Scrobipalpa aptatella (Walker, 1864)

Figs 87, 149, 194

Gelechia aptatella Walker, 1864: 636 .

Gelechia heliopa Lower, 1900: 417 . Synonymized by Gaede 1937: 261–262.

Scrobipalpa heliopa Walker, 1864 — Janse 1951: 199.

Scrobipalpa (Scrobipalpa) heliopa Walker, 1864 — Povolný 1967: 211.

Material examined. Ethiopia: 1 ♀, Athiopien, Addis-Abeba, 20.v.1979 | Dr. Angenstein Mgdbg., DDR, 3461 (gen. slide 191/07, O. Bidzilya) (MfN) . South Africa: 1 ♂, Umkomaas, 24.i.1914 (Janse) (gen. slide 8517) ; 1 ♂, Natal, Weenen, 2840 ft., i.1924 (Thomasset) ; 1 ♀, Pret. North, 26.ii.1917 (Swierstra) ; 1 ♀, Pretoria, 3.xii.09 (Janse) (gen. slide 5473) ; 2 ♂, Rustenburg TP, i.1934 (Smith) (gen. slide 143/17, O. Bidzilya); 1 ♂, Barberton, 18.i.1911 (Janse) (gen. slide 4394) ; 1 ♂, Rustenburg, TP., i.1934 (Smith) (all TMSA) . Namibia: 1 ♂, Brandberg, Wasserfallfläche, 1940 m, 18.iii.2001, Malaise-Falle (Mey) (gen. slide 34/07, O. Bidzilya) (MfN) .

Diagnosis. Scrobipalpa aptatella is easily distinguished superficially by its light brown forewing without distinct markings, and palpomere 3 of the labial palpus 1/2 the length of palpomere 2; in most of other Scrobipalpa species palpomere 2 is conspicuously shorter. The male genitalia are easily recognized by a vincular process that is longer than the sacculus, in combination with a long and broad saccus. Scrobipalpa ergasima is another Afrotropical species that has a sacculus shorter than the vincular process, but all other characters of the male genitalia are quite different. In the female genitalia, the combination of a long broad antrum and short apophyses anteriores are characteristic.

Biology. Larvae were recorded feeding on Nicotiana tabacum (Solanaceae) in South Africa (Prinsloo & Uys 2015: 311) and on Nicotiana sp. in DR Congo (Ghesquière 1940: 50). Adults fly from December to March and in May.

Distribution. Australian region (Australia, New Zealand, Samoa); introduced in the Afrotropical (Cape Verde, DR Congo, Kenya, Ethiopia (first record), Tanzania, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa; might be distributed broader), Oriental (India, Sri-Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia) and Palaearctic (South Europe, Northern Africa, Middle East, Arabian Peninsula, China) regions (Ghesquière 1940, Báez & García 2005; Bidzilya & Li 2010; Huemer & Karsholt 2010; De Prins & De Prins 2021).