Phyllonorycter ololua 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 : 110-111

36. Phyllonorycter ololua De Prins , new species

( Figs 77 , 230 , 389 , 439 )

Diagnosis. P. ololua is hardly distinguishable from species in the leucaspis group since all of them possess two white fasciae and two costal and one dorsal strigulae. However, the vertex in P. ololua , differently from the other leucaspis group species, is pure white. The main diagnostic characters are in the male genitalia. According to genital characters P. ololua is closely related to P. leucaspis (see diagnosis of P. leucaspis ).

Holotype: ♂, [1] ‘ Kenya Nairobi / Ololua Forest / NMK-PR Compound / 01°22’S 36°43’E 1800 m / Mercury Vapour Light / 23.v.1999 / [leg.] B. Bytebier; [2] ‘Gen. Prep. 3649♂ / De Prins’; [3] ‘MRAC/KMMA / 00369’; specimen ID: [4] ‘ RMCA ENT 000003274 ’; [5] ‘DNA voucher / CLV14107’, in CCDB; [6] ‘Holotype ♂ / Phyllonorycter / ololua / De Prins, 2012 ’, in RMCA.

Description: Adult ( Fig. 77 ). Forewing length: 3.23 mm.

Head: Vertex covered with pure white, appressed, piliform scales, tufted on occiput; frons smooth, covered with long appressed, piliform scales, shiny white bordering to vertex and white with pale beige shading on frontoclypeus. Labial palpus ca. 1.5× longer than eye, straight, directed ventro-anteriorly, narrow, acuting, sharply pointed caudally, white with very light beige shading on palpomeres I and II; maxillary palpus porrect, white, haustellum developed, short, light beige. Antenna slightly shorter than forewing, consisting of 41–42 light flagellomeres, pale beige dorsally and whitish beige ventrally; pedicel pure white; scape white with elongate, narrow, light ochreous patch anteriorly, with 13–15 white pecten of varying length.

Thorax: Golden ochreous with a white band along anterior and lateral margins; basal half of tegula ochreous and apical half of tegula white. Forewing golden ochreous with white markings consisting of short basal streak, two transverse fasciae, two costal and one dorsal strigulae; basal streak short, broad triangular shaped, oblique, directed towards apex, not edged, a few black scales present at dorsal margin; first fascia at basal 1/4, slightly oblique, curving, finely black edged apically, a few black scales present at basal margin at subdorsum; second fascia at middle of forewing, broad at dorsum to midline of forewing, very narrow at costa and as straight band running to midline of forewing, abruptly dilating from midline to dorsum and becoming 4–6× broader at dorsum than at costa, finelly blackish edged on both margins, with more expressed edging basally and interruptedly edged apically; first costal strigula at 3/4, small triangular shaped, not reaching midline of forewing, finely edged on both sides, second costal strigula at apex, white irregular patch shaped, without clear edging, first dorsal strigula opposite first costal strigula, triangular shaped, significantly larger than first costal strigula, almost reaching midline of forewing, finely edged basally, black scale edging of first dorsal strigula extends towards midline of forewing joining with black edging of first costal strigula. Hindwing pale beige with pale grey fringe. Legs brownish spotted dorsally and dirty whitish ventrally. Fore femur and fore tibia dark brown, tarsomere I dark dirty white with dark brown apex, remainder of tarsomeres dark brown; mid-femur white, mid-tibia white, with small dark brown basal, median and apical patches, tibial spurs white with median fuscous patch, tarsomere I white with small fuscous subapical patch, tarsomere II white, tarsomere III white with dark brown apex, tarsomere IV dark brown, tarsomere V white. Hindlegs removed for DNA study and not available for description.

Abdomen: Light ochreous dorsally, ventrally whitish. Sternite VIII of males moderate, elongate, ca. 440 µm, gently acuminating towards rounded caudally apex.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 230 ). Tegumen reduced, ca. 450 µm long, sclerotized subapically, having much weaker sclerotization apically, subscaphium arms narrow, ca. 320 µm in length, fused subapically in arc-shaped junction, apex of tegumen conus-shaped with sparse short slender setation, tuba analis not protruded. Valvae symmetrical, strongly sclerotized in basal half, projecting slightly downwards, slightly and gradually enlarging at middle, costal margin ca. 660 µm, ventral valval margin ca. 775 µm, significantly enlarged at cucullus area with long narrow pointed sacculus “appendix”, ca. 185 µm long at ventral caudal margin; two narrow sclerotized seams extedning from basal sector to middle of valva on median ventral surface; cucullus with a deep half-rounded emargination, cucullus covered with dense, thick, long setae, sparse stiff short setae situated on ventral margin of valva. Vinculum strongly sclerotized, half rounded, broader caudally towards base of saccus, as broad as ca. 125 µm; saccus slender, moderately long, 370 µm in length, ca. 2× shorter than valva at ventral margin and 1.2× shorter than sternum VIII, curved at junction with vinculum, slightly bulbed caudally. Transtilla complete, strongly sclerotized, rectangular shaped lateral arms divided, lateral lobes on cephalic margin without appendices, angled 90°; anellus developed, lightly sclerorized with short unsclerotized futura. Aedoeagus slightly longer than sternum VIII, ca. 575 µm, slightly broader at coecum and gently tapering towards blunt vesica with constriction in middle; two long, slender cornuti, ca. 143 µm, crossing near mid-length at subvesical area; vesica wrinkled with two pairs of very slender, short, oblique cornuti, parallel to each other, subapical ventral margin of vesica with 8 tiny barbs (observed at 250× enlargement).

Female genitalia. Unknown.

Etymology. The species’ name refers to the name of its type locality.

Habitat. Dry highland forest at about 1500 m with stands of very high trees ( Fig. 439 ).

Host plant(s). Unknown.

Flight period. The specimen was collected in late May.

Distribution ( Fig. 389 ). Known only from the type locality in Kenya.

Figures

FIGURE 230. Male genitalia. Scale bar 100 µm. 230, Phyllonorycter ololua, holotype, genitalia prep. MRAC/KMMA 00369, in RMCA.

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 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.

FIGURES 437–440. Habitats of Afrotropical Lithocolletinae species. 437, Arabuko Sokoke Forest, Kenya, April 2001. The habitat contains elements of coastal mixed forest as well as miombo / Cynometra woodland. 438, Tsavo, Kenya, April 2002. The habitat contains elements of semi-arid grassland and savannah. 439, Ololua Forest, Rift Valley, Kenya, April 2002. The habitat is dominated by tree vegetation. 440, Taita Hills, Kenya, April 2003. The habitat is a precambrian mountain range covered with moist forest housing many endemic species of flora and fauna.