Pleurota phaeolepida Tabell, 2021

Tabell, Jukka, Wikström, Bo, Mutanen, Marko, Bruckner, Harald & Sihvonen, Pasi, 2021, Subspecies of Pleurota bicostella (Clerck, 1759) revisited and descriptions of nine new species in the P. bicostella species group (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea Oecophoridae: Pleurotinae), Zootaxa 4941 (4), pp. 451-486 : 475-478

Pleurota phaeolepida Tabell , sp. nov.

Barcode Index Number: BOLD:ACW1989

Table 1, Figs. 16 , 48 , 62 , 65 , 66

Type material. Holotype ♂ (GP 5777 J. Tabell, DNA sample 24524 Lepid Phyl ): Morocco, Taroudant Prov., High Atlas, 1340 m, 1.5 km ENE Ait Oublal, N30.830 W8.404, 16.IV.2015, J. Tabell leg. (coll. MZH), BOLD sample ID: MM24524, http://id.luomus.fi/GBT. 8 Paratypes: 1 ♂ (GP 5453 J. Tabell, DNA sample 23749 Lepid Phyl), same collecting data as holotype (coll. TAB); 1 ♂ (GP 5877 J. Tabell, DNA sample 26234 Lepid Phyl), 2 ♀ (GP 5806 J. Tabell, DNA sample 26233 Lepid Phyl; GP 5876 J. Tabell, DNA sample 26232 Lepid Phyl), Morocco, High Atlas, 6 km NW Ouirgane, road to Amizmiz, 31°12’29’’N 8°4’23’’W, 1.–2.V.2016, 1050 m, C. Hviid, K. Larsen & D. Nilsson leg. (colls. ZMUC and TAB).

Other material. 1 ♂ (DNA sample 24594 Lepid Phyl , abdomen missing), Morocco, Anti-Atlas, Tiznit Prov., 40 km SE Tiznit, 1130 m, 15.IV.2015, N29.546 W9.352, J. Tabell leg.; 1 ♂ (GP 5802 J. Tabell, DNA sample 26334 Lepid Phyl), Morocco, Anti-Atlas, Sous-Massa-Drâa: Idikl 16 km E Tafraoute, 29°44’00’’N 08°50’40’’W, 1580 m, 8.–10.III.2017, C. Hviid, O. Karsholt, K. Larsen, D. Nilsson [leg.] (coll. TAB) .

Diagnosis. P. phaeolepida resembles P. kullbergi , but the labial palp is longer, the antenna is annulated (unicolorous in kullbergi ), and the white costal line in the forewing is shorter. In the male genitalia, narrower uncus, shorter gnathos, narrower and longer posterior lobe of juxta, and narrower cucullus distinguish phaeolepida from kullbergi . In the female genitalia, long apophyses distinguish phaeolepida from other species of the bicostella species group.

Molecular data. Five type specimens of phaeolepida were sequenced successfully, resulting in 658 bp, fulllength barcode sequences for two specimens, and fragments of 654, 653 and 651 bp for the remaining specimens. The nearest neighbour to phaeolepida is P. monochroma , with an 8.01 % divergence ( Table 1). The barcodes of phaeolepida exhibit 0.31 % intraspecific variation. Furthermore, two non-type specimens were sequenced, but only genetic data of type specimens were used in calculating genetic divergences (see Note).

Description. Adult. Wingspan 15.0– 17.1 mm. Labial palpus long, 6.4 x diameter of eye (1 st and 2 nd palpomeres), 3 rd palpomere 0.39 x length of 1 st and 2 nd palpomeres, dirty white mixed with dark brown scales, 3 rd palpomere white and light brown. Antenna annulated with dirty white and black, basally covered with off-white and fuscous scales, scape brown, below white. Head white mixed with brown, thorax and tegula white, mixed fuscous. Forewing covered with fuscous, brown and white scales, grey ground colour weakly visible, dark brown small spots forming two longitudinal disjointed lines, one between discal and discocellular spots, another from base to plical spot, outer margin with few dark brown scales; costal streak white, narrow, from base to 0.6; subcostal stripe brown, tinged grey, apically scattered with white scales, slightly widened from base to apex. Short dorsal fringe white, longer one grey, white-tipped. Hindwing and fringe grey, apically white. Abdomen lustrous, grey, each segment with a transverse row of ochre scales.

Male genitalia. Uncus elongate, bell-shaped from ventral view, slightly shorter than gnathos, lined with several long and short bristles, apex with long blunt protuberance. Gnathos funnel-shaped from ventral view, evenly tapered towards apex, apex rounded, distal half surfaced with scobination. Valva moderately short, tapered towards apex, surfaced with long bristles, ventral margin concave. Sacculus surfaced with long bristles. Valval lobe rounded, covered with a few long bristles, outer margin nodular; posterior lobe of juxta narrow, exceeding the base of uncus, apex with a small shallow tooth. In arched phallus a plate-shaped cornutus and a group of tiny spines.

Female genitalia. Papilla analis narrow, elongate, covered with short bristles.Apophyses long; anterior apophysis 2 x as long as segment 8, posterior apophysis 1.5 x as long as anterior one. Segment 8 longitudinally elongate, rectangular, weakly sclerotized, reinforced by dorsolateral rod, distally covered with short bristles; proximal margin U-shaped, caudal margin straight; ventral longitudinal sclerotization narrow. Antrum parallel-sided, slightly shorter than segment 8, anterior half more sclerotized. Ductus bursae parallel-sided, as long as antrum. In oval corpus bursae one crescent-shaped signum bearing two thorn-like protuberances and two small leaf-like signa of different size.

Biology. The biology is unknown. The holotype and one paratype were netted in the afternoon in the Artemisia heathland.

Etymology. Greek φΑΙΌΣ = grey, λεπίΔΟΣ (genitive) = scale. The specific epithet refers to the colour of forewing.

Distribution. Known from the High Atlas Mountains, at an altitude of 1050–1340 m.

Note. We also studied two male specimens, collected from the Anti-Atlas Mountains, which diverge genetically 1.08 % and 1.39 % from the type specimens. These specimens are not included in the type series. More material is needed to determine if there exists possible cryptic diversity .

Figures

FIGURE 65. Neighbor-joining tree based on the barcoding fragment of the COI gene (p-distance model) of all available species of the Pleurota bicostella species group. “MM26262” etc. are BOLD sample IDs.

FIGURE 66. Distribution map of P. illucidella Chrétien, P. lepigrei Lucas and nine new species of the P. bicostella species group. Map based on Google Maps © 2021.

FIGURES 9–16. Adults and labels of Pleurota spp. 9–11. P. illucidella Chrétien. 9. ♀ holotype. 10. ♂. 11. ♀. 12–14. P. lepigrei Lucas. 12. ♂ holotype. 13. ♂. 14. ♂. 15. P. ericella (Duponchel), ♂. 16. P. phaeolepida sp. nov., ♂ holotype.

FIGURES 47–48. Male genitalia of Pleurota spp. 47. P. paragallicella sp. nov., holotype, GP 6024 J. Tabell. 48. P. phaeolepida sp. nov., holotype, GP 5777 J. Tabell.

FIGURES 60–62. Female genitalia of Pleurota spp. 60. P. karsholti sp. nov., holotype, GP 5511 J. Tabell. 61. P. kullbergi sp. nov., paratype, GP 5706 J. Tabell. 62. P. phaeolepida sp. nov., paratype, GP 5876 J. Tabell.