Phyllonorycter kazuri 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 : 71-72

18. Phyllonorycter kazuri De Prins , new species

( Figs 44 , 188–190 , 308 , 372 , 438 )

Diagnosis. According to wing pattern, P. kazuri is indistinguishable from P. encaeria , and hardly distinguishable from P. lantanae . However the thorax in P. encaeria is entirely golden ochreous whereas in P. kazuri it is golden ochreous with white lateral sides. Phyllonorycter kazuri differs in genitalia from P. encaeria by having a long wide, flap-like ventral projection of the valva that originates at the base and ends at the subcaudal part of the valva. The female genitalia of P. kazuri are not distinguishable from those of P. lantanae , but differ from P. encaeria by proportial length of posterior/anterior apophyses. In P. encaeria posterior apophyses are of ca. equal length with anterior apophyses, whereas in P. lantanae and P.kazuri posterior apohyses are 1/3× longer than anterior apophyses.

Holotype: ♂, [1] ‘ Kenya / Tsavo National Park 530 m / Taita Discovery Centre / 03°40’S 38°45’E / 12.iv.2002 / leg. J. De Prins’; [2] ‘Gen. Prep. 3661♂ / De Prins’; [3] ‘MRAC/KMMA / 00348’; specimen ID: [4] ‘ RMCA ENT 000003276 ’; [5] ‘DNA voucher / CLV14307 ’, in CCDB; [6] ‘Holotype ♂ / Phyllonorycter / kazuri / De Prins, 2012 ’, in RMCA .

Paratype: ♀, Kenya: Tsavo National Park, 530 m, Taita Discovery Centre, 03°40’S 38°45’E, 12.iv.2002, leg. J. De Prins, gen. prep. De Prins 3521♀ (MRAC/KMMA 00393), specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000003283, in RMCA; DNA voucher CLV15007, in CCDB.

Description: Adult ( Fig. 44 ). Forewing length: 2.1–2.2 mm.

Head: Vertex covered with tufted, dirty whitish, piliform mixed with ochreous scales; frons smooth, covered with long appressed white with slight golden shine, piliform scales, short yellowish pilifirm scales behind eyes. Labial palpus ca. as long as diameter of compound eye, straight, directed downwards, narrow, acuminating, pointed caudally; maxillary palpus porrect, small, white; haustellum moderate whitish beige. Antenna pale greyish slightly darker shading at apical 1/3, flagellomeres pale greyish with ochreous shading with dark grey apical part; pedicel pale greyish with darker apical part, same as following flagellomeres; scape ochreous with light apex and with 13–15 short whitish beige pecten.

Thorax: Golden ochreous with white lateral margins; tegula ochreous at anterior half and white at posterior half. Forewing golden ochreous with white markings consisting of short basal streak, two transverse, sharply angulated fasciae, two costal and one dorsal strigulae; basal streak short, just a small white patch at base of forewing, not edged; first fascia at basal 1/4, narrow, sharply angulated at subcostal area, finely black edged basally; second fascia at middle of forewing, narrow, sharply angulated at midline of forewing, finally edged with black scales basally; first costal strigula at 3/4, second costal strigula at apex, white irregular patch shaped, without clear edging, first dorsal strigula opposite first costal strigula. Hindwing pale beige with whitish golden fringe. Fore femur and fore tibia pale beige, tarsus with three white and three ochreous patches, tarsomere I ochreous basal half and white apical half, tarsomere II ochreous, tarsomere III white, tarsomere IV dark ochreous, last tarsomere white; mid-tibia white with three small ochreous patches: basically, in middle and apically, tibial spurs short, white, with ochreous bases. Hind femur and hind tibia white, medial and apical spurs white, tarsus white with a few light ochreous scales on apical parts of tarsomeres, tip of tarsus shiny golden.

Abdomen: Light ochreous dorsally, whitish ventrally. Sternum VIII of males short, ca. 100 µm long, with broad, truncate apex.

Male genitalia ( Figs 188–190 ). Tegumen rather short, moderately sclerotized, sclerotized arms joining anterior apex, posterior area covered with numerous minute micro setae, apex gently rouded, tuba analis not protruding. Valvae symmetrical, valva rather broad, moderate, about 2× longer than eighth sternum, somewhat sparse ellipsoid shape with rounded apex, very slightly enlarged at base, slightly more than 3× as long as basal width, with very large ventral flat, slightly sclerotized, elongate projection, starting at valval base and ending at ventrosubapical margin at about 3/4 of total valval length; median surface of valva from basal 1/3 is covered with microspinules and tiny spines; both ventral and dorsal valval margins running as range of short pointed small spines and longer, slender hair like sparse setae more numerous but smaller size in apical area, projection without spines but covered with numerously with microspinules and short ventromarginal setae. Vinculum narrow, U-shaped, thickly sclerotized, especially laterally, slightly broadening caudally; saccus slender, 3/4 length of valve, ca. 150 µm, slightly broadening and gently rounded caudally. Transtilla well developed, strongly sclerotized, more or less H shaped, with proximal arms longer than distal, horizontal bar broad well sclerotized, slightly bended, shorter than vinculum. Aedoeagus about 1/3 longer than valva, ca. 260 µm, slender, cylindrical, slightly broader at coecum and gently tapering towards vesica; vesica with one elongate, very narrow, rod like with dental margin, weakly sclerotized cornutus (visible at 200× enlargement) about 1/3 total length of aedoeagus.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 308 ). Papillae anales connected dorsally, rounded caudally, with long sparse setae; basal bar not developed; a slender needle-like strongly sclerotized projection expends from base of posterior apophyses. Posterior apophyses with triangular strongly sclerotized bases, slender, ca. 340 µm long, slightly bent in middle, a little bit broader at basal half, gently tapering reaching anterior sector of segment VII. Anterior apophyses slightly shorter than posterior ones, very gently curved, reaching anterior sector of segment VII. Ostium bursae located almost at posterior sector of segment VII, Sterigma simple, membranous, anteriad ostium bursae forming sclerotized fold, which occupies anterior 1/3 of segment VII. Ductus bursae moderate, very slender, narrow. Corpus bursae moderate, membranous, without signum.

DNA sequences. A COI barcode is available (Molecular sample code: Pkaz [ JX888187 ]; Table S1 ).

Etymology. The specific epithet means ‘small and beautiful’ in Swahili.

Habitat. Savannah, at an altitude of approximately 500 m ( Fig. 438 ).

Host plant(s). Unknown.

Flight period. The specimens were collected in mid-April.

Distribution. ( Fig. 372 ). Known only from the type locality in eastern Kenya

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 185–190. Male genitalia. Scale bar 100 µm. 185–187, Phyllonorycter encaeria, holotype, the drawing is made by Willy De Prins after the genitalia prep. Vári 4156, in TMSA. 185, ventral view. 186, sternum VIII. 187, aedoeagus. 188–190, Phyllonorycter kazuri, holotype, genitalia prep. MRAC/KMMA 00348, in RMCA. 188, ventral view. 189, sternum VIII. 190, aedoeagus.

FIGURES 308–309. Female genitalia. Scale bar 200 µm. 308, Phyllonorycter kazuri, paratype, genitalia prep. MRAC/KMMA 00348, in RMCA. 309, Phyllonorycter lantanae, holotype, the drawing is made by Willy De Prins after the genitalia prep. Vári 7548, 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.

FIGURES 437–440. Habitats of Afrotropical Lithocolletinae species. 437, Arabuko Sokoke Forest, Kenya, April 2001. The habitat contains elements of coastal mixed forest as well as miombo / Cynometra woodland. 438, Tsavo, Kenya, April 2002. The habitat contains elements of semi-arid grassland and savannah. 439, Ololua Forest, Rift Valley, Kenya, April 2002. The habitat is dominated by tree vegetation. 440, Taita Hills, Kenya, April 2003. The habitat is a precambrian mountain range covered with moist forest housing many endemic species of flora and fauna.