tapering towards vesica; vesica with two long (ca. 101 µm), slender cornuti, parallel (in holotype) or abuting and contiguous (in paratype).

Female genitalia ( Fig. 319 ). Papillae anales laterally slightly compressed, dorsally ca. 50 µm high with a gradual decline ventrad of about 30%, caudally flattened, with dense, moderate (ca. 73 µm long) setae especially along caudal margin and with 6–7 long setae, ca. 83 µ m long, on dorsoventral lateral surface. Sclerotized basal bar absent. Posterior apophyses sclerotized, slender, very long (ca. 402 µ m) gently tapering, with sharp apices reaching anterior sector of segment VII. Segment VIII equally sclerotized posteriorly and anteriorly, ca. 138 µm long, slightly more than half as long as wide, rectangular well connected dorsally and ventrally. Anterior apophyses shorter than posterior apophyses, ca. 276 µm in lngth, slender, except for slight enmargement basally, straight, with sharp apices almost reaching anterior margin of segment VII. Bases of anterior apophyses small triangular shaped, situated at anterior margin of segment VIII. Ostium bursae narrow, ring-like, weekly sclerotized, located in posterior 1/3 sector of segment VIII, at upper part of arc-like sterigma; antrum tubular, very short and weakly sclerotized; sterigma (lamella post-vaginalis) well developed, occupying larger part of sternum VII, sclerotized, narrow, convex bow with rounded posterior top, sterigmatic arms broadly dilating anteriorly. Segment VII, large, ca. 351 µm long, strongly melanized, trapezoidal, posterior margin ca. 240 µm wide, anterior margin ca. 430 µm wide, margins not sclerotized. Ductus bursae weakly sclerotized, lightly curved, broad, significantly broader anteriorly, ca. 533 µm long; corpus bursae sac-like (200 × 150 µm), with gradual transition from ductus bursae to corpus bursae; a wrinkled, lightly sclerotized signum area covered with short tiny spinules occupying ventral half of corpus bursae, distinctive signum absent.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the generic name of the host plant, Dombeya .

Variation. There is a significant variation in length and degree of obliquency of the first dorsal fascia.

Habitat. Mines of P. dombeyae were collected in savannah biotope intermixed with bushes and lower trees.

Host plant(s). Malvaceae : Dombeya rotundifolia (Hochst.) Planch.

Mine. A moderate tentiform mine ca. 10–15 mm long, broad, more or less square or slightly alongate, whitishpale beige, on the underside of the leaf without folds.

Flight period. Adults were collected in August.

Distribution. ( Fig. 380 ). The species is only known from the type locality on the eastern cost of South Africa.

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 211–216. Male genitalia. Scale bar 100 µm. 211–213, Phyllonorycter dombeyae, holotype, genitalia prep. MRAC/ KMMA 00458, in RMCA. 211, ventral view. 212, sternum VIII. 213, aedoeagus. 214–216, Phyllonorycter hibiscina, genitalia prep. MRAC/KMMA 00360, in RMCA. 214, ventral view. 215, sternum VIII. 216, 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.