Coleophora armata Baldizzone & van der Wolf, 2020

Baldizzone, Giorgio & Van Der Wolf, Hugo W., 2020, On the taxonomy of Afrotropical Coleophoridae (IV). New or little known species from South Africa (Lepidoptera, Coleophoridae), Zootaxa 4816 (2), pp. 151-170 : 159

Coleophora armata Baldizzone & van der Wolf , sp. nov.

( Fig. 4 )

Holotype ♂ ( GP Wf 10655) “P. K. le ROUX DAM | Van der Kloof, C. P. | 8-12.IV.1970 | Vári & Snyman”, coll. TMSA.

Paratype: ♂ ( GP Wf 10651) “VERWOERD DAM | Oranjekrag, O.F.S | 13-15.IV.1970 | Vári & Snyman”, coll. TMSA .

Diagnosis. Species with an appearance similar to that of many Palearctic species with uniform ochre colour of the forewing and a thin white costal line. The male genitalia are very characteristic and unmistakable due to the presence of long, asymmetrical sharp robust setae on the valvula. This peculiarity is remarkable, because asymmetries are very rare in the males of Coleophoridae .

Description. Wingspan 10 mm. Head light ochre, white above the eye. Antenna ringed with light ochre and dirty white; scape ochre without erected scales. Labial palpus light ochre suffused with white on inner side and ochre on outer side; second article about 1.5 times the length of third. Haustellum well developed. Thorax and tegula ochre. Forewing completely ochre with narrow white costal line; cilia light grey. Hindwing and cilia light grey. Abdomen ochre.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 26, 28, 29 ): Gnathos knob globular. Tegumen constricted medially, pedunculus short and wide. Transtilla short, triangular. Valvula from whose dorsal edge emerge structures similar to long very sclerified sharp points projected towards the ventral part: one on a side and two parallel on the other side, with an asymmetrical appearance. Cucullus short and stout, larger at base than at apex. Sacculus large, well sclerotized, with obtuse angle on ventral margin and long protuberance on dorsal angle, horn-shaped with jagged outer edge and apex extended beyond cucullus. Phallotheca tubular, large, sclerotized only on ventral side, pointed at apex. Cornuti absent.

Female genitalia: Unknown.

Abdominal structures ( Fig. 27 ): No posterior lateral struts, transverse strut slightly curved with proximal edge slightly thicker. Tergal disk (3 rd tergite) about 0.5 times longer than wide, covered with about 33 conical spines.

Bionomy. The early stages and the foodplant are unknown.

Distribution. South Africa, Northern Cape Province, Vanderkloof Dam (originally the P. K. Le Roux Dam); Free State Province, Gariep Dam (originally Oranjenkrag).

Etymology. The species name is from the Latin armatus = “armed”, and refers to the long and robust thorn-like setae on the valvula.

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Adults of Coleophora spp. 1, C. halmodes Meyrick - ♂ “Umtali | Rhodesia | 7.I.[19]18” (photo: Alessandro Giusti, © NHMUK). 2, C. stenoptera Baldizzone & van der Wolf, sp. nov., holotype ♂. 3, C. swaziella Baldizzone & van der Wolf, sp. nov., holotype ♂. 4, C. armata Baldizzone & van der Wolf, sp. nov., holotype ♂. 5, C. suavis Baldizzone & van der Wolf, sp. nov., holotype ♂. 6, C. venusta Baldizzone & van der Wolf, sp. nov., holotype ♂.

FIGURES 26–29. Male genitalia of C. armata Baldizzone & van der Wolf, sp. nov. 26, GP WF 10651, paratype. 27, abdominal segments 1–5. 28, enlarged detail of valva and phallotheca. 29, same detail, GP WF 10655, holotype.