Conopobathra gravissima ( Meyrick, 1912 )

Triberti, Paolo, Staude, Hermann, Sharp, Ian & Lopez-Vaamonde, Carlos, 2024, Exploring the diversity of Gracillariidae (Lepidoptera) in South Africa: host plants, distribution, and DNA barcoding analysis, with the description of nine new species, Zootaxa 5529 (1), pp. 1-51 : 14

12. Conopobathra gravissima ( Meyrick, 1912)

( Fig. 39 )

Acrocercops gravissima, Meyrick, 1912 , 1: 24.

Acrocercops globulifera, Meyrick, 1931 , 4: 48.

Conopobathra gravissima, Vári 1961:96 .

Material. 1♂, South Africa, Gauteng, Tshwane 25°35’13.2”S, 28°25’44.4”E, 1270 m, 23.xi.2017, CLV8181, A. Sharp leg., slide TRB4419 ♂ .

Additional material. One adult, South Africa, Limpopo, Moholoholo Yamati Resort , 17/xi/2017, CLV7471 , leg. C. Lopez-Vaamonde (light trap) ; one adult, South Africa, Limpopo, Thohoyandou National Botanical Gardens , 08/ii/2022, Walter Mabatha leg. (Malaise trap), BIOUG89039 -H03 .

Biology. Bauhinia variegata L. ( Fabaceae ). The range of origin of this plant species is the Eastern Region, however it was introduced and naturalized in many tropical countries of America, Africa and Asia. In some areas, it is considered an invasive species ( FLEPPC 2019). Meyrick (1931) reports:” Java, Salatiga, bred from larvae in flowers of Bauhinia variegata , cocoon on surface of leaf”.

Distribution. South Africa (Mpumalanga, Limpopo), Namibia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Java, Malaysia, Thailand. This wide distribution is probably due to the invasive spread of the host plant.

DNA barcodes. Four barcodes belong to their own unique BIN BOLD:ACF9559. According to the barcodes the sister taxa to the South African C. gravissima is a clade (BIN BOLD:AAF7564) of nine Australian specimens.

Remarks. The specimen agrees well with Vári’s description (1961). However, in the male genitalia there is a subrectangular formation along the base of the costal margin of the valva, shown in fig. 39 and not mentioned in the original description. It is only very partially shown in the drawing (see plate 57, fig. 4 in Vári 1961). This is considered to be due to a different positioning during the dissection.

Figures

FIGURES 35–39. Male genitalia of South African Gracillariidae. 35-37, Ectropina spirostachydis sp. nov., holotype: 35, ventral view (240 μm); 36, tergum VIII detail (140 μm); 37, phallus (120 μm). 38, Cryptolectica capnodecta: ventral view (240 μm). 39, Conopobathra gravissima: valva detail (280 μm).