Phyllonorycter trochetellus 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 : 113-114

38. Phyllonorycter trochetellus De Prins , new species

( Figs 80 , 234–236 )

Diagnosis. P. trochetellus is indistinguishable in wing pattern from P. caudasimplex and P. ruizivorus and according to male genitalia it is closely related to P. ruizivorus (see diagnosis of P. ruizivorus ). Discovery of the female likely will help elucidate additional diagnostic characters, especially separating this species from P. caudasimplex and P. ruizivorus . Although all three species can feed on Dombeya acutangula , many more specimens of P. trochetellus and P. ruizivorus were collected from native Malvaceae plants on the Mascarene islands. Until now, P. trochetellus was found only on Mauritius island.

Holotype: ♂, [1] ‘ Mauritius / ex Trochetia blackburniana / [ Malvaceae ] / iv.2004 / leg. C. Müller’; [2] ‘ Phyllonorycter / loxozona (Meyrick) / det. G. S. Robinson, 2004 [misidentification]’; [3] ‘Gen. Prep. 3720♂ / De Prins’; [4] ‘BMNH 31636’; [5] ‘Holotype ♂ / Phyllonorycter / trochetellus / De Prins, 2012 ’, in BMNH.

Paratypes: 2♂ and 1 specimen (abdomen missing) (including 2♂ genitalia preparations). Mauritius: 1♂, ex Trochetia blackburniana (Malvaceae) , iv.2004, leg. C. Müller, gen. prep. De Prins 3719♂ ( BMNH 31637), ‘ Phyllonorycter loxozona (Meyrick) det. G. S. Robinson, 2004’ [misidentification], in BMNH. 1 specimen, same locality and host plant data, in BMNH. 1♂, ex Dombeya acutangula , 13.xii.1983, ‘T. Rawananshah 62/83, C. I. E. A. 15621’, ‘Pres by Comm. Inst. Ent. B. M. 1983–1’, gen. prep. De Prins 3721♂ ( BMNH 31638), ‘ Phyllonorycter loxozona Meyr. det. J. D. Bradley, 1984’[misidentification], in BMNH.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 80 ). Forewing length: ca. 2.75 mm.

Head: Vertex slightly tufted with shorter ochreous piliform scales, directed dorso-anteriorly, longer ochreous piliform scales directed latero-dorsally, a bunch of white piliform scales of different length on occiput, shorter scales directed posteriorly, longer scales directed latero-posteriorly; frons smooth, dirty white, covered with angulated flat scales on ventro-frontoclypeus, white narrow piliform scales on dorsofrontoclypeus with shiny golden narrow transition band between frontoclypeus and vertex shading into white on frons. Labial palpus slightly longer than eye, gently bent upwards, directed latero-dorsally, basal palpomere whitish pale beige with a small dark brown spot apically, terminal palpomere acuminate, brownish fuscous; maxillary palpus porrect, pale beige, haustellum developed, medium, 2× curved, light beige. Antenna almost as long as forewing, consisting of 56–57 flagellomeres, flagellomeres light ochreous intermixed with darker ochreous, apical flagellomeres with a slender row of dark tipped scales at apices; pedicel white; scape white anteriorly and ochreous posteriorly with white 10–12 pecten ca. half as long as diameter of compound eye.

Thorax: Shiny white at anterior half and ochreous at posterior half; tegula golden ochreous at anterior half and shiny white apically. Forewing golden ochreous with white markings consisting of very short basal streak, two transverse fasciae, one costal and one dorsal strigulae and two terminal spots; basal streak very short, oblique, directed towards apex, a few black scales present at dorsal margin; first fascia at basal 1/4, slightly oblique, apical margin slightly bent, basal margin irregularly curved, dorsal margin ca. 2× broader than costal margin, finely black edged on both sides however, with thicker edging at dorsal half; second fascia at middle of forewing, narrow at costa to midline and ca. 4× broader at dorsal margin, edged with 2–3 rows of blackish brown scales from both sides; first costal strigula at 3/4, drop shaped, not reaching midline of forewing, finely edged on both sides with thicker edging basally; a few blackish scales separate first costal strigula and first dorsal strigula; first dorsal strigula opposite first costal strigula, triangular shaped, larger than first costal strigula, almost reaching midline of forewing, finely edged basally, a few dark brownish scales edging top of first dorsal strigula apically; two dirty white spots opposite each other at termen, both spots connected by blackish brown scales, termen slightly darker than ground colour of forewing; fringe line short, visible at tornus. Fringe pale greyish. Hindwings light fuscous with greyish fringe with golden shine. Fore femur and fore tibia dark fuscous, tarsomeres I–II dark fuscous with dirty white basal halves, tarsomeres III–IV fuscous, tarsomere V dirty white; mid-femur light ochreous with fuscous spot at apex, mid-tibia light ochreous, with three fuscous longitudinal patches: smaller basal, medium medially and large apically, tibial spurs whitish ochreous with fuscous median parts, tarsus whitish pale ochreous with basal fuscous patch and two broad fuscous rings, tarsomere I whitish pale ochreous with fuscous basal patch and fuscous apex, tarsomere II whitish pale ochreous with fuscous apex, tarsomere III fuscous, tarsomere IV pale ochreous, tarsomere V pale ochreous with darker ochreous tip; hind femur dirty white with pale ochreous shading, hind tibia pale at basal 1/3 with broad, bright ochreous stripe extending obliquely from subbasal to subapical region of tibia, apex dirty white, tibial spurs long, whitish pale ochreous with fuscous apices, tarsus dirty white with two fuscous rings, tarsomeres I–II dirty white with fuscous apices, tarsomeres III–V dirty white, tip of tarsomere V dark ochreous.

Abdomen: Dark fuscous dorsally with paler shading on genital segments, ventrally white, sterna I–III with narrow ochreous bands. Sternum VIII of males long, ca. 510 µm, lateral margins running almost parallel, setose, gently rounded caudally.

Male genitalia ( Figs 234–236 ). Tegumen sclerotized, subconical, of medium size, ca. 435 µm long, arms of subscaphium narrow, ca. 300 µm long, approaching each other forming inverted U, fused subapically, apex of scaphium well sclerotized conus shaped, ca. 110 µm long, obtuse, covered with numerous tiny, stout microtrichiae, tuba analis not protruding. Valvae symmetrical, very long, valva about 2× length of sternum VIII, 1.15 mm in length, narrowing towards tip, costal and ventral margin of valva parallel in basal 1/3, dilated at mid-valva, sinuate towards apex, both margins converging to narrow, blunt apex; ventral surface of valva, mostly along margins and at cucullus, covered with tubercules and short stiff setae, median surface of valva is setae free. Vinculum strongly sclerotized, half rounded, broad caudally; saccus slender, folded on junction with vinculum, slightly bulbed caudally, moderately long, ca. 455 µm. Transtilla complete, strongly sclerotized, rectangular shaped lateral arms biparted, lateral lobes on cephalic margin without appendices, angled. Aedoeagus about 1.4× shorter than valva, ca. 785 µm, slightly broader at coecum and gently tapering towards blunt vesica; vesica unsclerotized, irregular shaped, wrinkled, apical part of aedoeagus with long cornutus, ca. 215 µm thick, attenuate at vesica.

Female genitalia. Unknown

Etymology. The species’ name refers to the name of the host plant.

Habitat. Island habitats in southern Indian Ocean.

Host plant(s). Malvaceae : Dombeya acutangula Cav. , Trochetia blackburniana Boj.

Flight period. Mines have been collected in April and in mid-December. All records are from reared adults. There are no data of the true flight period but adults are probably active during the same months.

Distribution. Known only from Mauritius.

Figures

FIGURES 75–80. Adults. Scale bar 1 mm. 75, Phyllonorycter caudasimplex, holotype ♀, Nigeria, Ile-Ife, 30.xii.1971, leg. J.T.Medler, in BMNH. 76, Phyllonorycter leucaspis, paratype ♂, Namibia, Brandberg, 18.iii.2001, leg. W. Mey, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000004446. 77, Phyllonorycter ololua, holotype ♂, Kenya, Nairobi, Ololua Forest, 23.v.1999, leg. B. Bytebier, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000003274. 78, Phyllonorycter ruizivorus, holotype ♂, Reunion, St. Pierre, mine 02.x.1998, leg. S. Quilici, in BMNH. 79, Phyllonorycter ruizivorus, paratype ♂, Reunion, Le Port, mine 28.viii.2009, leg. J. Rochat, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000005299. 80, Phyllonorycter trochetellus, holotype ♂, Mauritius, mine ??iv.2004, leg. C. Müller, in BMNH.

FIGURES 231–236. Male genitalia. Scale bar 100 µm. 231–233, Phyllonorycter ruizivorus, holotype, genitalia prep. De Prins 3723, in BMNH. 231, ventral view. 232, sternum VIII. 233, aedoeagus. 234–236, Phyllonorycter trochetellus, holotype, genitalia prep. De Prins 3720, in BMNH. 234, ventral view. 235, sternum VIII. 236, aedoeagus.