Phyllonorycter ruizivorus 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 : 111-113

37. Phyllonorycter ruizivorus De Prins , new species

( Figs 78, 79 , 231–233 , 330 )

Diagnosis. P.ruizivorus is indistinguishable in wing pattern from P. caudasimplex and P. trochetellus . According to male genitalia P. ruizivorus is closely related to P. trochetellus . Both species have short and compact tegumen, broad rounded vinculum and bent saccus of median length, complete rectangular transtilla, long, and sinusoid valva. However, P. ruizivorus differs from the other species of leucaspis group by the form of cucullus of valva. Valva in P. leucaspis and P. ololua emarginated at cucullus, cucullus in P. albertinus and P. trochetellus without emargination but gently tapering to narrow and round tipped apex, cucullus in P. ruizivorus gently enlarged with sinusoiding margins. Female genitalia of P. ruizivorus appears very much like to that of P. leucaspis . In female genitalia the evident diagnostic differences are present in ratio of length of apophyses and the shape of antrum: the posterior apophyses in P. leucaspis are longer than the anterior apophyses, in P. caudasimplex both apophyses have about equal length and in P. ruizivorus the anterior apophyses are 1.2–1.4× longer than the posterior apophyses. Antrum in P. caudasimplex broad rectangular, almost as long as broad, antrum in P. leucaspis small and rounded and in P. ruizivorus it is funnel shaped ca. 4× broader than long. Larvae of P. ruizivorus can share the same host plant as those of P. caudasimplex and P. trochetellus .

Holotype: ♂, [1] ‘ Reunion / Bassin Plat / St. Pierre / sur Bois de Senteur , 140 m / 02.x.1998 / ex leaves Ruizia cordata / [leg.] S. Quilici’; [2] ‘BMNH(E) 1999–144’; [3] ‘Gen. Prep. De 3723♂ / Prins’; [4] ‘BMNH / 31639’; [5] ‘Holotype ♂ / Phyllonorycter / ruizivorus / De Prins 2012 ’, in BMNH .

Paratypes: 11♂, 14♀ (including 2♂, 4♀ genitalia preparations). Reunion: 1♂, Bassin Plat, St. Pierre, sur Bois de Senteur, 140 m, 02.x.1998, ex leaves Ruizia cordata , [leg.] S. Quilici, BMNH (E) 1999–144, gen.prep. De Prins 3729♂ ( BMNH 32527), in BMNH. 4♀, same locality and host plant data except the date 04.ix.1998, gen. prep. De Prins 3725♀ ( BMNH 32528), 3728♀ ( BMNH 32529), in BMNH. 6♂, 5♀, Basin Plat, 11.vi.1998, ex leaves Dombeya acutangula , gen. prep. De Prins 3722♀ ( BMNH 32531), 3724♀ ( BMNH 32532), 3730♂ ( BMNH 32530) in BMNH; 1♂, 1♀, Le Port, Pépinière communale, 20°55’S 55°17’E, mine 28.viii.2009, leg. J. Rochat, e. l. Ruizia cordata ; ID: RMCA ENT 000005298–000005299. 2♂, 1♀, Bassin Plat, St. Pierre, 250 m, 04.ix.1998, ex leaves Ruizia cordata , in CIRAD. 1♂, Ravine de La Grande Chaloupe, parking de l'entrée du terrain militaire, 10 m, 13.vii.2010, e. l. Ruizia cordata , leg. Ch. Guillermet, gen. prep. G 2281♂, in coll. of Ch. & I. Guillermet. 3♀ Ravine de La Grande Chaloupe, Arboretum, 15 m, 12.vii.2010, e. l. Ruizia cordata , leg. Ch. Guillermet, gen. prep. G 2282♀, in coll. of Ch. & I. Guillermet .

Description. Adult ( Figs 78, 79 ). Forewing length: 2.80–2.91 mm.

Head: Vertex tufted with bright ochreous piliform scales, lateral sides of vertex covered with shorter scales, directed mainly dorso-laterally, central part of vertex whitish consisting of white intermixed with light ochreous longer piliform scales directed latero-dorsally, pure white scales at posterior half and white intermixed with brown tipped scales at anterior half of vertex, a bunch of short thicker, ochreous, piliform scales directed to all directions on lateral sides of occiput; frons smooth, pure white with silver shine, smooth piliform scales cover frontoclypeus. Labial palpus slightly longer than eye, straight, directed latero-ventrally, basal palpomere dirty white, palpomere 2 pale beige, terminal palpomere acuminating, brownish beige; a row of dark brown roundish scales runs on external side of palpomeres 2 and 3; maxillary palpus porrect, white, haustellum developed, medium long, one time curved, light beige. Antenna almost as long as forewing, consists of 54–56 flagellomeres, flagellomeres from light ochreous intermixed with darker ochreous at basal 1/3, apical flagellomeres dark tipped scales; pedicel white with tiny dark brown dots; scape dirty white with intermixed pale beige shading posteriorly, with 10–12 dirty white pecten of variable length.

Thorax: Shiny ochreous at anterior 1/3 and shiny white at posterior 2/3; 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, in three specimens do not reach costa, basal margin oblique towards apex, apical margin curved, costal margin narrow, dorsal margin broad, ca. 4× as broad as costal margin, first fascia finely black edged on both sides with more dense edging at apical side; second fascia at middle of forewing, narrow at costa to midline and ca. 4× broader at dorsal margin, fine edged with 2 rows of black scales from both sides; first costal strigula at 3/4, elongate triangular, reaching midline of forewing (in three paratypes fusing with dorsal strigula), finely edged on both sides with more thick edging basally; first dorsal strigula opposite first costal strigula, broad triangular shaped, significantly larger than first costal strigula, reaching midline of forewing, finely edged basally, a few dark brownish scales edging top of first dorsal strigula apically; two white spots opposite each other, connected by broad band of black scales, stretching from apical edge of costal spot to tip of dorsal spot at midline of forewing at termen sector; termen same colour as ground colour of forewing; fringe line short, interrupted, narrow, black visible at tornus. Fringe short, silver pale grey along termen and long pale grey along dorsum. Hindwings light fuscous with long greyish fringe. Fore femur fuscous dorsally and whitish ventrally, fore tibia dark fuscous, tarsus fuscous with white base and middle patch, tarsomere I fuscous with white base, tarsomere II dirty white, tarsomeres III–IV fuscous, tarsomere V pale beige; mid-femur light beige with fuscous spot at apex, mid-tibia dirty white, with three fuscous longitudinal patches: small basally, medium medially and large apically, tibial spurs whitish with fuscous median parts, tarsus dirty white with small subbasal fuscous patch and two broad fuscous rings, tarsomere I dirty white with fuscous subbasal patch and fuscous subapical ring, tarsomere II dirty white with fuscous apex, tarsomere III fuscous, tarsomere IV dirty white, tarsomere V dirty white with grey tip; hind femur dirty white, hind tibia shiny ochreous, tibial spurs long, whitish with fuscous median parts, tarsus dirty white with four narrow fuscous rings, tarsomere I dirty white with narrow subapical fuscous ring, tarsomere II dirty white with fuscous median part, tarsomere III dirty white with fuscous apical half, tarsomere IV dirty white, tarsomere V dark fuscous, tip of tarsum pale beige.

Abdomen: First three terga pale fuscous intermixed with ochreous, terga IV–VI pale beige anterior half and pale fucous posterior half, genital segment fuscous, sterna unicolours pale beige. Sternum VIII of males long, ca. 400 µm, acuminating caudally, with gently rounded apex, finally setose at apical half.

Male genitalia ( Figs 231–233 ). Tegumen sclerotized, subconical, of medium size, ca. 425 µm; a pair of narrow subscaphium arms approache each other and joine postero-dorsally forming inverted U, fusing subapically to sclerotized conus shaped projection, covered with numerous tiny, stout microtrichiae; tuba analis not protruding. Valva symmetrical, long, about 2× length of sternum VIII, ca. 875 µm in length, basally narrower and stronger sclerotized, costal and ventral margin parallel, margins of valva dilating at apical half and cucullus, then sinuate, forming a broad and curved cucullus with obtuse apex; ventral marginal surface of cucullus covered with tiny tubercules and short, slender, stiff, setae, median surface setae free. Vinculum strongly sclerotized, half rounded, broad caudally towards base of saccus; saccus slender, folded on junction with vinculum, slightly bulbed caudally, moderately long, 437 µm. Transtilla complete, strongly sclerotized, rectangular shaped, lateral lobes on cephalic margin without appendices, angled 90°. Aedoeagus about 1.3× shorter than valva, ca. 680 µm long, slightly broader at coecum and gently tapering towards blunt vesica; vesica wrinkled (8–12 deep wrinkles of different length crossing each other) with unsclerotized appendix; two thick cornuti, parallel at base, fused from mid-length, ca. 295 µm long, situated along apical part of aedoeagus and basal part of vesica.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 330 ). Papillae anales half rounded, not fused, surrounded by slender membrane, ca. 145 µm long, ca. 124 µm wide, covered along caudal margin with sparsely set short setae, basal bar absent. Posterior apophyses with broad elongate triangular bases, sclerotized, slender, ca. 200 µm long, reaching posterior 1/3 of segment VII, apices bluntly pointed. Segment VIII weakly sclerotized, very short, connected with segment VII dorsally and ventrally. Anterior apophyses longer than posterior apophyses, ca. 254 µm long, with slightly thicker, elongate bases, gently dilating, straight and slender, terminating with bluntly pointed apices. Segment VII sclerotized, long, ca. 510 µm, with a strongly sclerotized band at anterior margin, slightly convex at posterior margin. Ostium bursae located at posterior margin of segment VII, just posterad of connection of segment VII, antrum short, broad, funnel-shaped, lightly sclerotized, sterigmatic sclerotized structures absent. Ductus bursae short, broad, strongly melanised, with longitudinal wrinkles. Corpus bursae long, ca. 1.20 mm, large, originating at posterior 1/3 of segment VII, cylindrical, without signum. Ductus spermathecae situated in posterior part of segment VII, short, straight, with less compact at caudal part and strongly compact at basal part, with 25–29 revolutions; bulla spermathecae elongate sac-shaped, situated just anterad of sclerotized band of anterior margin of segment VII.

Etymology. This species is named after the specific epithet of its host plant.

Habitat. Habitats of islands in southern Indian Ocean.

Host plant(s): Malvaceae : Ruizia cordata Cav. , Dombeya acutangula Cav.

Mine. The underside tentiform mine is slightly elongate or oval, more or less opaque creamy ( Martiré & Rochat 2008: 209 as ‘Mine de Phyllonorycter sp. sur Bois de Senteur blanc ( Ruizia cordata Malvaceae )’.

Flight period. Mines have been collected in mid-June, September and early October. All records are from reared adults. There are no direct data from the true flight period but very probably adults are on the wing in the same months.

Distribution. Known only from Reunion Island.

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.

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.