Phyllonorycter jabalshamsi 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 : 100-102

31. Phyllonorycter jabalshamsi De Prins , new species

( Figs 71 , 217–220 , 324 )

Diagnosis. The male genitalia of P. jabalshamsi can superficially be confused with P. aarviki and the European species P. coryli due to the long spine-like process on sacculus. In females of P. jabalshamsi the anterior apophyses are not modified: they initiate at anterior margin of segment VIII. There are significant differences in female genitalia of P. jabalshamsi compared with those of P. coryli . Compared to P. coryli , the sterigma and antrum of P. jabalshamsi are not heavily sclerotized. Phyllonorycter aarviki and P. jabalshamsi can be easily separated by the following characters of the male genitalia:

Holotype: ♂, [1] ‘ Oman, Northern Region / Jabal Shams / 19 km NW Al Hamra , 1100 m / 07.i.1993 / leg. B. Skule’; [2] ‘Gen. Prep. 3714♂ / De Prins’; [3] ‘Holotype ♂ / Phyllonorycter / jabalshamsi / De Prins, 2012 ’, in ZMUC.

Paratypes: 4♂, 1♀ (including 2♂, 1♀ genitalia preparations). Oman: 2♂, Northern Region, Jabal Shams, 19 km NW Al Hamra, 1100 m, 07.i.1993, leg. B. Skule, in ZMUC. 2♂, same locality data, gen. prep. De Prins 3712♂ (MRAC/KMMA 00420), De Prins 3713♂ (MRAC/KMMA 00421), IDs: RMCA ENT 000004453, 000004454, in RMCA. 1♀, same locality data, gen. prep. De Prins 3711♀, in ZMUC.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 71 ). Forewing length: 2.50–2.55 mm.

Head: Vertex slightly tufted with pale-ochreous shiny scales intermixed with dark brown; frons smooth, consisting of long, piliform scales, front whitish with beige shade, lateral piliform scales white, stretching from vertex along frontoclypeus, central part of frontoclypeus pale beige with weak intermixture of very slender, darker brown tipped scales. Maxillary palpus beige, small. Labial palpus dirty white with beige shade, drooping, palpomeres carry a few small light brown, elongate scales arranged in a row on outer lateral margin, palpomeres second and third lighter in shading than basal one, terminal palpomere sharp caudally, directed downwards. Haustellum short, bent, beige. Antenna slightly shorter than forewing, consisting of 45–46 flagellomeres, each flagellomere beige with brown apices, but not clearly ringed; scape pale ochreous anteriorly and ochreous posteriorly with 8–10 dirty white pecten of different length; pedicel dirty white with beige shade.

Thorax: Pale beige; tegulae light ochreous with whitish posterior margin. Forewing (see Remarks below). Hindwings whitish with golden shine; fringe slightly lighter than hindwing, long, twice as long as width of hindwing at basal part. Fore femur and tibia dorsally brownish fuscous intermixed with beige, ventrally beige, tarsomere I brownish fuscous, tarsomere II brownish fuscous with dirty white basal 1/4, tarsomere III brownish fuscous with dirty white apical part, tarsomere IV dirty white, terminal tarsomere dark brownish fuscous; midfemur pale beige, mid-tibia pale beige with three oblique brown stripes: at basal, mid- and in apical sectors, tibial spurs pale beige without markings, tarsus with three brownish rings: basal small, consisting only of few dark brown scales, median and subapical broadly ringed, tarsomere I pale beige with brown small basal and broad subapical ring, tarsomere II pale beige, tarsomere III beige with brown basal half, tarsomeres IV–V entirely beige; hind femur shiny pale beige with brown basal and subapical patches, hind tibia dirty white with brown subapical patch, medial spurs long white at basal at apex and dark brown at median part, apical spurs white without markings; tarsus white with three brown rings, two basal broad subapically narrow, and brown apex, tarsomere I white with brown base and apex, tarsomere II white with brown base and apex, tarsomere III white with brown base, tarsomeres IV dirty white with fuscous apex, tarsomere V grey with dark fuscous tip.

Remarks. All specimens that we examined were worn. We therefore cannot provide a detailed description of the wing pattern.

Abdomen: Light fuscous with silver shine on genital segments dorsally, dirty white ventrally. Sternum VIII of male subtriangular flap shaped, 270–315 µm in length, spinulose, with an obtuse apex.

Male genitalia ( Figs 217–220 ). Tegumen slightly asymmetrical in width, subconical, with left side slightly shorter than right, angled, moderately sclerotized, ca. 315 µm from apex to pedunculus, apex truncate, strongly sclerotized, covered with short slender cilia, tuba analis not protruding; tegumenal (pedunculi) arms narrow, strongly sclerotized, short, running to basal 1/4 of tegumen length, parallel to each other. Valvae symmetrical, valva somewhat elliptical, acuminating at cucullus, with obtuse apex producing into large pointed barb, valva ca. as long as 330–340 µm; sacculus with two broad, sharp barbs, one at caudal part of valva and one subcaudally; strong spine, ca. 120 µm long, bearing filament on outer surface of sacculus, at bases of subcaudal barb, which is directed ventrolaterrally (in preparations De Prins 3712♂ and 3714♂ spine bearing filament is broken); slender sinuate seta from subterminal part of caudal barb, another long arched seta, ca.105 µm long, on ventral margin of valva just basal of subcaudal barb; subterminal part of valva densely setose with long bristly setae accumulated into bunch, discal area basal to subcaudal barb covered with few disperse, slender, somewhat bristly setae mostly at subventral area and along ventral margin of valva, whereas setae rather sparsely distributed ont subcostal surface of valva, sacculus and basal part of valva without setae. Vinculum rather long, ca. half of valval length, 156–160 µm, Ushaped, with smoothly round apex, without distinctly produced saccus. Transtilla complete with a pair of wide lateral lobes on cephalic margin. Aedoeagus rather long, slightly longer than valve, 360–417 µm, with swollen coecum, sharply tapering apically with blunt apex, vesica with two slender abuting cornuti, 52–63 µm long, apical part of vesica squamosae with sparsely distributed, short, sharp spinules (observed at 400× enlargement).

Female genitalia ( Fig. 324 ). Papillae anales flattened, almost as broad as long, connected subapically, weakly sclerotized, with dense setation along posterior surface and with scarce setation on basally lateral sides of papillae anales; setae of medium length 122 µm laterally and slightly shorter posteriorly, sclerotized bar not developed. Posterior apophyses long, as long as ca. 310 µm, broad at basal 1/4 (ca. 80 µm), sharply acuminating towards apices, slightly dilating from each other, reaching subanterior sector of segment VII. Segment VIII short, tightly fused with segment VII, anterior margin with sclerotized half ring open ventrally and bearing elongate triangular basal extensions of anterior apophyses. Anterior apophyses 1/3 shorter than posterior apohyses, ca. 200 µm long, very slender, sharply acuminating towards pointed apex, slightly dilating from each other, strongly sclerotized, reaching subanterior sector of segment VII. Segment VII relatively long, more or less trapezoid, posterior margin borders with sclerotized semi-ring holding basal plates of anterior apophyses. Ostium bursae, as narrow gap, situated at left side of ventromesal line at segments VIII close to junction with segment VII, antrum not distinctive, sterigmatic plate on segment VII absent. Ductus bursae tubular, long, almost twice longer than length of segment VII, ca. 800 µm long; girth of ductus bursae broad, inner canal membranous, mostly anteriorly at junction to corpus bursae. Corpus bursae globular, bearing one signum round plate situated at posterior part of corpus bursae close to junction with ductus bursae, signum plate crossed by slender and dentate signum, ca. 60 µm long. Ductus spermathecae short, sinuating, with more or less compact 13 convolutions, vesica elongate sac-shaped, situated at anterior 1/3 of segment VII.

Etymology. The new name refers to the highest mountain at the type locality situated in north-eastern Oman. Jabal Shams (أ in Arabic) means ‘mountain of sun’.

Habitat. Dry, sunny, rocky and sandy disturbed areas at altitude of ca. 1000 m.

Host plant(s). Unknown.

Flight period. Adults have been collected in early January.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality, the Al Hajar Mountain range in north eastern Oman.

Figures

FIGURES 69–74. Adults. Scale bar 1 mm. 69, Phyllonorycter hibiscola, holotype ♀, Kenya, Kakamega Forest, mine 28.iii.2003, leg. J. & W. De Prins, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000003278. 70, Phyllonorycter hibiscola, paratype ♀, Kenya, Kakamega Forest, mine 17.iv.2001, leg. J. De Prins, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000003266. 71, Phyllonorycter jabalshamsi, holotype ♂, Oman, Jabal Shams, Al Hamra, 07.i.1993, leg. B. Skule, in ZMUC. 72, Phyllonorycter lemarchandi, holotype ♂, Madagascar, Antananarivo, mine 03.i.1949, in MNHN. 73, Phyllonorycter albertinus, holotype ♂, Kenya, Rift Valley, Turi, 05.ii.1999, leg. D.J.L. Agassiz, in BMNH. 74, Phyllonorycter albertinus, paratype ♂, Kenya, Rift Valley, Turi, 18.i.1999, leg. D.J.L. Agassiz, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000006147.

FIGURES 217–223. Male genitalia. Scale bar 100 µm. 217–220, Phyllonorycter jabalshamsi, paratype, genitalia prep. MRAC/KMMA 00421, in RMCA. 217, ventral view. 218, sternum VIII. 219, aedoeagus. 220, vesica. 221–223, Phyllonorycter lemarchandi, genitalia prep. De Prins 3560, in MNHN. 221, ventral view. 222, sternum VIII. 223, aedoeagus.

FIGURES 324–327. Female genitalia. Scale bar 200 µm. 324, Phyllonorycter jabalshamsi, paratype, genitalia prep. De Prins 3711, in ZMUC. 325–327, Phyllonorycter lemarchandi, paratype, genitalia prep. De Prins 3558, in MNHN. 325, segments VII–X, lateral view. 326, corpus bursae. 327, accessory bursae.