Phyllonorycter leucaspis Triberti, 2004

Prins, Jurate De & Kawahara, Akito Y., 2012, Systematics, revisionary taxonomy, and biodiversity of Afrotropical Lithocolletinae (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), Zootaxa 3594 (1), pp. 1-283 : 108-110

35. Phyllonorycter leucaspis Triberti, 2004

( Figs 76 , 227–229 , 329 , 388 )

Phyllonorycter leucaspis — Triberti (2004: 81–82; fig. 5: A–C, fig. 6: D), De Prins & De Prins (2005: 392).

Diagnosis. P. leucaspis is almost indistinguishable in wing pattern from the species belonging to leucaspis group: P. caudasimplex , P. ololua , P. albertinus , P. trochetellus and P. ruizivorus . The main diagnostic characters are in the male genitalia. According to genital characters, P. leucaspis is closely related to P. ololua . These two species can be separated by the following characters: a) the middle part of the valva in P. leucaspis is slightly narrowed before the abrupt enlargement of the cucullus area, whereas in P. ololua the valva enlarges gradually to the caudal part of the cucullus area; b) the cucullus emargation in P. leucaspis has a straight caudal vertical margin extending from the middle of the valva to the costal margin, whereas the caudal margin of the cucullus in P. ololua has a deep, arcshaped, emargination; c) the sacculus is thick, short, and slightly longer than 1/2 of the valval width at the broadest part of valva, and the sacculus is slender, almost as long as the valval width at the broadest part of valva in P. ololua ; d) the saccus in intact genitalia of P. leucaspis reaches the apical 2/3 of the sternum VIII, whereas the saccus in intact genitalia of P. ololua is slightly longer than sternum VIII (saccus in P. ololua is 1.5× longer than saccus in P. leucaspis ); e) in P. ololua the apex of the vesica has four crossed, slender, short cornuti and the subapex of the vesica has 8 tiny barbs, whereas cornuti and barbs are absent in the vesica and caudal part of the aedoeagus in P. leucaspis . The female genitalia of P. ololua are not known. In regards to the female genitalia of other species within the leucaspis group, such as P. caudasimplex and P. ruizivorus , the diagnostic differences are in the ratio of the length of the apophyses and the shape of the antrum: a) the posterior apophyses in P. leucaspis are longer than the anterior apophyses in P. caudasimplex where both apophyses are of about equal length and in P. ruizivorus the anterior apophyses are 1.2–1.4× longer than the posterior apophyses; b) antrum in P. leucaspis small and rounded, and in P. caudasimplex it is broad rectangular shaped, almost as long as broad, in P. ruizivorus it is funnel-shaped and ca. 4× broader than long.

Material examined. Holotype: ♂, [1] ‘ Namibia: 18.iii.2001 / Brandberg , 1940 m / Wasserfallfläche / leg. W. Mey, LF’; [2] ‘ Phyllonorycter leucaspis / Holotypus / det. P. Triberti (I/03) / slide 2791♂’; [3] ‘Holotype’, in ZMHB.

Paratypes: 5♂ and 1♀, (including 2♂ and 1♀ genitalia preparations). Namibia: 1♂, 22.iii.2001, Brandberg, 1940 m, Wasserfallfläche, leg. W. Mey, LF’; Phyllonorycter leucaspis Paratypus det. P. Triberti (I/03); Paratypus; gen. prep. De Prins 3732♂; MRAC/KMMA 00424; specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000004446, in RMCA. 4♂ and 1♀, 18.iii.2001, same label data; gen. prep. trb 2796♂ and trb 2793♀, in ZMHB.

Redescription: Adult ( Fig. 76 ). Forewing length: 3.53 mm (holotype).

Head: Vertex tufted with golden piliform scales with a suffusion of white scales most predominantly posteriorly; frons smooth, shiny white, covered with long appressed piliform scales, with light beige shading on frontoclypeus. Labial palpus ca. 1.5 longer than eye, straight, directed latero-anteriorly, palpomeres I and II white from inner lateral side and light ochreous on outer lateral side, palpomere III sharply pointed, covered with ochreous fuscous scales on outer lateral side; maxillary palpus porrect, small, white, haustellum developed, short, light beige. Antenna slightly shorter than forewing, consisting of 41–42 light ochreous flagellomeres; pedicel pale beige with a ring of fuscous tipped scales encircling apex; scape white anteriorly and light ochreous posteriorly with whitish 9–11 pecten of different length.

Thorax: Golden ochreous with narrow white proximal band, edging lateral sides and anterior part of thorax; tegulae golden ochreous with narrow white apical tips. Forewing golden ochreous with white markings consisting of short basal streak, two transverse fasciae, two costal and one dorsal strigulae; basal streak short, oblique, directed towards apex, not edged, only a few black scales present on dorsal margin; first fascia at basal 1/4, sharply oblique, finely black edged apically, a few black scales present at dorsal margin basally; second fascia at middle of forewing narrowed below costa and twice as broad at dorsal margin, finely blackish edged on both sides; first costal strigula at 3/4, triangular shaped, not reaching midline of forewing, finely edged on both sides with more expressed edging basally, a few black scales separate first costal and first dorsal strigulae; second costal strigula at apex, indistinct, comma shaped, without clear edging, apical area sprinkled with dark brown scales, first dorsal strigula opposite first costal strigula, triangular shaped, larger than first costal strigula, almost reaching midline of forewing, finely edged basally. Fringe pale greyish golden, ochreous, tipped dark brown at termen forming a short indistinct fringe line. Hindwings light fuscous with pale greyish golden fringe. Legs ventrally white, dorsally spotted with fuscous and ochreous markings. Forefemor and fore tibia light fuscous, tarsus dark fuscous with white spots, tarsomeres I dark fuscous with white basal and median spot, tarsomere II dark fuscous with white basal half, tarsomere III dirty white with fuscous apex, terminal tarsomeres fuscous; mid-femur golden beige with small dark brown dot at base, mid-tibia white, with fuscous basal longitudinal stripe, median band and broader apical irregular fuscous band, tibial spurs white with median fuscous patch, tarsomere I with small fuscous subbasal and large subapical patches, tarsomere II white with fuscous apical half, tarsomere III fuscous, terminal tarsomeres dirty white; hind femur pale beige with shiny ochreous median patch, hind tibia pale beige with very large subapical dark brown patch, tibial spurs very long, just slightly shorter than tibia, light golden beige with a row of dark fuscous scales extending from middle to subapex, tarsomeres dirty white with dark brown subapices.

Abdomen: Light ochreous dorsally, ventrally whitish. Sternite VIII of males moderate, elongate, gently rounded caudally.

Male genitalia ( Figs 227–229 ). Tegumen significantly reduced, weakly sclerotized, ca. 420 µm long, i.e., ½ length of valva; arms of subscaphium fused subapically into truncated conus, apex of tegumen sharp, conus-shaped, covered with very short and slender setation mostly at apex, tuba analis not protruded. Valvae symmetrical, long, significantly differing in length at costal and ventral margin, costa ca. 640 µm long, ventral margin ca. 820 µm long, strongly sclerotized in basal half, projecting slightly downward, slightly narrowing to mid-valva with significantly enlarged cucullus area bearing long, thick, bluntly pointed “appendix” extending ventro-laterally at ventral angle of caudal part of valva; two narrow sclerotized seams extending from basal sector to middle of valva along median ventral valval surface; margins of valva distally from median seams covered with dense thick long setae, ventral margin margin of valva setose along almost entire valval length except basal part, costal margin setose distally; 8–10 tubercules bearing stiff short setae, situated at apical edge of cucullus. Cucullus with shallow L-shaped emargination, of which horizontal bar smoothly extends to sacculus, and vertical part of emargination which connects sacculus with costal margin of valva, is almost straight. Vinculum strongly sclerotized, half rounded, significantly broader caudally towards base of saccus, as broad as ca. 145 µm; saccus slender, strongly folded at junction with vinculum, slightly bulbed caudally, moderately long, 240 µm, ca. 1.3 shorter than sternum VIII. Transtilla strongly sclerotized, rectangular-shaped, sharp angulated laterally, anellus developed, lightly sclerotized with short broad lightly sclerotized futura keeping aedoeagus at apical 1/3. Aedoeagus longer than sternum VIII and ca. 1.8× longer than saccus, 590 µm, slightly broader at coecum and gently tapering towards blunt vesica; vesica with two long, slender cornuti, ca. 1/4 length of entire aedoeagus, ca. 135 µm, which cross each other.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 329 ). Papillae anales laterally compressed, as wide as long, posterior sector of papillae anales stronger sclerotized than anterior one, covered with setae of different length, shorter but more abundant posteriorly. Posterior apophyses sclerotized, also at bases, slender, broader at bases, reaching posterior margin of segment VII, apices sharply pointed. Segment VIII weakly sclerotized, connected dorsally and ventrally. Anterior apophyses slightly shorter than posterior ones, broader at bases, straight and slender, with sharp apices. Ostium bursae located at posterior margin of segment VII, antrum short, small rounded, strongly sclerotized; sterigma simple. Ductus bursae very short, narrower than antrum initially, sinuous, slender, abruptly broadening anteriorly to almost same diameter as corpus bursae. Corpus bursae origining at posterior margin of segment VII, very long, cylinder-shaped, without signum.

Habitat. Richly vegetated valleys between 1600 and 1900 m elevation dominated by Acacia hereroensis , Dombeya rotundifolia and Rhus spp. ( Mey 2004: 10) .

Host plant(s). Unknown.

Flight period. Adults were collected in March.

Distribution. ( Fig. 388 ). The species is only known from the type locality in Namibia ( Triberti 2004: 82).

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 227–229. Male genitalia. Scale bar 100 µm. Phyllonorycter leucaspis, paratype, genitalia prep. MRAC/KMMA 00424, in RMCA. 227, ventral view. 228, sternum VIII. 229, aedoeagus.

FIGURES 328–329. Female genitalia. Scale bar 200 µm. 328, Phyllonorycter caudasimplex, holotype, the drawing is made by Willy De Prins after the original description, examination of the genitalia prep. 21279, in BMNH and the drawing of Bland (1980: 33, fig. 2c). 329, Phyllonorycter leucaspis, paratype, the drawing is made by Willy De Prins after the original description, examination of the genitalia prep. trb 2793 in ZMHB and the drawing of Triberti (1980: 81–82, fig. 6d).

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.