Spulerina marginata, Sruoga & Prins, 2023

Sruoga, Virginijus & Prins, Jurate De, 2023, New species, new country distribution records, and a new generic combination of Afrotropical Acrocercopinae (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), Zootaxa 5285 (1), pp. 75-115 : 104-105

Spulerina marginata , sp. n.

( Figs 21A–G )

Material examined. Holotype: ♁, Congo Dem. Rep., Bas-Congo, 320 m, Nat. Res. Luki-Mayumbe, 05°27’S 13°05’E, 05.iv.2006, leg. J. De Prins. Gen. prep. VS562, in coll. RBINS.

Diagnosis. In wing pattern and male genitalia, this species closely resembles Spulerina patera sp. nov. known from the same locality and S. aphanosema Vári, 1961 , known from Zimbabwe (for illustrations refer to Vári 1961, pl. 21, fig. 4; pl. 64, fig. 2). The new species is hardly distinguishable by external characters, however, it can be well diagnosed in male genitalia. The main differences in male genitalia are the following: (1) tegumen in S. marginata sp. nov. with four subapical and one apical pairs of setae, tegumen in S. patera with two subapical and one apical pairs of setae, and in S. aphanosema it is with one subapical and one apical pairs of setae; (2) fan-shaped comb in S. marginata sp. nov. with 10–11 teeth, in S. patera with 14–16 teeth, and in S. aphanosema with about 17 teeth divided in 3 or more bundles.

Description. Adult ( Figs 21A, B ). Forewing length: 3.0 mm.

Head: Frons and vertex white with few pale yellowish brown scales laterally; occipital tufts brown grey. Labial palpus ca. 2 times as long as width of head, drooping, white, second palpomere grey brown in apical part, terminal palpomere with some grey brown scales medially. Maxillary palpus 0.5 as long as width of head, grey-brown. Antenna slightly longer than forewing, scape white with large grey brown flap of scales below, pedicel brown black; flagellum pale brown-grey with basal two flagellomeres white.

Thorax: Brown-grey, posterior part greyish white; tegulae of the same pattern. Forewing yellowish brown with four white transverse fasciae outlined by dark brown edges; triangular white spot at 4/5 of costa with dark brown streak inside it; white apical spot very small, inconspicuous; apical fringe dark brown, subapical dorsal fringe yellow-grey. Fore coxa white, with dark brown basal and apical patches; fore femur dark brown with small medial white patch; fore tibia dark brown, with white basal patch; tarsomeres I–III white with dark brown apical patches, tarsomeres IV–V white; mid coxa white, with dark brown apical patch; mid femur dark brown with small medial and apical white patches and subapical tuft of dark brown scales, mid tibia white, with basal and apical dark brown patches, tarsomeres I–III white with dark brown apical patches, tarsomeres IV–V white; hind coxa white with small dark brown apical patch, hind femur white with dark brown subapical patch, hind tibia white, with dark brown basal and subapical patches, tarsomeres I–IV white with dark brown medial patches, tarsomere V white.

Abdomen: Grey-brown dorsally and white ventrally, sterna with dark brown anterior margins. Dorsocephalic apodeme of male tergum VIII widened basally, truncated apically, about 0.4 as long as segment VII ( Fig. 21G ).

Female. Unknown.

Male genitalia ( Figs 21C–F ). Tegumen somewhat ovate, ca. 0.6 as long as valva, with four pairs of subapical and one pair of apical setae. Valva wide, nearly straight and parallel-sided on basal 3/5, then gradually narrowed and upcurved apically, thus costal margin shallowly concave at its apical 1/3; costa reinforced in almost all length; fan-shaped comb at apical 1/3 of valva, with 10–11 narrow teeth on wide base; long slender androconial scales scattered on outer surface of valva near base and shorter and wider ones slightly caudad. Vinculum short, saccus roundly tapered toward apex. Aedeagus straight, tubular, slightly longer than valva, with two lateral scletotized ridges on basal 2/5, apex pointed; vesica with scattered small spines and large sclerotization 0.3 length of aedeagus, with a few stout teeth on it.

Host plant(s). Unknown.

Flight period. The only known specimen was captured at the beginning of April.

Distribution. Known only from type locality in the west of DRC.

Etymology. The specific name is from the Latin ‘ margino’ (to provide with edges or borders), in reference to the reinforced costa of the valva.

Figures

FIGURE 21. Spulerina marginata sp. nov., holotype, male. A, adult, scale bar 1 mm; B, head, frontal view; C, genitalia, general view (aedeagus removed); D, aedeagus; E, cornuti; F, valval comb; G, caudal part of abdominal pelt, gen. prep. VS562. Scale bar 0.1 mm.