Porphyrosela homotropha Vári, 1963

Prins, Jurate De & Kawahara, Akito Y., 2012, Systematics, revisionary taxonomy, and biodiversity of Afrotropical Lithocolletinae (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), Zootaxa 3594 (1), pp. 1-283 : 173-175

65. Porphyrosela homotropha Vári, 1963

( Figs 119 , 285, 286 , 354 , 417 )

Porphyrosela homotropha — Vári (1963: 11–12; pl. 1, fig. 6; figs 10, 11, 19), Dall'Asta et al. (2001: 35), De Prins & De Prins (2005: 368).

Diagnosis. Porphyrosela homotropha is most similar to P. teramni and P. gautengi . It can be distinguished from P. teramni by the brighter ochreous-yellow forewing ground colour and presence of irroration of black scales. It differs from P. gautengi by the presence of 4 costal strigulae and white tips of antenna. The male genitalia of P. homotropha resemble those of P. gautengi and P. teramni but differ from the former by the shape of the apical region of valva, shape of aedoeagus and the size of annellus. The valva of P. homotropha is slightly dilated apically, with slight angulation, but not round apex. In P. gautengi the apex of valva is rounded and in P. teramni valva is slightly concave ventrally with gently emarginated subapex and blunt apex. Aedoeagus in P. homotropha straight, with narrow tip, distally open, cornuti absent; aedoeagus in P. teramni thickly sclerotized, tubular, gently tapering apically beyond middle, with narrow constriction at subvesica, vesica sclerotized, bulbed at apex, with one side heavily but narrowly sclerotized, with short barb, top bearing 6–8 tiny sharp spinules; aedoeagus in P. gautengi broad basally tapering apically to truncate sclerotized subapex, bearing long heavily sclerotized cornutus, vesica narrow, with sharp barb at apex. Anellus in P. gautengi and P. homotropha shorter than aedoeagus; anellus in P. teramni as long as aedoeagus. Female genitalia are less distinctive: posterior apophyses in P. homotropha reach the middle of segment VII, whereas in P. teramni they are longer and reach the anterior 1/3 of segment VIII. Porphyrosela homotropha feeds on Glycine max and Vigna sp. , which differ from the hosts of P. gautengi and P. teramni .

Note: The specimen collected in 1996 at Lake Tara (Ethiopia) shows very minor differences in size and position of strigulae compared with the only available type specimen of P. homotropha (see Note below). Unfortunately, both the female paratype and the specimen from Lake Tara are worn, thus limiting our observations of their wing pattern. Differences in genitalia can vary between individuals but are minor. Because the Lake Tara specimen 1) was collected not far from the type locality of P. homotropha ; 2) largely resembles the external appearance of P. homotropha (especially in the coloration of terminal segments of the antennal flagellum, number of strigulae, position of strigulae); 3) have internal morphological characters (female genitalia) that are indistinguishable from P. homotropha , we regard this specimen as P. homotropha .

Material examined. Holotype: ♂, [1] ‘ Aethiopien [ Ethiopia] Addis Ababa [Addis Abeba]’; [2] ‘ Little Akaki / River , 2300 m / 3.xi.–6.xii.1959 / E[rich]. M[artin]. Hering / 6531’ [3] ‘Mine an [on] Glycine javanica ’, in ZMHB [not found, not examined].

Paratypes: 2♀ [of which 1♀ collected on 5.xii.1959 is examined]. Ethiopia: 1♀, Addis Ababa; Little Akaki River, 2300 m, 3.xi.–6.xii.1959, [leg.] E. M. Hering 6531; Mine an [on] Glycine javanica , in ZMHB [not found, not examined]. 1♀, Addis Ababa; Little Akaki River, 2300 m, 5.xii.1959, [leg.] E. M. Hering 6531’; mine an [on] Glycine javanica , Porphyrosela homotropha Vári PARATYPE No 4786, in TMSA [examined].

Additional material: 1♀ (including 1♀ genitalia preparation). Ethiopia: 1♀, Athiopien [Ethiopia], 11–16.i.1996, Tana See [Lake], Bahir Dar, 1600 m, leg. Mey & Ebert, gen. prep. De Prins 3541♀, in ZMHB.

Note: In the original description, Vári did not state where the types were deposited. He wrote “Little Akaki River, 3.xi.–6.xii.1959, breeding nr. 6531, ♂-holotype, ♀-allotype and 1♀ paratype; the paratype is in the collection of the TMSA ” ( Vári 1963: 12). It was presumed that the holotype and the ♀ paratype (collected on 3.xi.1959) were deposited in the collection of the ZMHB. However, from the correspondence with Wolfram Mey ( ZMHB) and personal communication with L. Vári ( TMSA) it became clear that these two types probably were lost while E. M. Hering traveled from Africa to Germany, carrying both specimens. To be sure that the holotype of P. homotropha is absent, we meticulously searched for it during our visit at the ZMHB in September 2007. Unfortunately, we could not locate these two types, and conclude that the genitalia slides made from these specimens are also lost. Therefore, we believe that the only name-bearing type specimen of this species remains the female paratype deposited in TMSA.

Since no Porphyrosela homotropha name-bearing type specimen can be found, in accordance with the provisions of Art. 75.1 of the ICZN we designate here the female paratype specimen as the Neotype bearing the following labels: [1] ‘Aethiopien [Ethiopia]: / Addis Ababa [Addis Abeba]’; [2] ‘Little Akaki / River, 2300 m / 5.xii.1959 / E. M. Hering / 6531’; [3] ‘Mine an [on] Glycine javanica ’, [4] ‘ Porphyrosela / homotropha Vári / PARATYPE No 4786’, deposited in TMSA.

Redescription. Adult ( Fig. 119 ). Forewing length: 1.45 mm.

Head: Vertex tufted with black, piliform scales. Labial palpus small, drooping, dark grey with slight metallic shine. Antenna slightly shorter than forewing, flagellomeres blackish dorsally, terminal eight flagellomeres white.

Thorax: Dark grey with metallic gloss; tegulae as thorax. Forewing ground colour yellow ochreous, shiny, irrorated with black scales between first and second dorsal strigulae basally, apically and in termen area; all strigulae snowwhite strongly shiny; 4 obligue costal strigulae at 1/4, 1/2, 2/3, and 5/6, costal strigulae rather large elongate, reaching midline of forewing, edged on both sides with black scales; 3 dorsal strigulae enpanding towards tornum, first dorsal strigula absent in paratype deposited in TMSA; second dorsal strigula is situated midway between first and second costal strigulae, third dorsal strigula just beyond third costal strigula; on left wing second dorsal strigula connected to second costal strigula to form a somewhat oblique band, on right wing second dorsal strigula clearly separated from second costal strigula; third dorsal strigula is 2× larger than second dorsal strigula; fringe line inconspicuous, but black scales present at apex, fringe rather long dark grey, gradually becoming longer towards tornum and dorsum. Hindwing dark grey, fringe long, dense, concolourous with hind wing. Legs dark grey shiny, foretibia is faintly whitish apically, tarsomere I of fore and mid-leg faintly whitish at their tips; hind tibia just distally from medial spurs brownish, tarsus brownish except tip of tarsomere I dirty white.

Abdomen: Blackish grey dorsally, shiny, ventrally paler with silvery shine. Sternum VIII of male small, rounded apically.

Male genitalia ( Figs 285, 286 , following Vári 1963: pl. 1, fig. 10). Tegumen subconical, slightly longer than valva, broadly rounded apically, sparsely squamose dorsally, with a pair of stiff, long setae. Valvae symmetrical, slightly shorter than tegumen, narrow, bar-shaped, slightly dilated apically with rough, somewhat dentate apices, slightly bent medially, ventral surface of valva covered with sparsely distributed, fine spines. Vinculum very narrow, with very short saccus, blunt caudally. Aedoeagus shorter than valva, straight, with narrow distally open vesica, cornuti absent. Anellus weakly membranous, tubular, shorter than aedoeagus.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 354 , following Vári 1963: pl. 1, fig. 11). Papillae anales short, flattened, setose with long slender dense setae ca. 68 µm long, mostly apically. Posterior apophyses long (ca. 230 µm), slightly thickened in basal 1/4, apical parts slender along entire length, straight and parallel to each other, with sharp apices, entering anterior middle of segment VII. Segment VIII of mid-length, weakly sclerotized, well connected with segment VII. Anterior apophyses absent. Segment VII ca. 380 µm long, slightly enlarged towards anterior margin. Ostium bursae opening at posterior part of segment VII, anteriad of junction of segment VII and VIII; sterigma simple, without membranized structures. Ductus and corpus bursae weakly sclerotized, ca. 380 µm long (ductus+corpus); signum absent. Ductus spermathecae without convolutions, gently curving, ca. 190 µm long, bulla spermathecae small and well sclerotized, oval-shaped.

Habitat. Unknown.

Host plant(s). Fabaceae : Glycine max (L.) Merr. (= Glycine javanica L.) ( Vári 1963: 12, Vigna sp. ( Vári 1961: 225, Dall’Asta et al. 2001: 34, De Prins & De Prins 2005: 368).

Mine. On upperside of leaf, thick and protruding, leaf very contorted; at the underside greenish marmored, at the last stage becoming completely transparent; in most cases caterpillars live gregariously in mine.

Flight period. Adults have been collected from November–January.

Distribution ( Fig. 416 ). Recorded only from Ethiopia ( Vári 1963).

Figures

FIGURES 117–122. Adults. Scale bar 1 mm. 117, Porphyrosela gautengi, holotype ♂, South Africa, Lebombo Mountains, Jozini Dam, 18.i.1965, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000004797. 118, Porphyrosela homotropha, paratype 4786♀, Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, 5.xii.1959, leg. E.M. Hering, in ZMHB. 119, Porphyrosela homotropha, ♀, Ethiopia, Tana Lake, Bahir Dar, 11–16.i.1996, leg. Mey & Ebert, in ZMHB. 120, Porphyrosela teramni, holotype 6497♂, South Africa, Pretoria, 22.xi.1948, leg. L. Vári, in TMSA. 121, Porphyrosela teramni, paratype 6520, South Africa, Pretoria, 22.xi.1948, leg. L. Vári, in TMSA. 122, Porphyrosela teramni, ♂, South Africa, Glenmore, 12.v.1971, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000004794.

FIGURES 283–286. Male genitalia. Scale bar 100 µm. 283–284, Porphyrosela gautengi, paratype, genitalia prep. TMSA 14606, in TMSA. 283, lateral view. 284, aedoeagus. 285–286, Porphyrosela homotropha, the drawings are made by Willy De Prins after the original description and the drawing of Vári (1963: 11; fig. 10). 285, lateral view. 286, aedoeagus.

FIGURES 354–355. Female genitalia. Scale bar 200 µm. 354, Porphyrosela homotropha, paratype, the drawing is made by Willy De Prins after the original description and the drawing of Vári (1963: 12; fig. 11). 355, Porphyrosela teramni, genitalia prep. MRAC/KMMA 00433, in RMCA.

FIGURES 415–417. Distribution of Afrotropical Lithocolletinae species. 415, Porphyrosela gautengi. 416, Porphyrosela homotropha. 417, Porphyrosela teramni.