Coleophora stenoptera 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 : 154-155

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

( Fig. 2 )

Holotype ♂ ( GP Wf 10675) “DE WET, C.P. | Orange Grove | 21.X.1967 | Vári & Potgieter”, coll. TMSA.

Paratype ♂ ( GP Wf 6449) “Matjiesfontain, 18.X.1954 | Dr. G. van Son ”, coll. TMSA .

Diagnosis. Species with grey upper surface and narrow forewings. The male genitalia are unlike those of any other known species, in particular from the wide, ear-like cucullus covered with long, robust and recurved setae, and the narrow and elongate sacculus.

Description. Wingspan 13 mm. Head white, ochreous-suffused dorsally. Antenna ringed white and brown; scape white dorsally, brown ventrally, with short, erect scales. Labial palpus whitish-brown on inner side, brown outside; second article 0,5 longer than third. Haustellum well developed. Forewing slender, grey with irregularly scattered dark scales; costal cilia dark grey, dorsal cilia light ochreous. Hindwing light ochreous grey; cilia coloured as on forewing. Abdomen grey.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 19, 21 ): Gnathos knob globular. Tegumen medially constricted, pedunculus well dilated on outer side. Transtilla ribbon-shaped, narrower at apex. Valvula trapezoidal, with ventral edge linear, more sclerotized. Cucullus large, ear-shaped, covered with many long and recurved setae. Sacculus triangular, curved and with small tooth on dorsal angle. Phallotheca short and conical. Cornuti numerous, of varied lengths, gathered in long bundle.

Female genitalia: Unknown.

Abdominal structures ( Fig. 20 ): No posterior lateral struts, transverse strut very characteristic, crescent-shaped with hooked sclerotized edges, proximal edge straight and narrow, distal edge curved. Tergal disk (3 rd tergite) about three times longer than wide, covered with about 30 conical spines.

Bionomy. The early stages and the foodplant are unknown.

Distribution. South Africa, De Wet and Matjiesfontain, Western Cape Province.

Etymology. The species name is from Greek στενός = “narrow” and πτερόν = “wing”, and refers to aspect of the forewing.

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 19–21. Male genitalia of C. stenoptera Baldizzone & van der Wolf, sp. nov. 19, GP Wf 10675, holotype. 20, abdominal segments 1–4. 21, GP WF 6449, paratype, enlarged detail of valva, phallotheca, and cornuti.