Pleurota aprilella 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 : 467-469

Pleurota aprilella Tabell , sp. nov.

Barcode Index Number: BOLD:ACW2251

Table 1, Figs. 19–20 , 41 , 58 , 65 , 66

Type material. Holotype ♀ (DNA sample 23740 Lepid. Phyl.): Morocco, Tiznit Prov. , Anti-Atlas, Tafraout 19.5 km SW, 1010 m, N29.606 W9.132, 14.IV.2015, J. Tabell leg. (coll. MZH), BOLD sample ID: MM23740, http:// id.luomus.fi/GBT. 3 Paratypes: 2 ♂ (GP 5442 J. Tabell, DNA sample 23739 Lepid. Phyl.; DNA sample 23750 Lepid. Phyl.), 2 ♀ (GP 5499 J. Tabell, DNA sample 23741 Lepid. Phyl.) same collecting data as holotype (all in coll. TAB).

Diagnosis. Externally P. aprilella is similar to P. agadirensis and P. phaeolepida , and reliable identification requires examination of genitalia structures. In male genitalia, the narrow apical half of gnathos, straight costa, angular valval lobe and concave ventral margin of valva are distinguishing characters. The female genitalia are similar to those of agadirensis , but the proximal margin of segment 8 is more convex in aprilella , and the antrum is shorter.

Molecular data. Three specimens of aprilella were sequenced successfully, resulting in 658 bp, full-length barcode sequences. The nearest neighbour to aprilella is agadirensis with a 2.79 % divergence ( Table 1). The barcodes of aprilella exhibit 0.15 % intraspecific variation.

Description. Adult. Wingspan 11.5–12.1 mm. Labial palpus 4.6 x as long as diameter of eye (1 st and 2 nd palpomeres), 3 rd palpomere 0.24 x length of 1 st and 2 nd palpomeres, mixed with brown and white scales, below brown, basally mixed with white. Antenna pale brown, below dark brown, scape pale brown, below off-white. Head, thorax and tegula dirty white, mixed with pale brown. Forewing covered with fuscous and off-white scales, dark brown discal and discocellular spots small, plical streak weak, fringe line distinct; costal line white, narrow, from near base to 3/4; subcostal line moderately broad, brown. Fringe pale brown, basally off-white. Hindwing pale grey, fringe pale fuscous. In female discal and discocellular spots and plical streak more distinct, and medial area of forewing whiter.

Male genitalia. Uncus triangular from ventral view, shorter than gnathos, lined with few long bristles, apex with long, narrow and stout protuberance. Gnathos funnel-shaped from ventral view, distal half elongate, narrow, covered with scobination, evenly tapered towards stout apex. Tegumen large, dorsal margin slightly concave. Ventral margin of valva concave, costa straight, horizontal. Sacculus weakly sclerotized. Juxta tuning-fork-shaped; valval lobe small, angular, covered with few bristles; posterior lobe reaching the base of uncus. Phallus arched, with a patch of numerous tiny spines.

Female genitalia. Papilla analis oval, covered with long bristles. Apophysis posterioris 3 x as long as papilla analis and 1.75 x as long as apophysis anterioris, which is as long as segment 8. Segment 8 longitudinally rectangular, weakly sclerotized, distal half sparsely covered with short bristles, dorsolaterally reinforced by sclerotized band; proximal margin strongly sclerotized, deeply convex, medially broader, caudal margin slightly concave; ventral longitudinal sclerotization spherical. Antrum tubular, shorter than segment 8, densely surfaced by small nodules, anterior section with two crescent-shaped opposite patches. Ductus bursae narrower than antrum. Corpus bursae spherical, with one broad crescent-shaped signum bearing two strongly sclerotized thorn-like protuberances and two leaf-shaped posterior signa of equal size.

Biology. The biology is unknown. The type material was collected at light.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the flight period in April.

Distribution. Known only from one locality in the Anti-Atlas Mountains at an altitude of 1010 m.

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 17–24. Adults and labels of Pleurota spp. 17–18. P. agadirensis sp. nov. 17. ♂ holotype. 18. ♀ paratype. 19–20. P. aprilella sp. nov. 19. ♂ paratype. 20. ♀ holotype. 21–22. P. dalilae sp. nov. 21. ♂ paratype. 22. ♀ holotype. 23–24. P. karsholti sp. nov. 23. ♂ paratype. 24. ♀ holotype.

FIGURES 41–42. Male genitalia of Pleurota spp. 41. P. aprilella sp. nov., paratype, GP 5442 J. Tabell. 42. P. dalilae sp. nov., paratype, GP 5920 J. Tabell.

FIGURES 57–59. Female genitalia of Pleurota spp. 57. P. agadirensis sp. nov., paratype, GP 5761 J. Tabell. 58. P. aprilella sp. nov., holotype, GP 5773 J. Tabell. 59. P. dalilae sp. nov., holotype, GP 5914 J. Tabell.