Crassicornella zernyi (PETERSEN, 1957)

Gaedike, Reinhard, 2009, New or poorly known Tineidae from Mauretania, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia (Lepidoptera), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 59 (2), pp. 489-512 : 494-495

Crassicornella zernyi (PETERSEN, 1957)

Catabola atlantis ZAGULAJEV, 1975: 291 , syn. nov.

Morocco: 4 ♂, 1 ♀, Prov. Agadir, Tarhazuote, 10. - 19.iv.1990, leg. BASSI/OLMI/SCARAMOZZINO, Coll. BASSI .

The material allows the first description of the female genitalia ( Figs 17-18 ):

Posterior apophyses near the papillae analis with bristled bulge, characteristic for the tribe, the two branches of the anterior apophyses widened, bristled, area around ostium band-shaped; ductus bursae with shell-shaped sclerotization, in the middle with hanging cone-shaped sclerotization. This is the third species in the genus, of which females are now known.

The comparison of the description and drawing of male genitalia of Catabola atlantis , described by ZAGULAJEV (1975) from “ Marokko, Gr. Atlas, Tachdirt, 2200-2900 m, 11.-19. VII. [19]33, leg. ZERNY” [slide 11045], Coll. ZIN, shows unequivocally that these species are identical. Catabola atlantis ZAGULAJEV, 1975 is accordingly a new synonym of Crassicornella zernyi (PETERSEN, 1957) .

Reisserita bettagi sp. n.

Material:

Holotype, ♂ “ Marokko, Moyen Atlas Ifrane Umgeb. 1600 m, 11. - 22.06.1996, leg. E. BETTAG;” “Gen. präp. [genitalia slide] GAEDIKE NR.: 5768;” “ Holotypus ♂, Reisserita bettagi sp. n. det. R. GAEDIKE 2008;” Coll. BETTAG.

Description ( Fig. 3 ):

Wingspan 12 mm; Head brush, mainly rubbed, light brown, scapus outside dark brown, inside light brown, flagellum ringed; thorax and forewing unicolourous light brown, without any pattern, hindwing dark grey.

Male genitalia (Figs 19-22). Uncus bilobate, with blunt tips, gnathos arms stout, basally broad, the last third curved, with pointed tip; vinculum broad, saccus with rounded tip, nearly triangular; valva with long, more strongly sclerotized transtilla, basally rounded, costal edge convex, from the last third directed ventrally, with rounded tip, ventral edge concave; phallus as long as the whole genitalia, narrow, with two hook-shaped cornuti.

Female genitalia. Unknown.

Life history: Unknown.

Etymology: Named in honour of the collector, Mr. ERICH BETTAG.

Remarks:

There is a small similarity with R. zernyi PETERSEN, 1957 in the shape of the valva with convex costal edge and concave ventral edge, but the shape of uncus and the phallus with only two cornuti clearly differentiates the new species.

Reisserita stengeli sp. n.

Material:

Holotype, ♂, “ ♂ ”; “ 33°24' N 05°10' E Maroc - Moyen Atlas , Foret des Cedres, 1700 m, 8.vii.1994, leg. STENGEL”; “[genitalia slide G. DERRA] 6302”; “ Holotypus ♂, Reisserita stengeli sp. n. det. R. GAEDIKE 2009;” Coll. DERRA.

Description ( Fig. 4 ):

Wingspan 16 mm; head yellowish clay-coloured, outside of labial palpi and antenna somewhat darker; thorax the same colouration, base of tegulae somewhat darker; forewing also clay-coloured, with scattered darker scales, costa somewhat darker, hindwing light grey.

Male genitalia (Figs 23-24). Uncus incised in the middle, gnathos arms long, nearly circularly bent, with pointed tip; saccus very long, narrow, valva nearly as long as saccus, nearly parallel, from base to rounded tip valve becomes narrower, ventral edge convex; phallus longer than saccus, with a row of appr. 10 short thorn-like cornuti.

Female genitalia. Unknown.

Life history: Unknown.

Etymology: Named in honour of the collector, Mr. STENGEL.

Remarks:

Superficially similar to other members of the genus, but structure of genitalia shows distinct differences. The size of valvae is similar to chalcopterella , but the very long saccus, the circularly bent gnathos arms, and presence of only one row of cornuti are clear differences.

Figures

Figs 17-18: Crassicornella zernyi ♀: (17: anterior and posterior apophyses, ostium - 18: sclerotization in ductus bursae, enlarged).

Fig. 3: Reisserita bettagi sp. n.

Fig. 4: Reisserita stengeli sp. n.