Aphanostola rooiklipella Bidzilya & Mey, 2016

Bidzilya, Oleksiy V., Mey, Wolfram & Agassiz, David, 2016, Review of the genus Aphanostola Meyrick, 1931 (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae, Anomologinae) with description of 19 new species from the Afrotropical Region, Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 63 (1), pp. 45-74 : 53

Aphanostola rooiklipella Bidzilya & Mey sp. n. Figs 16 , 51 , 70 , 71 , 71a

Type material.

Holotype ♀, Namibia, Gamsb[er]g., Rooiklip Farm, 10-11.ix.20012, LF (Mey) ( MfN). Paratypes: 8 ♀, same data as holotype (gen. slide 495/14; 547/14; 554/14, O. Bidzilya); 1 ♀, Namibia, Rooisand, Gamsberg Pass, 20.i.2007, aut[omatische] Falle (Mey & Ebert) (gen. slide 203/12, O. Bidzilya); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Namibia, Omatako Ranch, LF, 22-23.iii.2003 (Mey) (gen. slide 213/12♂, 66/15♀, O. Bidzilya); 1 ♀, Namibia, Otjiwarongo, Hohenfels, 25-27.viii.2012, LF (Mey) (gen. slide 561/14, O. Bidzilya) ( MfN); 1 ♀, RSA, Natal, Mkuzi, [15'sq NW cnr, 27 30'S, 32 05'E], 23-26.iv.1982 (Scoble, Laurenson & Kroon) (gen. slide 45/15, O. Bidzilya) ( TMSA).

Diagnosis.

The new species can reliably be separated from Aphanostola melliferae sp. n. and Aphanostola africanella sp. n. by the genitalia. The male genitalia most resemble those of Aphanostola acaciae sp. n., but are well recognizable by the presence of the big rounded lateral, vincular projections in combination with sub-rectangular tegumen and apically tapered phallus. The female genitalia resemble those of Aphanostola griseella sp. n., but the antrum is distinctly longer than the apophyses anteriores in Aphanostola rooiklipella sp. n. whereas the antrum in Aphanostola griseella sp. n. is sub-equal in length to apophyses anteriores; moreover the sub-ostial sclerite in Aphanostola griseella sp. n. is shorter and having shorter posterior projections.

Description.

Adult (Fig. 16 ). Wingspan 6.2-6.4 mm. Head, thorax and tegulae covered with grey black-tipped scales, frons off-white, labial palpus weakly up-curved, segment two black with whitish scales at base, segment three black with white basal, medial and apical rings, inner surface lighter, greyish, antenna thick in male, thin in female, finely ciliated in both sexes, scape black, other antennal segments black with narrow whitish rings at base, underside greyish; forewing light grey densely suffused with brown along margins and particularly on apex, three prolonged brown spots in cell, diffuse brown dash in fold, cilia grey, brown-tipped; hindwing grey.

Male genitalia (Fig. 51 ). Uncus about as broader as long, weakly widened apically, posterior margin slightly emarginated; gnathos sickle-shaped; tegumen sub-rectangular, 1.5 times longer than broad, anterior margin with comparatively shallow, rounded emargination; valva straight, inner margin with distinct thorn at 2/3 length, distal 1/3 inflated, hairy; sacculus prolonged, narrow, curved inwardly; vinculum narrow, posterior margin with short medial and long lateral projections, anteromedial emargination shallow; saccus broad, triangular, slightly exceeding beyond apex of pedunculus; phallus with pointed apex, basal projection arises from 1/3 length of phallus and exceeding nearly to its tip.

Female genitalia (Figs 70 , 71 , 71a ). Segment VIII nearly as long as broad, evenly sclerotized; apophyses anteriores moderately thick, twice as long as segment VIII; antrum long, tubular, exceeding the tips of apophyses anteriores; sub-ostial sclerite sub-rectangular with long posterior projection; ductus bursae narrow; corpus bursae sub-ovate; signum a long sub-triangular plate densely covered with spikes and with medial cord inside.

Etymology.

Named after the farm Rooiklip in the escarpment of Namibia.

Distribution.

Namibia.

Biology.

The host plant unknown. The adults were observed from late August to mid-September, and again in January and in March, which is suggestive for the development of two generations per year.

Figures

Figures 1 - 21. Adults of Aphanostola spp. (scale bar 1.0 mm) 1. Aphanostola acaciae sp. n., Namibia, Brandberg (gen. slide 73 / 05); 2. Aphanostola acaciae sp. n., Namibia, Mirabib (gen. slide 548 / 14); 3. Aphanostola acaciae sp. n., Kenya, Logumgum (gen. slide 1362); 4. Aphanostola pentastigma, HT, RSA, Pretoria; 5. Aphanostola pentastigma, Kenya, L. Naivasha; 6. Aphanostola morogorensis sp. n., HT, Tanzania, Morogoro Town; 7. Aphanostola calderae sp. n., RSA, Asante-Sana; 8. Aphanostola calderae sp. n., HT, RSA, Asante-Sana; 9. Aphanostola kenyella sp. n., Kenya, between Limuru and Mai Mahiu (gen. slide 1497); 10. Aphanostola kenyella sp. n., HT, Kenya, between Limuru and Mai Mahiu; 11. Aphanostola kruegeri sp. n., RSA, Pretoria (gen. slide 8 / 15); 12. Aphanostola alternella sp. n., HT, Kenya, Turi; 13. Aphanostola antennata sp. n., HT, Namibia, Popa Falls; 14. Aphanostola antennata sp. n., RSA, Nwanedzi (gen. slide 36 / 15); 15. Aphanostola antennata sp. n., Namibia, Kavango; 16. Aphanostola rooiklipella sp. n., HT, Namibia, Rooiklip Farm; 17. Aphanostola griseella sp. n., HT, Namibia, Grootfontein; 18. Aphanostola griseella sp. n., Kenya, Nakuru NP (gen. slide 596 / 14); 19. Aphanostola centripunctella sp. n., Namibia, E. Caprivi (gen. slide 76 / 05); 20. Aphanostola centripunctella sp. n., Namibia, E. Caprivi; 21. Aphanostola centripunctella sp. n., Namibia, E. Caprivi (gen. slide 155 / 15).

Figures 47 - 52. Male genitalia of Aphanostola spp. 47. Aphanostola kenyella sp. n., Kenya, between Limuru and Mai Mahiu (gen. slide 1497); 48. Aphanostola kruegeri sp. n., RSA, Pretoria (gen. slide 4 / 15); 49. Aphanostola alternella sp. n., HT, Kenya, Turi (gen. slide 307 / 14); 50. Aphanostola antennata sp. n., Namibia, Popa Falls (gen. slide 54 / 08); 51. Aphanostola rooiklipella sp. n., Namibia, Omatako (gen. slide 213 / 12); 52. Aphanostola centripunctella sp. n., Namibia, Brandberg (gen. slide 106 / 05).

Figures 68 - 70. Female genitalia of Aphanostola spp. 68. Aphanostola morogorensis sp. n., Tanzania, Morogoro Town (gen. slide 2375); 69. Aphanostola antennata sp. n., Namibia, Popa Falls (gen. slide 206 / 12); 70. Aphanostola rooiklipella sp. n., Namibia, Rooisand (gen. slide 203 / 12).

Figures 71 - 73. Female genitalia of Aphanostola spp. 71. Aphanostola rooiklipella sp. n., Namibia, Rooiklip Farm (gen. slide 554 / 14); 71 a. Signum (gen. slide 547 / 14); 72. Aphanostola griseella sp. n., HT, Namibia, Otavi (gen. slide 502 / 14); 73. Aphanostola griseella sp. n., Namibia, Popa Falls (gen. slide 225 / 12).