Phyllonorycter chionopa ( 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 : 68-69

16. Phyllonorycter chionopa ( Vári, 1961)

( Figs 41 , 182–184 , 306 , 370 )

Lithocolletis chionopa — Vári (1961: 223–224; pl. 20, fig. 6; pl. 106, fig. 4).

Phyllonorycter chionopa — Vári & Kroon (1986: 21, 136, 157), Dall’Asta et al. (2001: 33), Vári et al. (2002: 26), Triberti (2004: 81; fig. 6: A–C), De Prins & De Prins (2005: 280).

Diagnosis. The wing pattern with large white patches on a bright yellowish ochreous background is unique to this species. The male genitalia have a slender, parallel-sided, setose valva that bears a short spine dorso-apically; a well developed, laterally thickened transtilla; and a very short saccus that is not extended. This combination of characters does not occur in other Phyllonorycter species that have slender and parallel-sided valva.

Material examined. Holotype: ♀, [1] [ Namibia] ‘ Abachaus , S[outh]. W[est]. A[frica]. / Oct[ober]. ’44 / [leg.] G. Hobohm /’; [2] ‘ Lithocolletis / chionopa / Vari /’; [3] ‘G[enitalia] / 7727♀’; [4] ‘3238’; [5] ‘ Lithocolletis / chionopa Vári / ♀ HOLOTYPE No 6496’, in TMSA .

Additional material: 2♂ (including 1♂ genitalia preparation). Namibia: 1♂, Brandberg, Ugab, 30.xi.2000, LF leg. W. Mey’; Phyllonorycter chionopa Vari , det. P. Triberti (I/03); genit. prep. trb 2792, in ZMHB . 1♂, ‘Brandberg, Nuwuarib Valley, 1100 m, 1-2.xii.2000, LF leg. W. Mey; Phyllonorycter chionopa Vari , det. P. Triberti (I/03), in ZMHB.

Redescription. Adult ( Fig. 41 ). Forewing length: 3.0 mm.

Head: Vertex tufted with white piliform scales with a slight suffusion of yellow scales with golden shine; frons smooth, covered with long appressed piliform white scales. Labial palpus drooping, downturned, palpomeres pure white; maxillary palpus white; proboscis developed, light beige. Antenna slightly shorter than forewing, flagellomeres 1–4 whitish, remaining flagellomeres pale greyish.

Thorax: White, tegulae white with a few golden ochreous scales. Forewing elongate, ground colour golden yellow with white markings consisting of broad, irregularly shaped basal streak, two broad, costal, patch-like strigulae, and two dorsal patch-like strigulae; basal streak broadly ovoid, irregular margined, extending to 1/4 of forewing but not reaching costa or dorsal margin; first costal strigula at 1/2 of forewing, shaped as large triangular, extending slightly beyond midline of forewing; second dorsal strigula in apical area obliquely directed towards base, rod shaped, extending slightly beynd half of termen, with some white scales up to edge of termen; first dorsal strigula at 1/3 of forewing, crescent-shaped, ovally extended beyond half of dorsal margin, second dorsal strigula at 3/4 of forewing, smaller than first dorsal strigula, shaped as subtriangular, reaching almost midline of forewing; a small irregular white dot is present at tornus; all white markings on forewing are not edged; fringe pure white, longer at termen and shorter at dorsal margin. Hindwing uniformly white, fringe white with slight creamy shadow. Hindlegs white.

Abdomen: White. Sternum VIII of male elongate moderate, gradually tapering to rounded caudal apex.

Male genitalia ( Figs 182–184 ). Tegumen very weakly sclerotized, conus shaped, tuba analis truncate, apically covered with tiny short, numerous setae. Valvae symmetrical, slender, parallel sided, directed straight laterally, cucullus area somewhat rounded with rounded apical angle at costal margin; short thick spine directed ventrally present on dorsal apical angle of valva; medial surface with long slender setation, which significantly increases towards apex, cucullus with rough bulb-like edging. Vinculum, broad, tapers towards saccus, saccus not projecting. Transtilla strongly sclerotized, narrowed at mid-bar thickened at lateral sides; anellus developed, slightly sclerotized. Aedoeagus slightly longer than valva, broad and straight at coecum, then abruptly becomes slender and sinuous at vesica.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 306 ). Papillae anales laterally compressed, triangular, twice as broad dorsally than ventrally, covered with short fine setae; basal bar strongly sclerotized, narrow, circling posterior margin of segment VIII. Posterior apophyses sclerotized, slender, slightly broader at bases, reaching posterior margin of segment VII, apices sharply long pointed. Segment VIII weakly sclerotized, connected dorsally and ventrally. Posterior margin of segment VII is stronger sclerotized than anterior parts of segment VII. Anterior apophyses short, about half shorter than posterior apophyses, very slender with sharp apices, straight, initiating without basal plate. Ostium bursae situated at posterior margin of segment VII. Sterigmatic sclerotizations of cuticle not developed, antrum not sclerotized. Ductus bursae and corpus bursae are missing in preparation.

Habitat. Sandy floodplain, rocky slopes along dry river bed with dominant trees as Acacia montis-usti and Commiphora sp. ( Mey 2004: 10) .

Host plant(s). Unknown.

Flight period. Vári (1961: 224) mentions the collecting date of the holotype as “December 1944”. However, the label under the holotype specimen indicates the collecting date as “Oct[ober] [19]44”. Adults are probably on the wing from October (the collection date of the holotype) to late November–early December ( Triberti 2004).

Distribution. ( Fig. 370 ). Recorded only from a few localities in Namibia ( Vári 1961; Triberti 2004).

Figures

FIGURES 39–44. Adults. Scale bar 1 mm. 39, Phyllonorycter adderis, holotype ♂, Rwanda, Nyungwe, mine 03.viii.2008, leg. J. & W. De Prins, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000005052. 40, Phyllonorycter agassizi, holotype ♂, Kenya, Ndoinet, 20.xii.1998, leg. D.J.L. Agassiz, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000006146. 41, Phyllonorycter chionopa, holotype 6496♀, Namibia, Abachaus, ??.x.1944, leg. G. Hobohm, in TMSA. 42, Phyllonorycter encaeria, holotype 361♂, South Africa, Pretoria, 08.x.1906, leg. A.J.T. Janse, in TMSA. 43, Phyllonorycter encaeria, ♀, South Africa, Pretoria, 20.ix.1951, leg. L. Vári, in TMSA. 44, Phyllonorycter kazuri, holotype ♂, Kenya, Tsavo, 12.iv.2002, leg. J. De Prins, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000003276.

FIGURES 182–184. Male genitalia. Scale bar 100 µm. 182–184, Phyllonorycter chionopa, the drawings are made by Willy De Prins after the additional description and the drawing of Triberti (2004: 81; fig. 6: A–C). 182, ventral view. 183, tip of valva. 184, aedoeagus.

FIGURES 306–307. Female genitalia. Scale bar 200 µm. 306, Phyllonorycter chionopa, holotype, the drawing is made by Willy De Prins after the genitalia prep. Vári 7727, in TMSA. 307, Phyllonorycter encaeria, the drawing is made by Willy De Prins after the genitalia prep. Vári 7504, in TMSA.

FIGURES 367–378. Distribution of Afrotropical Lithocolletinae species. 367, Phyllonorycter achilleus. 368, Phyllonorycter adderis. 369, Phyllonorycter agassizi. 370, Phyllonorycter chionopa. 371, Phyllonorycter encaeria. 372, Phyllonorycter kazuri. 373, Phyllonorycter lantanae. 374, Phyllonorycter gato. 375, Phyllonorycter grewiaecola. 376, Phyllonorycter grewiaephilos. 377, Phyllonorycter grewiella. 378, Phyllonorycter acutulus.