Aphanostola pentastigma (Janse, 1960)

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 : 49

Aphanostola pentastigma (Janse, 1960) Figs 4 , 5 , 43 , 66 , 67

Lanceopenna pentastigma Janse, 1960 - Moths of South Africa, 6 (2): 216, pl. 105, pl. 109f, pl. 121e, pl. 118 h, i.

Aphanostola pentastigma (Janse, 1960) - Agassiz and Bidzilya 2016 (in press).

Material examined.

Holotype of Lanceopenna pentastigma , ♀, [South Africa], Pretoria , 28.viii.1937 ( Vári) (gen. slide. 8394), Lanceopenna pentastigma Janse, ♀ , Holotype No: 3684. Paratypes: ♂, Pretoria, 30.x.1948 ( Vári) (gen. slide 8781), 2 ♂, Gladde Klipkop, 1-9.iii.1954 (Janse) (gen. slide 254/12, O. Bidzilya); 1 ♀, Pretoria, 20.x.1952 ( Vári) (gen. slide 260/12, O. Bidzilya); 1 ♀, Pretoria, 10.i.1951 ( Vári); 1 ♂, Pretoria, 21.viii.1949 ( Vári); 1 ♂, Pretoria, 15.viii.1953, e.l. Acacia sp. ( Vári); 1 ♂, Pretoria , 8.i.1975 ( Vári) (gen. slide 32/15, O. Bidzilya); 1 S, Pafuri, K.N.P. Survey, 8.v.1975 (Potgieter & Scoble) (gen. slide 44/15, O. Bidzilya) (all TMSA) ; 1 ♀, Zimbabwe, 6-10. iv.1954 (Janse); 1 ♀, Kei River Bridge, 5-6.ii.1955 (Janse) (slide venation 2913) (TMSA); 9 ♂, 9 ♀, Kenya: Rift Valley, L. Naivasha 1900 m, 0°47'S, 36°24'E, l. on Acacia xanthophloea , em. 18-23.xi, 4-10.xii.2003 (Agassiz) (gen. slide 1357♂; 1358♀, O. Bidzilya) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, KENYA: Rift Valley, L. Naivasha 2000 m, 0°45'S, 36°24'E, ex l. on Acacia xanthophloea , em. 27.iv.2003 (Agassiz) (gen. slide 1357♂; 614/ 14♀, O. Bidzilya) (coll. Agassiz) ; 2 ♂, 1 ♀, Kenya, Nakuru National Park, Makalia Falls Camp Site, 00°25'S 036°04'E, 1830 m, 11.x.2001 (J. De Prins) (BMNH) .

Diagnosis.

Lanceopenna pentastigma is recognizable externally by the narrow, prolonged forewing with four black spots in cell and two black spots on costal margin. The male genitalia resemble those of Aphanostola acaciae sp. n., but the uncus is longer, the saccus is narrower, the phallus lacks cornuti and teeth, and the basal projection is shifted nearly to the middle. The female genitalia differ from the other Aphanostola species in the presence of numerous spikes on the wall of the corpus bursae.

Redescription.

Adult (Figs 4 , 5 ). Wingspan 7.2-8.0 mm. Head, thorax and tegulae covered with grey black-tipped scales, frons light grey; labial palpus weakly up-curved, pale with broad black medial belts, segment two whitish on inner surface; antenna in male finely ciliated and thicker than antenna in female, scape black, other antennal segments grey with narrow black rings at base. Forewing grey densely suffused with brown, black spot just at base, at 1/4 and 1/3 of costal margin; four black spots in cell: two in fold, one in middle under costal margin and last one in corner of cell; diffuse black spot at 2/3 of dorsal margin, apex mottled with black, termen black spotted; cilia grey. Hindwing grey.

Male genitalia (Fig. 43 ). Uncus more than two times broader than long, posterior margin with broad and shallow emargination, densely covered with strong setae; gnathos long, curved before middle, weakly broadened in distal portion, with pointed tip; tegumen broad, with deep and broad anterior emargination; distal half of valva gradually widened towards rounded apex, inner margin with very small tooth; sacculus narrow, beak-shaped; vinculum moderately broad with short projections on posterior margin, postero-medial incision narrow; saccus broad at base, triangular, apex weakly pointed, slightly exceeding beyond the apex of pedunculus; phallus gradually tapered, basal projection narrow, shifted nearly to middle of phallus.

Female genitalia (Figs 66 , 67 ). Segment VIII without modification, weakly sclerotized, distinctly shorter than apophyses anteriores; antrum short, funnel-shaped; sub-ostial sclerite cup-shaped; ductus bursae long, narrow, weakly widened before entrance to globular corpus bursae; signum absent, but corpus bursae covered with a number of teeth and spikes.

Variation. The specimens from Kenya have no teeth on the wall of the corpus bursae, only spikes are present, and their number is much smaller than in females from South Africa; the corpus bursae is distinctly smaller too, the ductus bursae is broader, the transition to the corpus bursae is more gradual.

Distribution.

South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya.

Biology.

Larva feeds on Acacia xanthophloea Benth. ( Fabaceae ) in Kenya ( Agassiz and Bidzilya 2016 in press) and in Acacia sp. in South Africa. Adults were observed from late August to early April, up to 1830 m elevation in Kenya.

Notes.

Lanceopenna pentastigma was described from nine specimens of both sexes collected in South Africa and Zimbabwe. We were able to examine the type series. The genitalia of both sexes match well with those of Aphanostola , therefore the species was transferred to this genus (Bidzilya and Agassiz 2016 in press).

The specimens from Kenya agree well externally with specimens from the type series and also in the male genitalia, but differ in some details in the female genitalia (see above). However, we do not consider these to be separate species.

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 41 - 46. Male genitalia of Aphanostola spp. 41. Aphanostola acaciae sp. n., HT, Namibia, 20 km NW Uis (gen. slide 101 / 05); 42. Aphanostola acaciae sp. n., Namibia, Rooiklip Farm (gen. slide 496 / 14); 43. Aphanostola pentastigma, Kenya, L. Naivasha (gen. slide 1357); 44. Aphanostola morogorensis sp. n., HT Tanzania, Morogoro Town (gen. slide 2378); 45. Aphanostola calderae sp. n., HT, Namibia, Asante-Sana (gen. slide 184 / 12); 46. Aphanostola calderae sp. n., Namibia, Asante-Sana (582 / 14).

Figures 65 - 67. Female genitalia of Aphanostola spp. 65. Aphanostola acaciae sp. n., Namibia, Mirabib (gen. slide 548 / 14); 66. Aphanostola pentastigma, RSA, Pretoria (gen. slide 260 / 12); 67. Aphanostola pentastigma, Kenya, L. Naivasha (gen. slide 614 / 14).