Metzneria sanguinea Meyrick, 1934

Bidzilya, Oleksiy V. & Rajaei, Hossein, 2024, An illustrated and annotated catalogue of type specimens of Gelechiidae (Lepidoptera) in the Royal Museum for Central Africa (Tervuren, Belgium), with taxonomic changes, Zootaxa 5496 (2), pp. 191-213 : 206

Metzneria sanguinea Meyrick, 1934

( Figs 20a–c )

Metzneria sanguinea Meyrick, 1934 — Exotic Microlepidoptera, 4 (15–17), 512–513.

Type material. Holotype of M. sanguinea ♂, Musée du Congo, Ruanda, Gabiro, 24.vi.1932, R. Verhulst | R. 2819 | Type | M 2274 (gen. slide 241/24, O. Bidzilya) ( RMCA).

Remarks. Metzneria sanguinea was described based on the female holotype collected in Gabiro ( Rwanda). The species clearly differs from other Afrotropical species of the genus in its large size (wingspan 20 mm), and red forewing with light brown veins. The species resembles the Palaearctic M. aprilella (Herrich-Schäffer, [1854]) in the forewing pattern and female genitalia (the latter species has a more extended yellowish-brown suffusion between the veins). The female genitalia of M. sanguinea are hardly distinguishable from those of M. aprilella , except that for the colliculum is slightly narrower in M. sanguinea .

Female genitalia (described here for the first time, Fig. 20c ). Papillae anales subovate, densely equipped with short setae; apophyses posteriores straight, twice as long as papillae anales; sternum VIII subrectangular, 1.5 times broader than long, evenly sclerotized, medial 1/3–1/4 membranous; apophyses anteriores of same length as apophyses posteriores and 3 times longer than sternum VIII; colliculum slightly shorter than sternum VIII; ductus bursae long, weakly broadened anteriorly, with indistinct junction with short (1/5 of ductus bursae) rounded corpus bursae.

Distribution. Rwanda ( Meyrick 1934).

Figures

FIGURES 17–20. 17. Trichembola oreia Ghesquière, 1940, holotype, male. 17a, adult. 17b, labels. 17c, head, lateral view. 17d, male genitalia. 17e, phallus. 17f, abdominal terga V–VIII with anterior bands of microtrichia. 18. Trichembola palynata Ghesquière, 1940, holotype, male. 18a, adult. 18b, labels. 18c, head, lateral view.18d, male genitalia. 18e, phallus. 18f, abdomen; terga IV–VII with anterior bands of microtrichia. 19. Leuronoma allomima (Meyrick, 1938), holotype, male. 19a, adult. 19b, labels. 19c, male genitalia. 19d, phallus. 20. Metzneria sanguinea Meyrick, 1934, holotype, female. 20a, adult. 20b, labels. 20c, female genitalia.