Phyllonorycter maererei 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 : 143-144

53. Phyllonorycter maererei De Prins , new species

( Figs 104 , 265–267 , 404 , 445 )

Diagnosis. Male genitalia most resembles those of P. rhynchosiae . However, there are noticeable diagnostic differences. The margins of apical half of valvae in P. maererei are dentate and rough; they are smooth in P. rhynchosiae . The valval projection of ventral margin in P. maererei is bent caudally, L-shaped; it is straight, gently rounded caudally in P. rhynchosiae . Saccus in P. maererei is as along as valva, it is significantly longer (1.4–1.5×) in P. rhynchosiae .

Holotype: ♂, [1] ‘ Tanzania / Morogoro 500 m / Mazimbu Orchard / 06°47’S 37°37’E / 13.vii.2009 / leg. J. & W. De Prins’; [2] ‘Gen. Prep. 3779♂ / De Prins’; [3] ‘MRAC/KMMA 00524’; specimen ID: [4] ‘ RMCA ENT 000005330 ’; [5] ‘Holotype ♂ / Phyllonorycter / maererei / De Prins, 2012 ’, in RMCA .

Paratype: 1♂ (including 1♂ genitalia preparation). Yemen: Prov[ince]. Ta’izz, Wadi Warazan, 5 km NW Ar Rahidah, 1080 m, 27.iv.1998, leg. M. Fibiger et al., gen. prep. De Prins 3718♂, in ZMUC.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 104 ). Forewing length: 2.1 mm.

Head: Vertex tufted, with white, long, appressed scales with slight intermixture of shorter beige scales; frons snowy white. Labial palpus directed downwards, long, slightly longer than eye, whitish pale beige, with a few brown scales on palpomeres I, and II laterally. Maxillary palpus small, pale beige; haustellum mediately long, curved, pale beige. Antenna golden ochreous with intermixed, dark brownish, piliform scales extending along entire length of flagellomeres, no rings are perceptable; scape pale ochreous with a few, dark brown, small, rounded scales proximately, pecten whitish, long, longer than scape, numerous, ca. 15–20; pedicel pale ochreous whitish.

Thorax: Pale ochreous with some white anteriorly and laterally, tegulae pale ochreous with narrow white band posteriorly. Forewing elongate, ground colour golden ochreous with white markings including two dorsal strigulae, one angulated fascia and one apical strigula; basal streak absent, first dorsal strigula at 1/4 oblique towards apex, broad, long, extending beyond middle of forewing, truncate caudally, edged at costal part by a row of sparsely set, dark brown, round scales, second fascia at 1/2 of forewing, dorsal edge of fascia significantly more basally situated than costal edge, mid-part of fascia narrow, parallel to costa, connecting dorsal and costal parts of first fascia with 90° angle, edged more dense basally at dorsal part and more dense apically at costal part with a few dark scales situated on opposite edges; second dorsal strigula at 3/4 of forewing, broad triangular shaped, not reaching middle of forewing, edged basally, a few dark brown scales connecting costal edge of first fascia with top of second dorsal strigula, apical strigula, rod-shaped, reaching middle of forewing, surrounded by sparsely distributed, dark brown scales, fringe line not clearly expressed, tornal part of forewing covered by elongate pale ochreous grey, dark brown-tipped scales. Fringe long, white. Hindwing pale grey with silver shine. Fore femur pale ochreous suffused with dark fuscous, dorsally, whitish ventrally; fore tibia dark ochreous fuscous, tarsomere I white, tarsomere II brownish fuscous, terminal tarsomeres greyish with brownish fuscous tips. Mid-femur pale ochreous, mid-tibia white with three dark ochreous patches of similar size: at base, at middle and at apex, tibial spurs white with a few scales, dark ochreous at base, tarsus dirty white with dark ochreous patch at middle, terminal tarsomere dark greyish. Hind femur light ochreous, hind tibia golden ochreous with white, oblique stripe in middle, tarsus white with grey tip.

Abdomen: Dorsally dark grey ochreous with gradual transition to ochreous towards caudal part. Caudal terga ochreous, covered with narrow, stout, pale grey scales on lateral sides. Sterna whitish ochreous with silver shine. Eighth sternum of male small, only ca. 65 µm long, rounded caudally.

Male genitalia ( Figs 265–267 ). Tegumen sclerotized, ca. 220 µm long, triangular, arms very narrow, forming elongate inverted V, sharply connected at apex, subapical ventral surfice covered with numerous tubercles bearing very short, tiny spicules (visible at 400× enlargement), tuba analis not protruding. Valvae symmetrical, broader at base and about half as wide at cucculus area, shorter than tegumen, ca. 175 µm long and ca. 100 µm wide; ca. 44 µm wide at median part just distad of ventral projection, costal margin thickly sclerotized, almost straight, cucullus area gently rounded, apical half of costal margin dentate, ventral surfice of valval apical half covered with large, round nodules more abundant towards apical and ventral margins, each nodule bearing a stiff, short bristle; ventral margin of valva gently concave with thick, weakly sclerotized, quarter rounded hockey stick-shaped projection ca. 96 µm long, subapical and apical surface of ventral projection covered with numerous tubercles with thick, short, stiff setae. Vinculum median, U-shaped, thickly sclerotized, not connected with tegumen, slightly broadening at middle of caudal sector; saccus slender, slightly longer that valva, ca. 185 µm long, slightly bent caudad, acuminate caudally. Transtilla well developed, H-shaped, complete, broad, approximately as broad as vinculum, with two lateral processes with obtuse apices on cephalic margin. Aedoeagus about twice as long as valva, ca. 305 µm, of moderate width, parallel-sided, straight, gradually tapering; subapical third of aedoeagus with long cleft-like cornutus (visible at 200×), vesica without any distinct cornutus, weaker sclerotized. Anellus developed, tubular, without sclerotized fulturae.

Female genitalia. Unknown.

Etymology. Named after Amon Maerere, professor at the Sokoine University of Agriculture in Tanzania, to honour his interest and support to the studies of the micromoths in East Africa.

Habitat. Dry areas but with low green vegetation at altitude of ca. 500–1000 m ( Fig. 445 ).

Host plant(s). Unknown.

Flight period. Adults on the wing were recorded in April and July.

Distribution ( Fig. 404 ). Known from Tanzania and Yemen.

Figures

FIGURES 99–104. Adults. Scale bar 1 mm. 99, Phyllonorycter farensis, holotype ♂, Cameroon, North Province, Faro riverside, 24.xi.2003, leg. J. De Prins, specimen ID: 000002948. 100, Phyllonorycter farensis, paratype ♂, Cameroon, North Province, Faro riverside, 25.xi.2003, leg. J. De Prins, specimen ID: 000002962. 101, Phyllonorycter fletcheri, holotype ♂, Uganda, Rwenzori Mountains, Ibanda, 12.ix.1952, leg. D.S. Fletcher, in BMNH. 102, Phyllonorycter gozmanyi, holotype ♂, Cameroon, North Province, Faro riverside, 29.xi.2003, leg. J. De Prins, specimen ID: 000002959. 103, Phyllonorycter gozmanyi, holotype ♂, Cameroon, North Province, Faro riverside, 01.xii.2003, leg. J. De Prins, specimen ID: 000002960. 104, Phyllonorycter maererei, holotype ♂, Tanzania, Morogoro, 13.vii.2009, leg. J. & W. De Prins, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000005330.

FIGURES 265–270. Male genitalia. Scale bar 100 µm. 265–267, Phyllonorycter maererei, paratype, genitalia prep. De Prins 3718, in ZMUC. 265, ventral view. 266, sternum VIII. 267, aedoeagus. 268–270, Phyllonorycter ocimellus, paratype, genitalia prep. MRAC/KMMA 00349, in RMCA. 268, ventral view. 269, sternum VIII. 270, aedoeagus.

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.

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.