Phyllonorycter obandai De Prins & Moz ū raitis, 2006

Prins, Jurate De & Kawahara, Akito Y., 2012, Systematics, revisionary taxonomy, and biodiversity of Afrotropical Lithocolletinae (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), Zootaxa 3594 (1), pp. 1-283 : 135-137

49. Phyllonorycter obandai De Prins & Moz ū raitis, 2006

( Figs 98 , 254–256 , 340, 341 , 400 , 441 )

Phyllonorycter obandai — De Prins & Mozūraitis (2006: 55–68 , figs 4, 8, 9).

Diagnosis. The forewing pattern alone distinguishes this species from all other Afrotropical Phyllonorycter . The male genitalia slightly resemble those of P. brachylaenae in the form of the valvae. However, this species can be distinguished from P. brachylaenae in that P. obandai lacks a clearly defined suture on the ventral surface of the valva and has an aedoeagus that is twice as long as the saccus. The female genitalia of P. obandai are unique among Afrotropical Phyllonorycter , with an M-shaped sterigma, a very long ductus bursae with a sclerotized central region, and a small corpus bursae without signa. Sterigmatic appendices are present in P. aarviki , P. anchistea , and P. melanosparta , but the defined apophyses anteriores are absent in these species, whereas in P. obandai they are present and originate at segment VIII.

Material examined. Holotype: ♂, [1] ‘ Kenya / Gatamaiyu Forest , 2280 m / 00°58’S, 036°41’E / 04.iv.2003 / leg. J. & W. De Prins’; [2] ‘ Z 8-tetradecen-1-yl / acetate’; [3] ‘Gen. Prep. 3664♂ / De Prins’; [4] ‘MRAC/KMMA 00251’; Specimen ID: [5] ‘ RMCA ENT 000002420 ’; [6] ‘HOLOTYPE ♂ / Phyllonorycter / obandai / De Prins & Mozūraitis, 2006 ’, in RMCA.

Paratypes: 21♂: (including 6♂ preparations). Kenya: 1♂, Rift Valley, Turi, 8000 ft, 27.ii.2000, leg. D.J.L. Agassiz; gen. prep. De Prins 3502♂; PARATYPE ♂ Phyllonorycter obandai De Prins & Mozūraitis, 2006 , in BMNH. 1♂, Gatamaiyu Forest, 2280 m, 00°58’S, 036°41’E, 04.iv.2003, leg. J. & W. De Prins; Z 8-tetradecen-1-yl acetate; Gen. Prep. De Prins 3640♂; ‘PARATYPE ♂ Phyllonorycter obandai De Prins & Mozūraitis, 2006 ’; MRAC/KMMA 00252; Specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000002421, in RMCA. 3♂, Gatamaiyu Forest, 2280 m, 00°58’S, 036°41’E, 04.iv.2003, leg. J. & W. De Prins; Z 8-tetradecen-1-yl acetate; gen. prep. De Prins 3640♂; PARATYPE ♂/ Phyllonorycter obandai De Prins & Mozūraitis, 2006 ; Specimen IDs: RMCA ENT 000002431–000002433, in RMCA. 1♂, Gatamaiyu Forest, 2280 m, 00°58’S, 036°41’E, 04.iv.2003, leg. J. & W. De Prins; Z 8-tetradecen-1-yl acetate; gen. prep. De Prins 3641♂; ‘PARATYPE ♂ Phyllonorycter obandai De Prins & Mozūraitis, 2006 ’; in BMNH, DNA voucher CLV25407, in CCDB. 1♂, Kakamega Forest, 1590 m, 00°21’N 034°51’E, 28.iii.2003, leg. J. & W. De Prins; Z 8-tetradecen-1-yl acetate; PARATYPE ♂ Phyllonorycter obandai De Prins & Mozūraitis, 2006 , in BMNH. 2♂, same label data, in NMK. 10♂, Specimen IDs: RMCA ENT 000002423–000002428, 000002430–000002432, 000002934, wing venation prep. De Prins 3769♂, MRAC/ KMMA 00493, in RMCA, DNA voucher CLV12607, in CCDB. 1♂, Kakamega Forest, 1590 m, 00°21’N 034°51’E, 28.iii.2003, leg. J. & W. De Prins; Z 8-tetradecen-1-yl acetate; gen. prep. De Prins 3662♂; ‘PARATYPE ♂ Phyllonorycter obandai De Prins & Mozūraitis, 2006 ’; MRAC/KMMA 00253; Specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000002431, in RMCA. 1♂, Kakamega Forest, 1590 m, 00°21’N 034°51’E, 28.iii.2003, leg. J. & W. De Prins; Z 8- tetradecen-1-yl acetate; gen. prep. De Prins 3663♂; ‘PARATYPE ♂ Phyllonorycter obandai De Prins & Mozūraitis, 2006 ; MRAC/KMMA 00254; specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000002429, in RMCA.

Additional material: 2♀ (including 1♀ genitalia preparation). Kenya: 1♀, Rift Valley, Prov.[ince] Turi, 8000 ft, 8.xii.1998, D. J. L. Agassiz, gen. prep. De Prins 3503♀, in BMNH. 1♀, Central Castle Forest Lodge, 2000 m, 0°22’51”S 37°18’35”E, 5.xii.2010, leg. D. Agassiz & L. Aarvik, in BMNH.

Redescription. Adult ( Fig. 98 ). Forewing length: 3.0–3.3 mm (n = 15).

Head: Vertex tufted with golden brown, piliform scales intermixed with white; frons smooth, shiny white, with pale brown suffusion apically. Labial palpi light fuscous, whitish distally. Maxillary palpus dirty white, proboscis light ochreous. Antenna as long as forewing or slightly shorter, whitish brown, flagellomeres with brownish scales in their posterior half, but not clearly ringed; scape white above, yellowish brown beneath, pecten light ochreous, ca. 1/3 as long as diameter of compound eye.

Thorax: Golden brown, with a white, bent, transverse band, tegulae whitish with brownish suffusion posteriorly. Forewing elongate, ground colour golden brown with markings consisting of slender, straight basal streak reaching almost 1/4 of forewing, not edged; and with three costal and three dorsal strigulae; first dorsal strigula at 1/3, narrow, reaching 3/4 of forewing width, obliquely curved towards apex, finely edged with blackish posteriorly and elongate with whitish towards base along dorsum, sometimes connected with basal streak; second dorsal strigula triangular, at 1/2, with slight suffusion of golden scales posteriorly and sharply edged with row of black scales basally; third dorsal strigula at 7/10, subtriangular, blackish edged basally; first costal strigula at 1/2, narrow, directed dorsally, edged basally with two rows of black scales; second costal strigula at 2/3, small, subtriangular, situated opposite third dorsal strigula, oblique, blackish edged basally, with suffusion of black scales separating it from next strigula; third costal strigula just before apex, comma shaped, directed basally, not edged with black; with suffusion of black dispersed scales in apical part of forewing; dark brown fringe line preceded by ochreous shade, fringe pale golden shiny brown. Hindwing pale fuscous, fringe pale golden ochreous. Fore femur and tibia dark fuscous, tarsomere 1 dark fuscous, terminal segments dirty white; mid-femur dirty white with three vertical short rows of dark brown scales separated by light ochreous scales at 1/4, at 1/2 and subapically; mid-tibia dirty white with narrow fuscous patches basally and at 1/2; tibial spurs dirty white in basal half, fuscous in apical half; tarsomeres 1 and 2 fuscous, apical segments dirty white; hind femur almost uniformly pale ochreous, hind tibia dirty white with an elongate brownish patch extending from 1/2 to apex of tibia; tarsus dirty white, medial apical spurs of hindleg dirty white with fuscous subapices.

Abdomen: Brown dorsally, lustrous white ventrally; conspicuous sex-scaling absent. Eighth sternum of male rounded, rounded caudally, apex slightly concave.

Male genitalia ( Figs 254–256 ). Tegumen short, sclerotized, apex evenly rounded. Valvae symmetrical, moderate, 1.5× longer than 8th sternum, ca. 350 µm long, straight in basal half and gradually broadened and rounded distally, slightly curved ventrally, bearing longitudinal ridges in apical section and line of subcostal and subdorsal setae stretching from subbasal section to middle; basal section without hairs. Vinculum narrow, short, rounded; saccus very long, 1.8× longer than valva, ca. 620 µm long, slender, bearing small apical process. Transtilla developed and sclerotized with long bent proximal arms. Aedoeagus very long, approximately 2.5× longer than valva, ca. 780 µm long, slender, almost straight and parallel sided; vesica with 2 narrow, needle-like cornuti, extending parallel, ca. 1/5 length of aedoeagus (clearly visible at 200×).

Female genitalia ( Figs 340, 341 ). Papillae anales, slightly sclerotized, laterally compressed, trapezoid, with few short scare setae mostly along posterior and lateral margins, also intermixed with a few long setae and tiny micro-setae, mostly situated laterally; basal part of papillae anales strongly sclerotized bent, separated, not joint to form basal bar, but remaining as two strongly sclerotized bows. Posterior apophyses with broad bent, triangular bases, straight, parallel to each other, gently tapering to narrowly rounded apices, 328 µm long, reaching posterior margin of segment VII. Segment VIII melanized, gradually widening towards anterior margin, strongly connected with segment VII ventro-dorsally and laterally. Anterior apophyses slightly more sclerotized than posterior apophyses with small triangular bases extending to sclerotized bands laterally, slightly shorter than posterior apophyses, 230 µm long, parallel to each other, gently tapering, slightly curved and directed dorsad towards pointed apices. Segment VII, trapezoidal, stronger melanized posteriorly. Ostium bursae in anterior 1/3 of segment VII, in a rectangular depression of sterigmatic formation; sterigma consisting of three parts: well developed rectangular lamella antevaginalis and two raised lateral sides of sterigma which bear curved, deviating, directed anterad slender, sclerotized appendices with sharp apices. Antrum tube-formed, short, stronger melanized than fowwing part of ductus bursae. Ductus bursae very long (1.12 mm), slender, narrow, gradually widening towards corpus bursae with a small sclerotization anterad junction with ductus seminalis. Ductus seminalis originating slightly posteriad of median portion of ductus bursae, bulla seminalis long and narrow, much smaller than corpus bursae. Corpus bursae long, oval with smooth gradual transition to ductus bursae, without signum.

Variation. There is little variation other than the forewing length and shape of the third strigulae. The colour intensity of fore wing varies slightly from golden ochreous to golden brown. The colour shading of ochreousfuscous patch on the outer side of the hind tibia can vary from almost invisible to dark fuscous.

DNA sequences. Two DNA barcodes are available for P. obandai (Molecular sample codes: Poba1 [ JX888190 ], Poba2 [ JX888191 ]; Table S1 ).

Habitat. Phyllonorycter obandai was found at three sites in Kenya: Rift Valley, the mountainous Gatamaiyu Forest, and the tropical Kakamega rainforest. These sites are located at altitudes between 1600 and 2400 m. In all three known sites the Guineo-Congolian flora is intermixed with savannah vegetation and the climate is cooler and less humid in comparison with related equatorial forests of Central Africa ( Fig. 441 ). Photographs of the type locality and other collecting sited are shown in De Prins & Mozūraitis (2006).

Hostplant(s). Unknown.

Mine. Unknown.

Flight period. Moths are on the wing from early December to early April.

Sex attractant. Z8-tetradecen-1-yl acetate ( De Prins & Mozūraitis 2006).

Distribution. ( Fig. 400 ). Known from three localities in Kenya bordering the Albertine Rift closely situated at just less than a degree around the equator ( De Prins & Mozūraitis 2006).

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 254–256. Male genitalia. Scale bar 100 µm. Phyllonorycter obandai, holotype, genitalia prep. MRAC/KMMA 00251, in RMCA. 254, ventral view. 255, sternum VIII. 256, aedoeagus.

FIGURES 340–342. Female genitalia. Scale bar 200 µm. 340–341, Phyllonorycter obandai, genitalia prep. De Prins 3503, in BMNH. 340, segments VII–X, ventral view. 341, corpus bursae. 342, Phyllonorycter farensis, paratype, genitalia prep. MRAC/ KMMA 00282, in RMCA.

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 441–445. Habitats of Afrotropical Lithocolletinae species. 441, Kakamega Forest, Kenya, April 2003. The habitat is the most eastern relict of the Guineo-Congolian rainforest. 442, Faro River area, Cameroon, May 2005. The habitat is a repeatedly burned savannah and bush land. 443, Mayumbe Forest, Democratic Republic of the Congo, May 2007. The habitat is an undisturbed primary rain forest. 444, Nyungwe Forest, Rwanda, August 2008. The habitat is a montane rain forest. 445, Morogoro are, Tanzania, July 2009. The habitat is variable: transitional dry lowland /submontane woodland.