Phyllonorycter ruwenzori 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 : 152-154

58. Phyllonorycter ruwenzori De Prins , new species

( Figs 111 , 275–277 , 349 , 409 )

Diagnosis. Externally Phyllonorycter ruwenzori is very similar to Phyllonorycter triarcha ( Meyrick, 1908) , a pest species feeding on cotton leaves, Gossypium spp. [ Malvaceae ]) and distributed in India, Indonesia, West Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand (the female holotype of Phyllonorycter triarcha was not found in the collection of the BMNH on 15.xii.2011; for illustrations see Kuroko & Lewvanich 1983: figs 2, 10, 15; for distribution and host plants see De Prins & De Prins 2012).

Holotype: ♂, [1] ‘ Uganda / Ruwenzori Range / Bundibugyo , 3,440 ft / 22.viii–3.ix.1952 / [leg.] D. S. Fletcher’; [2] ‘Ruwenzori Exped.[ition], B.[ritish] M.[useum] 1952-566’; [3] ‘B.[ritish] M.[useum] ♂ No. 10147’; [4] ‘Holotype ♂ / Phyllonorycter / ruwenzori / De Prins, 2012 ’, in BMNH.

Paratypes: 4♂, 5♀ (including 1♂ and 1♀ genitalia preparations). Uganda: 1♂, Ruwenzori Range, Bundibugyo, 3,440 ft, 22.viii–3.ix.1952, [leg.] D. S. Fletcher, Ruwenzori Exped.[ition], B.M. 1952-566, in BMNH. 4♀, same locality data, gen. prep. De Prins 3652♀ ( BMNH 32534), in BMNH. 3♂, Ruwenzori Range, Semliki Forest, 2,850 ft, 22.viii–3.ix.1952, [leg.] D. S. Fletcher, Ruwenzori Exped.[ition], B.M. 1952-566, gen. prep. De Prins 3654♂ ( BMNH 32535), in BMNH. 1♀, same locality data, in BMNH.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 111 ). 2.3–2.5 mm.

Head: Vertex tufted with shiny white, blunt, piliform scales; frons smooth, shiny white covered with long, narrow, appressed, white scales, between eyes light ochreous. Labial palpus as long as diameter of compound eye, dirty white with golden shine. Maxillary palpus bright white, proboscis light golden. Antenna as long as forewing, light ochreous-white, shiny, not ringed; smooth scaled, dirty white slender scales in flagellomere intermixed with light ochreous narrow smooth blunt scales, terminal flagellomere dark ochreous; pedicel shiny golden white; scape snow-white in anterior half intermixed with a few light ochreous scales posteriorly, pecten white, stout, and as long as diameter of eye.

Thorax. shiny white with light ochreous scales posteriorly, with some shiny golden scales, tegulae shiny white. Forewing elongate, ground colour ochreous brown with white markings consisting of one costal strigula and three fascia. Basal streak absent. First costal strigula is a small dot shape round white patch at costal base of forewing, not edged, first fascia at 1/3 narrow oblique, transverse band, of almost equal width at dorsal and costal margins, directed towards apex, edged on both sides with a row of small, sparse, black scales; second fascia at 1/2, wider than first fascia, almost parallel to first fascia, edged by a row of black scales from both sides, third fascia at 5/6, constricted from outer margin at midline of forewing, edged basally by thin black line; irroration of dark fuscous scales at tornus, two rows of black scales along margin of costal region of third fascia and reaching constriction, apex dark ochreous; fringe short ochreous on apical margin of forewing, short ochreous with fuscous apices on termen and long light golden on dorsal margin of forewing. Hindwing light fuscous with long, golden, shiny fringe. Fore femur dirty white, fore tibia ochreous fuscous dorsally and dirty white ventrally, tarsomeres I–III intermixed with white, light shiny ochreous and fuscous scales, tarsomere IV light white basally and fuscous apically, segment V dirty white. Mid-femur and mid-tibia white, tarsomere I white, segment II white with fuscous encircled apex, segment III fuscous, segments IV–V white, tip of mid-leg light ochreous; apical spurs white with 2–3 ochreous scales subapically. Hind femur white basally and light ochreous at apical 1/3, hind tibia white with light fuscous apex, tarsomeres dirty white with intermixed, separated, ochreous scales, medial and apical spurs of hindlegs white.

Abdomen. Shiny ochreous at anterior 1/3, fuscous at median part dorsally, terminal terga dirty white, ventrally dirty white. Segment VIII in males gently tapering caudally with rounded apex.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 275–277 ). Tegumen broadly triangular at basal 2/3 and truncate at posterior 1/3; basal narrow arms strongly sclerotized, distal 1/3 of tegumen narrow straight of equal width to apex, long curving cornuti of irregular shape at subapex; right wall thicker sclerotised than left wall, scobinate, with short thick setae and with one long barb at posterior margin (visible at 400×); tuba analis very slightly protruding, truncate apically. Valvae symmetrical, of medium width at base, gradually enlarging posteriorly until reaching twice basal width at apex; apical margin gently rounded with protruding short triangular apical projection at cucullus; apical sector and median surface covered with numerous tubercules of rather stiff setae of medium length, shortest ones at apical and subterminal dorsal margins, longest at apical sector reaching middle of valva, setae of moderate length along subdorsal sector, base and ventral half of valva without setae; valva twice as long as sternum 8 th, slightly longer than saccus and of 2/3 length of aedoeagus. Vinculum broad, sclerotized, U-shaped clearly differentiated from long narrow pointed caudally saccus slightly shorter than valva. Transtilla well sclerotized, butterfly-shaped with lateral sides broader than horizontal bar. Aedoeagus very long, 1/3 longer than valva, and twice as long as saccus, narrow cylinder-formed, slightly larger at base, broader at coecum, medial part slightly stronger sclerotised than apical half; vesica bifurcate at apex, with long, straight, narrow cornutus extending along distal third of aedoeagus.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 349 ). Papillae anales semicircular, slightly broader than long, connected dorsally, from basal bar to middle covered with long setae mostly along anterior sclerotized bar; basal bar of moderate width, strongly sclerotized, slightly narrowing dorsally. Posterior apophyses slightly wider at bases, gently curved, gently tapering to sharp apex, rather short, reaching anterior edge of segment VII. Segment VIII, ill sclerotized, cylindrical. Anterior apophyses even 1/3 shorter than posterior apophyses, bases situated at anterior margin of segment VIII, narrow, sharply pointed just reaching into segment VII. Ostium bursae situated close to anterior margin of sternum VIII, wide, circular. Sterigmatic sclerotization(s) on segment VII not developed. Ductus bursae short, as long as segment VII, antrum narrower than ostium bursae gently towards corpus bursae with a sclerotized ring on posterior 1/3; wall of antrum anterior half of ductus bursae serrated with short microscopic signulae. Corpus bursae big, oval, 1/3 longer than ductus bursae. Posterior wall of corpus bursae, close to incerption of ductus bursae, bears heavily sclerotised area of ca. 30–32 sharp and thick, small spines (clearly visible at 200–400×).

Variation. There is a slight variation in shape, width and curving of the third fascia of the forewing.

Etymology. The species is named after the Ruwenzori Range, its known area of occurrence.

Habitat. Montainous forest at altitudes above 1000 m.

Host plant(s). Unknown.

Flight period. Adults are known to fly in late August and early September.

Distribution. ( Fig. 409 ). Known from two localities in the Ruwenzori Range, Uganda, close to the border of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The record of Phyllonorycter triarcha from South Africa, Transvaal ( Meyrick 1921: 121) is based on a misidentification ( Vári 1961: 207).

Figures

FIGURES 111–116. Adults. Scale bar 1 mm. 111, Phyllonorycter ruwenzori, holotype ♂, Uganda, Rwenzori Mountains, Bundibugyo, 22.viii–3.ix.1952, leg. D.S. Fletcher, in BMNH. 112, Phyllonorycter silvicola, holotype ♀, Kenya, Kakamega Forest, 31.iii.2003, leg. J. & W. De Prins, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000003277. 113, Phyllonorycter umukarus, holotype ♀, Rwanda, Nyungwe, mine 28.vii.2008, leg. J. & W. De Prins, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000005152. 114, Cremastobombycia kipepeo, holotype ♂, Kenya, Arabuko Sokoke Forest, 18.iii.2004, leg. J. & W. De Prins, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000003285. 115, Cremastobombycia morogorene, holotype ♂, Tanzania, Morogoro, 30.viii.1992, leg. L. Aarvik, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000006148. 116, Porphyrosela desmodivora, paratype ♂, Cameroon, Ekona, 20.iv.1938, leg. S.G. Buhr, in ZMHB.

FIGURES 275–277. Male genitalia. Scale bar 100 µm. 275–277, Phyllonorycter ruwenzori, holotype, B.M. genitalia prep. 10147, in BMNH. 275, ventral view. 276, sternum VIII. 277, aedoeagus.

FIGURES 347–349. Female genitalia. Scale bar 200 µm. 347–348, Phyllonorycter rhynchosiae, paratype, the drawing is made by Willy De Prins after the genitalia prep. Vári 7123, in TMSA. 347, segments VII–X, lateral view. 348, corpus bursae. 349, Phyllonorycter ruwenzori, paratype, genitalia prep. 32534, in BMNH.

FIGURES 403–414. Distribution of Afrotropical Lithocolletinae species. 403, Phyllonorycter gozmanyi. 404, Phyllonorycter maererei. 405, Phyllonorycter mwatawalai. 406, Phyllonorycter ocimellus. 407, Phyllonorycter pavoniae. 408, Phyllonorycter rhynchosiae. 409, Phyllonorycter ruwenzori. 410, Phyllonorycter silvicola. 411, Phyllonorycter umukarus. 412, Cremastobombycia kipepeo. 413, Cremastobombycia morogorene. 414, Porphyrosela desmodivora.