Phyllonorycter caudasimplex Bland, 1980

Prins, Jurate De & Kawahara, Akito Y., 2012, Systematics, revisionary taxonomy, and biodiversity of Afrotropical Lithocolletinae (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), Zootaxa 3594 (1), pp. 1-283 : 107-108

34. Phyllonorycter caudasimplex Bland, 1980

( Figs 75 , 328 , 387 )

Phyllonorycter caudasimplex — Bland (1980: 31–33, figs; 1e, 2c), Dall’Asta et al. (2001: 33), De Prins & De Prins (2005: 277), Guillermet (2011: 118–120; figs a–d, pl. 3, fig. 2).

Diagnosis. P. caudasimplex is indistinguishable in wing pattern from P. trochetellus and P. ruizivorus . Species in this group show the main diagnostic differences in male genitalia. Male genitalia of P. caudasimplex are unknown. Beside P. caudasimplex female genitalia of two leucaspis group species are known: those of P. leucaspis , and P. ruizivorus . Diagnostic features of female genitalia are defined by measuring the ratio of length of apophyses and by observing the shape of antrum. Posterior apophyses in P. leucaspis are longer than anterior apophyses, in P. caudasimplex both apophyses are about of equal length and in P. trochetellus anterior apophyses are 1.2× longer than posterior apophyses. Antrum in P. caudasimplex broad rectangular shaped, almost as long as broad, antrum in P. trochetellus ca. 4× broader than long and in P. leucaspis it is small and rounded. Furthermore, it is the only species recorded from West Africa belonging to the leucaspis group. A very large geographical distance separates this species from any other member of this group and the unique shape of antrum suggests that this species distantly related to other species in the leucaspis group. No doubt that the discovery of the male will help to resolve both the diagnosis and the position of P. caudasimplex in the leucaspis group.

Material examined. Holotype: ♀, [1] ‘Holotype’; [2] ‘ Nigeria: Ile –Ife / W State 30 Dec 1971 / Col. J. T. Medler’; [3] ‘Gen[italia]. slide / B. 183.’; [4] ‘Brit[ish]. Mus[eum]. / 1979-377’; [5] ‘B.[ritish] M.[useum] ♀ / Genitalia slide / No. 21279’; [6] ‘Type / Phyllonorycter / caudasimplex / Bland.’, in BMNH.

Redescription. Adult ( Fig. 75 ). Forewing length: 3.2 mm.

Head: Vertex tufted with ochreous brown piliform scales; frons smooth, shiny white. Labial palpus white. Antenna slightly shorter than forewing, flagellomeres lightly ringed by sequence of fuscous and pale ochreous brown scales, pedicel with pale ochreous shine, scape shiny white anteriorly and ochreous brown posteriorly.

Thorax: Shiny white anteriorly and pale fuscous posteriorly. Tegula ochreous brown anteriorly and white posteriorly. Forewing ochreous brown with white markings, consisting of short basal streak, two fascia, two costal and one dorsal strigulae; basal streak oblique and directed towards costa, finely edged posteriorly, first fascia at 1/5 oblique, directed towards apex, tapering, gently curved towards apex becoming obsolete before costa; second fascia at 1/2, broadest at dorsum, basal edge oblique, apical edge runs almost straight, second fascia constricts above midline of forewing before costa and at subcostal sector it broadens to half as broad as at dorsum, edged on both sides, first dorsal strigula and first costal strigula at 3/4 opposite each other, meeting above midline of forewing, separated by irroration of black scales; first dorsal strigula triangular shaped, bigger than first costal strigula, both strigulae edged basally; second costal strigula small, obscure, white, surrounded by dark fuscous and brown scales scattered in termen and tornal sectors at apical part. Hindwing fuscous with long, light fuscous fringe. Legs white with mixture of fuscous and brown scales.

Male genitalia. Unknown.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 328 ). Papillae anales connected dorsally, rounded, longer than wide, weakly sclerotized, covered with scarce short setae, basal bar very narrow, imperceptible at preparation. Posterior apophyses sclerotized, slender, rather long, reaching posterior margin of segment VII. Segment VIII weakly sclerotized, weakly connected with segment VII. Anterior apophyses slightly shorter than posterior apophyses, slender, pointed, reaching posterior 1/3 of segment VII. Ostium bursae located at posterior edge of segment VII, antrum straight short tubular shape, sclerotized, ductus sinusoid at initial part, ductus bursae broadly tubular, smoothly merging with corpus bursae without visible transitional marking; ductus bursae + corpus bursae ca. 1.5× length of segment VII; signum on corpus bursae absent.

Biology. Habitat not known.

Host plant(s). Unknown.

Note: The records taken from labels of reared specimens from Ruizia cordata Cav. and Dombeya acutangula Cav. [ Malvaceae ] at the BMNH should be excluded from the host list of P. caudasimplex , since the specimens which are referred to in De Prins & De Prins (2005: 277) revealed that it is a misidentification. Specimens belong to the species P. ruizivorus sp. n. which is described in this publication.

Flight period. Specimens were collected in late December.

Distribution. ( Fig. 387 ). Known only from the type locality in Nigeria ( Bland 1980: 25, 33).

Note: The record from Reunion Island ( Guillermet 2011: 119, figs a–d, pl. 3, fig. 2) is misidentidication of P. ruizivorus sp. n.

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 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.