Phyllonorycter gozmanyi, De Prins & De Prins, 2007

Prins, Jurate De & Kawahara, Akito Y., 2012, Systematics, revisionary taxonomy, and biodiversity of Afrotropical Lithocolletinae (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), Zootaxa 3594 (1), pp. 1-283 : 141-143

52. Phyllonorycter gozmanyi J. & W. De Prins, 2007

( Figs 102, 103 , 262–264 , 343 , 403 )

Phyllonorycter gozmanyi — De Prins & De Prins (2007: 49–56; figs 1, 3, 5, 7, 9–11).

Diagnosis. Phyllonorycter gozmanyi is generally similar in appearance to P. farensis , P. pavoniae and P. rhynchosiae . However, it differs from P. farensis by its darker ochreous reflection along costa and presence of black scales at tornus. Male genitalia have some definite distinguishable features. Valva with two lobe projections is unique within the genus. In females, the strongly sclerotized boomerang-like fold sterigma around antrum, membraneaous area and a stellate signum are shared with other species in the rhynchosiae species group. Female genitalia of P. gozmanyi are very similar to those of P. farensis , but the ratio of distance between ostium bursae and anterior margin of segment VII versus the distance between ostium bursae and posterior margin of segment VII is larger than 3 in P. gozmanyi (3.86 and 3.09 respectively) and approximately 2 in P. farensis .

Material examined. Holotype: ♂, [1] ‘ Cameroon: / North Province / Faro riverside , 289 m / 08°22’N, 012°51’E / 29.xi.2003 / leg. J. De Prins’; [2] ‘gen. prep. De Prins 3635♂’; [3] ‘DePrins 103’; [4] ‘MRAC/KMMA 00278’; [5] ‘HOLOTYPE ♂/ Phyllonorycter / gozmanyi / De Prins & De Prins, 2007 ’; [6] Specimen ID: ‘ RMCA ENT 000002959 ’, in RMCA

Paratypes: 2♀ (including 2♀ genitalia preparations). Cameroon: 1♀, North Province, Faro riverside, 289 m, 08°22’N, 012°51’E, 01.xii.2003, leg. J. De Prins; gen. prep. De Prins 3636♀; MRAC/KMMA 00280; PARATYPE ♀ Phyllonorycter gozmanyi De Prins & De Prins, 2007 ; specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000002960, in RMCA. 1♀, North Province, Faro riverside, 289 m, 08°22’N, 012°51’E, 01.xii.2003, leg. J. De Prins; gen. prep. De Prins 3637♀; MRAC/KMMA 00281; PARATYPE ♀ Phyllonorycter gozmanyi De Prins & De Prins, 2007 ; specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000002961, in RMCA; DNA voucher CLV13507, in CCDB.

Redescription. Adult ( Figs 102, 103 ). Forewing length: 3.1 mm.

Head: Vertex tufted with golden brown, intermixed with white, piliform scales; frons shiny white with sparse piliform scales and smooth white scaling without sheen below antennae. Maxillary and labial palpi light beige, proboscis dirty white. Labial palpus slightly longer than eye, with suffusion of brown scales outwardly, drooping. Antenna as long as forewing or slightly shorter, pedicel and flagellomeres golden brown above with dark ochreous suffusion, more intense in coloration apically; scape golden brown, whitish along ventral margin; sparse white pecten, reaching 1.5× flagellomere length.

Thorax: Mesothorax golden brown with mixture of whitish scales, tegulae brown, darker at their bases with paler whitish scales apically; metathorax shiny golden ochreous. Forewing elongate, ground colour golden ochreous brown with white markings consisting of two transverse fasciae, two costal and one dorsal strigulae; basal streak absent; first fascia at 1/5, angulated, irregular, broader at dorsum, running from base of forewing and forming a patch in which white scales intermix with shiny bronze scales; a row of sparse black scales basally edging first fascia and reaching midline; second fascia at 1/3, angulated, edged with row of black scales basally; first costal and first dorsal strigulae at 2/3, opposite each other, almost of equal size, narrow, comma-shaped, tapering towards apex, touching each other at midline; some black scales stretching irregularly from junction of costal and dorsal strigulae into apical sector; apical sector covered with greyish fuscous brown, intermixed with black and few dirty white scales; second costal strigula at apex, dirty white, comma-shaped, without shine, bordered basally by small patch consisting of 6–8 black scales along costa; posteriorly with row of 4–5 black scales around apex, not reaching costa, and with patch of black scales at middle of apical sector; outer margin of apical sector edged with line of black scales; with second faint parallel line at tornus; fringe long, pale golden with slight shine, preceded by dirty ochreous shade. Hindwing pale fuscous, shiny; fringe shiny pale gold to grey. Fore coxa greyish fuscous; femur dark greyish fuscous; tibia and tarsomeres dark fuscous except pale grey bases of first two tarsomeres and apex of tarsomere V. Mid-leg femur white; tibia dirty white, with two rows of dark blackish brown scales preceded by ochreous brown and forming circular band at base, with two rows of dark blackish brown scales intermixed with ochreous and dark fuscous at 1/2 forming obscure band, and with irregular patch of dark blackish intermixed with fuscous subapically; tarsomeres I–III dirty white, clearly ringed with blackish brown subapically; tarsomere IV golden white; apex of terminal tarsomere pale golden. Hindleg femur pale beige; hind tibia dirty white becoming dark grey dorsally from 1/2 to apex and with row of 4–5 brown scales subbasally, tibial spurs white with slight intermixture of few darker scales, terminated with white hair-like scales reaching 2/3 of tarsomere I; apices of tarsomeres I–III marked with dark brown scales, terminal tarsomeres white.

Abdomen: Greyish brown dorsally, white ventrally. Eighth sternum of male slightly tapering to rounded apex.

Male genitalia ( Figs 262–264 ). Tegumen lightly sclerotized, apex conical, tuba analis not protruding. Valvae symmetrical, valva of moderate width, 1.5× longer than eighth sternum, gradually widening, 1.5× wider at apex than at base, rounded apically; costal margin more thickly sclerotized, medially with sparse short setation from middle to apex; each valva with bilobed projections extending from base to apex; ventral projection gradually broadening at 2/3, tapering distally, with rounded apex; both projections forming a 90° angle; dorsal (upper) projection broadening from very narrow bases, forming a triangular pointed peak at ¼, followed by slight depression, then to both margins of projection running parallel and connecting with apex of valva; both projections covered medially with sparse setae becoming slightly thicker at apical sector of dorsal projection; dorsal projection slightly more thickly sclerotized than ventral one; median surface of valva overlapping with surface of dorsal projection. Vinculum narrow, U-shaped, thickly sclerotized, especially laterally, slightly broadening caudally; saccus slender 2/3 as long as valva, slightly broadening caudally. Transtilla well developed, U-shaped strongly sclerotized, as long as vinculum but slightly thicker with two lateral processes as long as horizontal bar of Ushaped transtilla and attached to vinculum arms and aedoeagus. Aedoeagus about twice as long as valva, bulging proximally, gradually tapering, becoming slender and straight near middle, parallel-sided distally; coecum about 1/ 4 total length of aedoaegus; vesica with two elongate, rod-like, thickly sclerotized cornuti on dorsal and ventral sides (clearly visible at 200× enlargement), about 1/5 total length of aedoeagus.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 343 ). Papillae anales moderate, connected dorsally, 1.5× wider than long, shaped like reverse triangles, weakly sclerotized except anterior margins, with few longer setae mostly basally, 1/2 shorter setae along apical margin intermixed with small and slender microtrichiae; basal sclerotized bar rather wide ventrad from posterior apophyses, narrower dorsally; a slender needle-like weakly sclerotized projection going from basal bar of papillae anales and reaching middle of segment VIII. Posterior apophyses thickly sclerotized, ca. 240 and 250 µm (n = 2) long, with triangular bases, straight, of medium width in basal half, gently tapering in apical half, apex pointed. Segment VIII thickly sclerotized, connected ventrally by weak dorsal connection, about as long as papillae anales; anterior apophyses slightly longer than posterior ones, ca. 250 and 260 µm (n = 2) in length, slender, gently tapering towards apices, almost parallel to each other, reaching anterior 1/3 of segment VII. Ostium bursae located in posterior 1/3 of sternum VII; antrum thickly sclerotized and shaped like short tube; sterigma lamella antevaginalis forming large sclerotized boomerang-like fold on which is ostium bursae is located. Ductus bursae almost twice as long as sternum VII, 560 and 690 µm (n = 2) long, ca. 1/3 as wide as antrum, with initial section more thickly sclerotized, followed by long unsclerotized section. Corpus bursae moderate, rounded, about half as long as ductus bursae, with large oval membranous area, set with fine short spines, also with small, stellate circular signum set with 16 fine spines in middle and 21 broad, marginal, dentate rays; spermatheca located in posterior part of segment VI, ductus speermathecae is short, consisting of tightly compact 31–32 spiral curves, smaller in diameter in anterior half of ductus spermathecae.

Variation. There is a slight variation in amount of black scales present at tornal sector.

Habitat. Adults were collected at light in savannah, north of the Faro River basin. The vegetation at this site is dominated by Terminalia (Combretaceae) . A photograph from the type locality is shown in De Prins & De Prins (2007: 55).

Host plant(s). Unknown.

Flight period. Adults fly at the end of November and early December.

Distribution. ( Fig. 403 ). Known only from one locality in Faro River Reserve, North Province of Cameroon ( De Prins & De Prins 2007: 56).

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 259–264. Male genitalia. Scale bar 100 µm. 259–261, Phyllonorycter fletcheri, holotype, genitalia prep. De Prins 3653, in BMNH. 259, ventral view. 260, sternum VIII. 261, aedoeagus. 262–264, Phyllonorycter gozmanyi, holotype, genitalia prep. MRAC/KMMA 00278, in RMCA. 262, ventral view. 263, aedoeagus. 264, sternum VIII.

FIGURES 343–344. Female genitalia. Scale bar 200 µm. 343, Phyllonorycter gozmanyi, paratype, genitalia prep. MRAC/ KMMA 00281, in RMCA. 344, Phyllonorycter mwatawalai, holotype, genitalia prep. MRAC/KMMA 00525, in RMCA.

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.