Pleurota agadirensis Tabell, 2021

Tabell, Jukka, Wikström, Bo, Mutanen, Marko, Bruckner, Harald & Sihvonen, Pasi, 2021, Subspecies of Pleurota bicostella (Clerck, 1759) revisited and descriptions of nine new species in the P. bicostella species group (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea Oecophoridae: Pleurotinae), Zootaxa 4941 (4), pp. 451-486 : 466-467

Pleurota agadirensis Tabell , sp. nov.

Barcode Index Number: BOLD:ACW1991

Table 1, Figs. 17–18 , 40 , 57 , 65 , 66

Type material. Holotype ♂ (GP 5314 J. Tabell, DNA sample 23691 Lepid. Phyl.): Morocco, Agadir 10 km N, 400 m, N30.501 W9.582, 26.IV.2013, J. Tabell leg. (coll. MZH), BOLD sample ID: MM23619, http://id.luomus. fi/GBT. 2 Paratype: 1 ♀ (GP 5761 J. Tabell, DNA sample 25775 Lepid Phyl ), Morocco 1080 m, Prov. Azilal, Ait Bouzid, 31.72371°, -6.96669°, 30.IV.–7.V.2015, Jaakko Kullberg leg. (coll. MZH) .

Diagnosis. Externally P. agadirensis is similar to P. aprilella and P. phaeolepida , and positive identification requires examination of genitalia structures. In male genitalia, the shape of valva and cucullus, and the boot-shaped arrangement of cornuti distinguish agadirensis from the other species. Female genitalia are similar to those of aprilella , but the proximal margin of segment 8 is less convex, and the antrum is longer.

Molecular diagnosis. Both type specimens of agadirensis were sequenced, resulting in 658 bp and 627 bp barcode sequences. The nearest neighbour to agadirensis is aprilella , with a 2.79 % divergence ( Table 1). The barcodes of agadirensis exhibit 0.64 % intraspecific variation.

Description. Adult. Wingspan male 12.9 mm, female 11.1 mm. Labial palpus 5.3 x as long as diameter of eye (1 st and 2 nd palpomeres), 3 rd palpomere 0.28 x length of 1 st and 2 nd palpomeres, dirty white mixed with few pale brown scales, ventrally brown. Antenna brown, scape brown, ventrally white. Head, thorax and tegula dirty white, mixed with pale brown. Forewing covered with fuscous, brown, white and grey scales, blackish brown discal spot distinct, elongated, plical streak distinct, fringe line formed of several brown scales; costal line off-white, narrow, from near base to 0.67; subcostal line moderately broad, brown, mixed with darker scales, widened from base to apex. Fringe off-white, mixed pale brown. Hindwing and fringe pale brown.

Male genitalia. Uncus triangular from ventral view, slightly shorter than gnathos, lined with several long and short bristles, apex with short stout protuberance. Gnathos funnel-shaped from ventral view, broad, smooth, distal half elongate, evenly tapered towards stout apex. Valva conical, costa straight, slightly oblique. Sacculus moderately broad. Valval lobe small, outer margin rounded; posterior lobe reaching the base of uncus. Phallus slightly arched, well sclerotized, tapered towards apex, with a boot-shaped formation of tiny spines.

Female genitalia. Papilla analis oval, covered with long bristles. Apophysis posterioris about 3 x as long as papilla analis and 1.6 x as long as apophysis anterioris, which is 1.3 x as long as segment 8. Segment 8 longitudinally rectangular, weakly sclerotized, distal half sparsely covered with short bristles, dorsolaterally reinforced by sclerotized band; proximal margin strongly sclerotized, broadly U-shaped, medially broader; ventral longitudinal sclerotization oval. Antrum tubular, as long as segment 8, densely surfaced by small nodules, anterior section with two crescent-shaped opposite patches. Ductus bursae narrower than antrum. Corpus bursae spherical, with one broad crescent-shaped signum bearing two strongly sclerotized thorn-like protuberances and two narrow posterior signa of equal size.

Biology. The biology is unknown. The type material was collected at light.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to Agadir, Morocco, the type locality.

Distribution. Known only from two localities in the High Atlas Mountains at an altitude of 400 m and 1080 m.

Figures

FIGURE 65. Neighbor-joining tree based on the barcoding fragment of the COI gene (p-distance model) of all available species of the Pleurota bicostella species group. “MM26262” etc. are BOLD sample IDs.

FIGURE 66. Distribution map of P. illucidella Chrétien, P. lepigrei Lucas and nine new species of the P. bicostella species group. Map based on Google Maps © 2021.

FIGURES 17–24. Adults and labels of Pleurota spp. 17–18. P. agadirensis sp. nov. 17. ♂ holotype. 18. ♀ paratype. 19–20. P. aprilella sp. nov. 19. ♂ paratype. 20. ♀ holotype. 21–22. P. dalilae sp. nov. 21. ♂ paratype. 22. ♀ holotype. 23–24. P. karsholti sp. nov. 23. ♂ paratype. 24. ♀ holotype.

FIGURES 39–40. Male genitalia of Pleurota spp. 39. P. lepigrei Lucas, GP 5443 J. Tabell. 40. P. agadirensis sp. nov., holotype, GP 5314 J. Tabell.

FIGURES 57–59. Female genitalia of Pleurota spp. 57. P. agadirensis sp. nov., paratype, GP 5761 J. Tabell. 58. P. aprilella sp. nov., holotype, GP 5773 J. Tabell. 59. P. dalilae sp. nov., holotype, GP 5914 J. Tabell.