Phyllonorycter didymopa ( 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 : 116-117

39. Phyllonorycter didymopa ( Vári, 1961)

( Figs 81, 82 , 331 , 390 )

Lithocolletis didymopa — Vári (1961: 223, pl. 105: 6).

Phyllonorycter didymopa — Vári & Kroon (1986: 28, 136, 157), Kroon (1999: 24, 101, 152), Dall’Asta et al. (2001: 33), Vári et al. (2002: 26), De Prins & De Prins (2005: 288).

Diagnosis. Phyllonorycter didymopa is very similar to P. loxozona and P. madagascariensis , but the shape of the second fascia helps to separate the first two: in P. didymopa the second fascia is gently tapering whereas it is bulbed in P. loxozona . Some subtle differences in the margins of the fasciae help separate P. didymopa and P. madagascariensis , although these characters are very subtle and can be examined on fresh specimens only. Phyllonorycter didymopa and P. madagascariensis are best separated geographically and by their host plants (see diagnosis of P. madagascariensis ). The female genitalia of P. didymopa do not show specific outstanding characters, except the long tubular antrum. Females of P. didymopa possess simple sterigma, without cuticular sclerotizations, signum on corpus bursae absent. However, the combination of female genitalic characters makes this species easily distinguishable from the externally similar P. loxozona . For further details see diagnosis of P. loxozona .

Material examined. Holotype: ♀, ‘ South Africa: [1] ‘ Saltpan [Tswaing] / Pretoria Dist[rict]. / 16.i.1955 / Ac[quisition]. no.: 1500’; [2] ‘16’; [3] ‘G[enitalia]. / 7169’; [4] ‘ Lithocolletis / didymopa Vári / ♀ HOLOTYPE No 6494’, in TMSA.

Paratype: ♀ (including ♀ genitalia preparation). Namibia: Abachaus [Abaehaus], S.W.A. [South West Africa], Mar[ch][19]43, [leg.] G. Hobohm; G[enitalia] 7794; Lithocolletis didymopa Vári ♀ PARATYPE No 6495, in TMSA.

Additional material: South Africa: 1♀: Gauteng 1100 m, Tswaing Crater Reserve, 25°24’S 28°05’E, 16.xi.2004, leg. J. & W. De Prins, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000003287, gen. prep. De Prins 3700♀ (MRAC/ KMMA 00402), in RMCA, DNA voucher CLV15407, in CCDB .

Redescription. Adult ( Figs 81, 82 ). Forewing length: 2.9–3.2 mm.

Head: Vertex tufted with white piliform scales intermixed with brown ochreous, more abundant posteriorly; frons shiny white. Labial palpus white with a few fuscous scales apically. Antenna shorter than forewing, weakly ringed by sequence of light fuscous and light ochreous scales, pedicel light golden; antennal scape dirty white anteriorly and ochreous posteriorly.

Thorax: White, tegula ochreous anteriorly and white posteriorly. Forewing elongate, ground colour ochreous brown with white markings consisting of basal streak, two fasciae, one costal strigula and one dorsal strigula; basal streak short 1/10 of forewing, parallel to costa, edged posteriorly, first fascia close to wing base, obliquely directed towards apex, slightly tapering, blunt at costa, fine edged apically with row of black scales, second fascia at 1/2 slightly oblique towards apex, broader at dorsum and slightly tapering towards costa, blunt at costa, edged on both sides with row of black scales, costal strigula at 3/4 triangular, not reaching midline of forewing, edged basally, dorsal strigula opposite costal strigula, larger than costal, triangular, reaching midline of forewing, edged on both sides. Irroration of blackish scales separates costal and dorsal strigulae, and extends from apical to tornal sectors; a elongate white patch at apical sector; fringe as long as width of forewing, light with golden metallic shine. Hindwing light, beige with long light beige, slightly shiny fringe. Fore leg light fuscous, mid-femur dirty white, mid-tibia dirty white with two ochreous patches, mid-tarsus white, with terminal tarsomere ochreous; hind femur white with ochreous median patch, hind tibia white, median and apical spurs white with ochreous patches subapically, hind tarsus dirty white, tarsomeres I–II with ochreous apices.

Male genitalia. Unknown.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 331 ). Papillae anales connected dorsally, rounded, as wide as long, weakly sclerotized, covered with scarce short setae, basal bar very narrow a little wider at basal of posterior apophyses, weakly sclerotized. Posterior apophyses sclerotized, smoothly tapering towards sharply pointed apices which reaching posterior margin of segment VII. Segment VIII weakly sclerotized, short, weakly connected with segment VII. Anterior apophyses slightly shorter and more slender than posterior ones, equally slender, sharply pointed, starting at posterior 1/3 of segment VII and reaching its anterior edge. Ostium bursae located at middle of segment VII, antrum cylindrical ca. half as long as segment VII, sclerotized, ductus bursae moderate in length, corpus bursae small, membranous, no signum.

Variation. The two female specimens known do not show any variation except a slight difference in ground colour shading of forewing.

DNA sequences. A COI barcode is available (Molecular sample code: Pdid [ JX888178 ]; Table S1 ).

Habitat. Mines of P. didymopa were found together with mines of P. loxozona (Vári, unpublished note No 1500 in manuscript notebook from 06/01/1955; 1961: 223).

Host plant(s). Malvaceae : Dombeya rotundifolia (Hochst) Planch. — Vári 1961: 223, Kroon 1999: 24, Dall’Asta et al. 2001: 33, De Prins & De Prins 2005: 288.

Mine. A long narrow gallery, mainly along the margin of the leaf; which later swells into a gall-like swelling near the petiole of the leaf; mines cannot be separated from those of P. loxozona ( Vári 1961: 223, De Prins & De Prins 2005: 288). The mining period lasts ca. 10 days (Vári, unpublished note No 1500 in manuscript notebook of 06/01/1955).

Flight period. Specimens were reared from mines collected in mid-January and mid-March.

Distribution. ( Fig. 390 ). This species is recorded only from two localities south of 19°S: Abachaus in Namibia and Saltpan [present name Tswaing] in South Africa ( Vári 1961: 223).

Figures

FIGURES 81–86. Adults. Scale bar 1 mm. 81, Phyllonorycter didymopa, holotype 6494♀, South Africa, Tswaing, 16.i.1955, in TMSA. 82, Phyllonorycter didymopa, ♀, South Africa, Tswaing, 16.xi.2004, leg. J. & W. De Prins, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000003287. 83, Phyllonorycter loxozona, holotype ♀, Uganda, Busunju, 02.x.1935, leg. H.C. Taylor, in BMNH. 84, Phyllonorycter loxozona, ♀, South Africa, Rustenburg, 10–17.xi.1976, leg. Potgieter & Molekane, in TMSA. 85, Phyllonorycter madagascariensis, holotype, Antananarivo, leg. R. Paulian. The drawing is made by Willy De Prins after the original description and the drawing of Viette (1949: 175–176, fig. 5). 86, Phyllonorycter aarviki, holotype ♀, Tanzania, Morogoro, 25.iii.1992, leg. L. Aarvik, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000004128.

FIGURES 330–331. Female genitalia. Scale bar 200 µm. 330, Phyllonorycter ruizivorus, paratype, genitalia prep. 32528, in BMNH. 331, Phyllonorycter didymopa, holotype, the drawing is made by Willy De Prins after the genitalia prep. Vári 7169, in TMSA.

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.