Phyllonorycter grewiella ( Vári, 1961 )

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 : 24

26. Phyllonorycter grewiella ( Vári, 1961)

( Figs 22 , 80 )

Lithocolletis grewiella Vári, 1961:213 .

Phyllonorycter grewiella, Vári & Kroon, 1986: 39 .

Material examined. 1♀, South Africa, Limpopo, Hoedspruit, Casketts , farm ( Fig. 22 ), mn 14.x.2014, em 25.iii.2016, Grewia hexamita , A. & I. Sharp leg., CLV7570, slide TRB4443 ♀. One light trapped adult, South Africa, Limpopo, Moholoholo Yamati Resort , 17/xi/2017, C. Lopez-Vaamonde leg., CLV7471 .

Additional material. 41 adults Malaise trapped as follows: seven adults, Mpumalanga, Kruger National Park, Crocodile Bridge , Lufund Chantal Muthelu leg., 22/v/2018, 09/vi/2018, 23/viii/2018, 10/ix/2018, BIOUG42909 -F02, BIOUG43484 -F07, BIOUG43488 -C08, BIOUG43503 -B10, BIOUG46249 -C03, BIOUG46472 -F07, BIOUG46615 - C04 ; three adults, Mpumalanga, Kruger National Park , Houtboshrand, James Belebes leg., 17/vi/2018, 23/vii/2018, BIOUG43131 -B08, BIOUG44793 -H10, BIOUG45661 -G08 ; three adults, Mpumalanga, Kruger National Park, Kingfisherspruit , Eddie Sibuyi leg., 26/vi/2018, 29/vi/2018, 14/viii/2018, BIOUG42399 -A03, BIOUG42503 - C04, BIOUG45615 -E12 ; one adult, Limpopo, Kruger National Park , Letaba, Sbonelo Mathebula leg., 13/vi/2018, BIOUG42508 -B10 ; one adult, South Africa, Mpumalanga, Kruger National Park, Lower Sabie , Constance Mathoho leg., 27/vi/2018, BIOUG43848 -A02 ; eight adults, Mpumalanga, Kruger NationalPark, Malelane , Albert Smith leg., 27/v/2018, 23/vi/2018, 21/vii/2018, 18/viii/2018, BIOUG47364 -F01, BIOUG47364 -F02, BIOUG48507 -H11, BIOUG48561 -C11, BIOUG48561 -D10, BIOUG48561 -F04, BIOUG48567 -E11, BIOUG48583 -G11 ; two adults, Mpumalanga, Kruger National Park , Nwanetsi, Robert Bryden leg., 28/v/2018, 09/vii/2018, BIOUG43255 -D07, BIOUG43360 -D10 ; two adults, Mpumalanga, Kruger National Park , Olifants, Nkateko Rikhotso & Rangani Tsanwani leg., 21/viii/2018, BIOUG45620 -C08, BIOUG45624 -B12 ; one adult, Limpopo, Kruger National Park , Pafuri, 08/vi/2019, Sandra Visage leg., BIOUG48314 -C04 ; one adult, Limpopo, Kruger National Park , Phalaborwa, Verah leg., 25/vi/2018, BIOUG42517 -D10 ; two adults, Mpumalanga, Kruger National Park , Satara, Agnes Tibane leg., 27/viii/2018, BIOUG46139 -C01, BIOUG46139 -D05 ; one adult, Limpopo, Kruger National Park , Shangoni, Ndwakhulu Mutobvu leg., 25/vi/2018, BIOUG48443 -D02 ; six adults, Limpopo, Kruger National Park, Shingwedzi , 18/v/2018, 02/vi/2018, 30/vi/2018, 14/vii/2018, 28/vii/2018, Rendani Nethengwe leg., BIOUG43398 -B01, BIOUG43428 -C07, BIOUG43453 -F03, BIOUG45555 -H08, BIOUG45555 -H11, BIOUG48279 -D02 ; two adults, South Africa, Limpopo, Kruger National Park , Skukuza camp, Lindokuhle Gumede & Danny Govender leg., 23/x/2018, 11/iii/2019, BIOUG44981 -G12, BIOUG46891 -E06 ; one adult, Mpumalanga, Kruger National Park , Tshokwane, Vusi Sambo leg., 04/ix/2018, BIOUG44927 -G06 .

Kenya: one adult, Tsavo National Park , reared ex Grewia villosa 23/iii/2004, De Prins J. & W. leg., CLV11907 ; one adult, Arabuko Sokoke Forest , 01/i/2004, De Prins J. & W. leg., CLV24907, BOLD:AAC1750 .

Tanzania: two adults, BOLD:AAC1746 .

Biology. The species only mines the leaves of the species of the genus Grewia ( Malvaceae ): G. caffra Meisn. , G. tiliifolia Vahl (= damine Gaertn.), G. flava DC. , G. flavescens Juss. , G. hexamita Burret , G. monticola Sond. , G. villosa Willd. ( Malvaceae ) ( Fig. 80 ). Numerous adults were collected from March to November 2017 –2019, most in June, July and August; one specimen was bred on G. hexamita .

Distribution. South Africa (Mpumalanga, Limpopo), Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, new for Tanzania, Yemen.

DNA barcodes. 47 barcodes forming three BINs ( Table S1 ): BOLD:ADN9040 contains 43 South African specimens (41 Malaise trapped, one light trapped and one reared adult); a second BIN of BOLD:AAC1750 contains one barcode from Kenya, and a third BIN, BOLD:AAC1746 contains two barcodes from Tanzania and one from Kenya. All three BINs are identified as P. grewiella and the similarity of the forewing pattern seems to justify this morphological identification.

Figures

FIGURES 19–24. Adults of South African Gracillariidae. 19, Leucocercops curatellifoliae, Limpopo, Hoedspruit, A. & I. Sharp leg. 20, Telamoptilia cordati, Limpopo, Hoedspruit, A. & I. Sharp leg. 21, Cameraria melhaniella sp. nov., Limpopo, Hoedspruit, A. & I. Sharp leg. 22, Phyllonorycter grewiella, Limpopo, Hoedspruit, A. & I. Sharp leg. 23, P. pseudogrewiella sp. nov., Limpopo, Hoedspruit, A. & I. Sharp leg. 24, Acrocercops loxias, Rajputana, Jodhpur (India), syntype.

FIGURES 78–83. Immature stages of South African Gracillariidae. 78, Phodoryctis tephrosiella, mines on Tephrosia rhodesica (Fabaceae). Gauteng, Tshwane, A. Sharp leg. 79, Conopobathra carbunculata, mines on Peltophorum africanum (Fabaceae), Limpopo, York, A. & I. Sharp leg. 80, Phyllonorycter grewiella, mine on Grewia hexamita (Malvaceae), A. & I. Sharp leg. 81, P. pseudogrewiella sp. nov., mines on Grewia flavescens (Malvaceae), Limpopo, Hoedspruit, A. & I. Sharp leg. 82, P. pseudogrewiella sp. nov., larva, ibidem. 83, P. pseudogrewiella sp. nov., mines and pupae, ibidem.