Phyllonorycter mida 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 : 132-133

47. Phyllonorycter mida De Prins , new species

( Figs 95, 96 , 338 , 398 , 437 )

Diagnosis. The spherical lamella post-vaginalis of sterigma, episterigmatic cuticle covered with spines, antrum clasped by semi-ringed shaped, heavily sclerotized lobes of P. mida as described below makes this species fairly distinctive from other Afrotropical Phyllonorycter species.

Holotype: ♀, [1] ‘ Kenya / Arabuko Sokoke Forest / 6 km W Gede , 70 m / 03°17’S 039°59’E / 27.iii.2004 / leg. J. & W. De Prins’; [2] ‘Gen. Prep. 3643♀ / De Prins’; [3] ‘MRAC/KMMA 00392’, specimen ID: [4] ‘ RMCA ENT 000003282 ’; ‘DNA voucher / CLV14907 ’, in CCDB; [5] ‘Holotype ♀ / Phyllonorycter / mida / De Prins, 2012 ’, in RMCA.

Paratypes: 2♀ (including 2♀ genitalia preparations). Kenya: 1♀, Environment Watamu, Mida Creek, 0 m, 03°22’S 039°56’E, 07.iv.2004, leg. J. De Prins, gen. prep. De Prins 3648♀ (MRAC/KMMA 00391), specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000003281, in RMCA, DNA voucher CLV14807, in CCDB. Yemen: 1♀, prov[ince]. Shabwah, Abdalla Garib Plateau, 63 km NW Mukalla, 1335 m, 02.v.1999, leg. M. Fibiger et al., gen. prep. De Prins 3715♀, in ZMUC.

Description. Adult ( Figs 95, 96 ). Forewing length: 1.82–2.07 mm.

Head: Vertex tufted, light ochreous, with some scales of lighter shading on middle of occiput; frons shiny white. Labial palpus white outwards and with dark brown scales inwards, maxillary palpus rudimental, pale beige; proboscis pale beige. Antenna slightly shorter than forewing, light ochreous, not ringed, a few piliform scales in each flagellomere dark brown giving a flagellomere longitudinally light striped appearance, apical part of antenna with fuscous shading; underside whitish; scape whitish anteriorly and light ochreous posteriorly with a few dark brown scales at middle of scape, 7–8 pecten of different size, whitish, longer at base of scape and ferruginous ochreous, shorter at apical part of scape, pedicel does not differ from other basal flagellomeres.

Thorax: Shiny bronze with white posterior half, tegulae bronze ochreous with white apical halves. Forewing elongate, ground colour bronze ochreous with white markings consisting of very short basal line, two transverse fasciae, two costal and one dorsal strigulae; first fascia at 1/4 of forewing slightly oblique towards apex, edged with a row of black scales apically and a few disperse scales basally; second fascia at middle of forewing, parallel to first fascia, slightly broader than fascia first fascia, with weak constriction at subcostal area, edged with blackish scales from both sides; first costal and first dorsal strigulae at 3/4 of forewing, triangular shaped, second costal strigula at apex, indistinct; an irroration of blackish scales runs along termen area to tornus; fringe short shiny whitish beige from apex to tornus, and long at dorsal margin and tornus. Hindwing pale beige with silver lustre; fringe very long of same colour as hindwing but having slightly darker shading. Fore coxa pale beige, fore femur beige with brownish apex, fore tibia with four patches of equal size: white basal and subapical patches and brown median and apical patches, tarsomere I fuscous with dirty white base and dark fuscous apex, tarsomere II with fuscous basal half and white apical half, tarsomere III dirty white basal half, and fuscous apical half, tarsomere IV entirely fuscous, tarsomere V beige; mid-femur pale beige with dark brown patches subbasally, mesially, and apically, mid-tibia pale whitish beige with a few brown scales extending in a longitudinal row to middle of tibia, apex brown, ground colour of tibial spurs same as that of tibia, dark brown scales scattered irregularly all over tibial spurs, not forming rings or regular pattern, tarsomere I shiny white with fuscous subapex, tarsomere II white with fuscous apex, tarsomere III entirely fuscous, terminal tarsomeres dirty white. Hind femur pale beige, hind tibia pale beige with a few dark brown scales on base and apex, tibial spurs dirty white with dark brown subapical ring, tarsomere I dirty white with dark brown apical third, 2–3 dark brown scales subbasally on tarsomere I, tarsomere II dirty white, terminal tarsomeres broken.

Abdomen: Pale brownish dorsally, pale fuscous on terga III–V with ochreous shading on genital segments; ventrally whitish with pale beige shine.

Male genitalia. Unknown.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 338 ). Papillae anales moderate, oval, flattened distally with long (94–114 µm) setation equally dispersed over caudal surface of papillae anales, basal bar narrow, not completely encircling papillae, strongly sclerotized laterally and ill-sclerotized dorso-ventrally. A slender needle-like sclerotized projection ca. 132–144 µm long extending from basal bar of papillae anales to posterior portion of segment VIII. Posterior apophyses with small triangular bases, 222–232 µm, narrow, straight, slightly broadened in basal 1/3, gently tapering apically, converging at blunt apices, reaching posterior margin of segment VII. Segment VIII very short, weakly sclerotized, connected dorsally and ventrally. Anterior apophyses almost as long as posterior apophyses, 180–214 µm, with broad triangular bases, straight, slender, abuting apically, reaching just beyond middle of segment VII, at sector of about ostium bursae, apically pointed. Ostium bursae located at posterior 1/3 of segment VII, with thickly sclerotized margins of lamella with smoothly transition to antrum of complicated sclerotized structure consisting of round spinulosae ball of two spirally weaved semi rings with sharply tapering ends; sterigma very well developed, cuticle sclerotization of sterigma and round it covered with numerous thick, short, sharp spines; lamella antevaginalis is a large cuticle fold with ventral depression and mid-suture, covered with numerous small spines; lamella post-vaginalis covered with numerous thick short spines as well. Ductus bursae slender, narrow posteriorly, broadening anteriorly, 521–546 µm long. Segment VI with narrow but strongly sclerotized anterior dorsal margin. Spermatheca small kidney shaped sitated at segment VI with short efferent canal forming 42–43 convolutions of tiny diameter. Corpus bursae oval, teardrop-shaped, with weakly melanized wall, a rough, squamose, irregularly shaped sclerotized coverage as large as half of corpus bursae attached to anterior part of corpus bursae. Corpus bursae with medially stellate circular signum set with 13 (in holotype) and 17–19 (in paratypes) broad marginal dentate rays in outer margin and 4 (in holotype)–9 (in paratypes) short blunt central spines in inner circus. Signum is as large as ca. 65 µm diameter in outer margin from tip to tip of ray and 25 µm diameter in inner circular margin.

Etymology. The name of this species is formed from the name of the locality Mida Creek, taking the first word of compound name as a single noun in nominative case. The feminine specific name is not agreeing in gender with the masculine generic name of species but we prefer to retain the original spelling of the locality where the paratype was collected in the specific name of Phyllonoryter mida as a noun in nominative case in apposition. This combination of species-group name agrees with Art 31.2.1 of the ICZN.

Variation. A slight variation in the form of signum on corpus bursae was observed.

DNA sequences. A COI barcode is available (Molecular sample code: Pmida [ JX888189 ]; Table S1 ).

Habitat. Coastal areas of the Indian Ocean ( Fig. 437 ).

Host plant(s). Unknown.

Flight period. Adults have been recorded in late March and early April.

Distribution. Known from two localities in East Kenya and one locality in Yemen.

Figures

FIGURES 93–98. Adults. Scale bar 1 mm. 93, Phyllonorycter melhaniae, ♀, South Africa, Potgietersrus, 26.iv.1968, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000003361. 94, Phyllonorycter rongensis, holotype ♀, Kenya, Rift Valley, Rongai, 06.i. 2000, leg. D.J.L. Agassiz, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000003269. 95, Phyllonorycter mida, holotype ♀, Kenya, Arabuko Sokoke Forest, 27.iii.2004, leg. J. & W. De Prins, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000003282. 96, Phyllonorycter mida, paratype ♀, Yemen, Shabwah, Abdalla Garib Plateau, 02.v.1999, leg. M. Fibiger et al., in ZMUC. 97, Phyllonorycter tsavensis, holotype ♀, Kenya, Tsavo, 11.iv.2002, leg. J. De Prins, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000003268. 98, Phyllonorycter obandai, paratype ♂, Kenya, Rift Valley, Turi, 27.ii.2000, leg. D.J.L. Agassiz, in BMNH.

FIGURES 338–339. Female genitalia. Scale bar 200 µm. 338, Phyllonorycter mida, paratype, genitalia prep. 3715, in ZMUC. 339, Phyllonorycter tsavensis, paratype, genitalia prep. Vári 7501, in TMSA.

FIGURES 391–402. Distribution of Afrotropical Lithocolletinae species. 391, Phyllonorycter loxozona. 392, Phyllonorycter madagascariensis. 393, Phyllonorycter aarviki. 394, Phyllonorycter anchistea. 395, Phyllonorycter melanosparta. 396, Phyllonorycter melhaniae. 397, Phyllonorycter rongensis. 398, Phyllonorycter mida. 399, Phyllonorycter tsavensis. 400, Phyllonorycter obandai. 401, Phyllonorycter farensis. 402, Phyllonorycter fletcheri.

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.