Scrobipalpa geomicta ( Meyrick, 1918 )

Bidzilya, Oleksiy V., 2021, A review of the genus Scrobipalpa Janse, 1951 (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae) in the Afrotropical region, Zootaxa 5070 (1), pp. 1-83 : 38-39

Scrobipalpa geomicta ( Meyrick, 1918)

Figs 79–81 , 145 , 189, 190

Phthorimaea geomicta Meyrick, 1918: 18 .

Scrobipalpa geomicta ( Meyrick, 1918) — Janse 1951: 208, Pl. 91, fig. 9, Pl. 88, fig. 5, Pl. 99, fig. 18.

Phthorimaea vicaria Meyrick, 1921: 74 . Syn. nov.

Scrobipalpa vicaria ( Meyrick, 1921) — Janse 1951: 220, Pl. 31, fig. 6, Pl. 96, fig. 7, Pl. 103, figs 8, 9, pl. 99, fig. 20. Scrobipalpa tineiformis Povolný, 1967: 230 , pl. 14, fig. 99, pl. 16, fig. 16. Synonymized by Povolný 1971: 41.

Type material examined. Holotype of geomicta ♀, [ South Africa] “New Hanover, Hardenb., 16.x.’13, Coll. Janse ” | “ Phthorimaea geomicta M., Type No. 591.” | “3871” | “ Ph. geomicta M.“ | “g. 5475” ( TMSA) . Holotype of vicaria ♀, [ South Africa] “Pret. North, 21.xii. 1916, C.J. Swiestra ” | “ Phthorimaea vicaria Meyr. , Type No. 2525.” | “ Phthorimaea vicaria Meyr. Type No. 2525” ( TMSA) .

Material examined. 1 ♂, Ethiopia, 15 km N Arba Minch, 2 km after junct. to Chench , 3.v.2008 (Hacker & Schreier) (gen. slide 8373, GD) ( GD) . 2 ♂, 3 ♀, Namibia, Brandberg, Mason Shelter , 1740 m 6, 8, 9.iii.2002 (Mey) (gen. slide 346/07 ♀; 61/ 13♀; 63/ 13♂, O. Bidzilya) ; 1 ♂, Namibia, Brandberg, Hungarob-valley , 1200 m, 17.iii.2001 (Mey) ; 1 ♂, Namibia, Brandberg , 2.xii.2000, LF, 1400 m (Mey) ; 2 ♂, 1 ♀, Namibia, Brandberg , Wasserfallfläche, 18,19. iii.2001, LF, 1940 m (Mey) ; 1 ♂, Namibia, Nanias, Omaruru-Flusstal , 23.iii.2001, LF (Mey) (gen. slide 451/07, O. Bidzilya) ; 1 ♀, Namibia, 10 km E Swakopmund, LF, Swakop , 15.i.2007 (Mey & Ebert) (gen. slide 447/07, O. Bidzilya) ; 5 ♂, 1♀, Namibia, Erichsfeld. , 21 35 S, 16 56 E, 19–21.iii.2003 (Mey) ; 1 ♂, Namibia, Auas Mts, Krumhuk , 1850 m, 24.i.2010, LF (Mey) ; 2 ♀, Namibia, Fishriver, Godwana Canyon Lodge , 13.x.2007 (Mey) ; 1 ♀, Namibia, Wlotzkasbaken , 9.iv.2008, LF Turm (Mey) (all MfN) ; 1 ♀, Gobabeb, S.W.A., Game Rserve No. 3, 23–24.iv.1967 (Potgieter); 1 ♂, Gobabeb, S.W.A., Game Rserve No. 8.v.1959 (Vári) (all TMSA) . South Africa: 1 ♂, Western Cape, Cederberg W.A. Algeria , 2.x.1997 (Mey) (gen. slide 62/13, O. Bidzilya) ; 2 ♀, Cape, Karoo NP, Beaufort West , 12–14.xi.1993 (Mey & Ebert) ; 1 ♀, West Cape, Karoo NP, 12.x.1997 (Mey) ; 2 ♂, 1 ♀, North Cape, Kalahari Gembs. NP, 8–9.x.1997 (Mey) ; 1 ♂, 2 ♀, West Cape, N Montagu, Burger Pass , 560 m 27.xi.2013 (Mey) ; 1 ♂, Cederberg, Rondegatrivier , 18–19.x.2001 (Mey) ; 1 ♀, West Cape, Cederberg Mts., Algeria , 18–22.x.2007 (Mey) (all MfN) ; 1 ♂, Woodb. Vill. , iv.1915 (Swierstra) ; 1 ♂, Pret. North , 12.i.1917 (Swierstra) (gen. slide 6277) ( TMSA) ; 3 ♂, 6 ♀, Namibia (??), East Cape, Sneeuberg , Asante-Sana , 2–6.iv.2001 (Mey) ; 1 ♂, 2 ♀, Eastern Cape, Graaff Reinet distr., Petersburg, Sourkloof , 7,11. xi. 2012, 1196 m (Bidzilya) (gen. slide 327/20, O. Bidzilya) ; 2 ♀, East Cape, Sneeuberg, Asante-Sana , aut. Falle , 22–26.i.2012 (Mey) ; 7♂, 4 ♀, East Cape, Graaff Reinet, Asante-Sana , 22–26.xi.2013 (Mey) (gen. slide 101/ 17♂, O. Bidzilya) ( ZMKU) .

Additional material. 2 ♀, Indien [ India], Rajasthan, 20 km w Jodhpur, Sanddünnen , 26°16N 73°15E, 30.xi.1992 (Hacker & Peks) ( GD) .

Diagnosis. Scrobipalpa geomicta is characterized by brown forewing with black patch at 1/3 and black markings in cell. The species can hardly be separated from S. portosanctana by the external characters alone except for the usually smaller size: wingspan is 10–13 mm in S. portosanctana and 8–11 mm in S. geomicta . The male genitalia of S. geomicta are distinguished by long (extending to 1/3 length of valva) apically narrowed sacculus, ovate posteromedial incision of vinculum and broad truncate saccus. The female genitalia are characterized by teardrop-shaped anteromedial depression with distinctly edged lateral edges. For the differences of both sexes from S. portosanctana see under that species.

Biology. Host plant unknown. Adults fly from October to January, and in March-April.

Distribution. The species is broadly distributed in southern Palaearctic from S Europe ( Spain, Greece), North Africa eastwards to Mongolia ( Lvovsky & Piskunov 1989: 546), W India (new record). In the Afrotropical region the species is known from Ethiopia (new record), South Africa and Namibia ( Bidzilya 2007: 101).

Remarks. Phthorimaea geomicta was described from a single female holotype collected in New Hanover, KwaZulu-Natal Province. The genitalia of the holotype (gen. slide “g. 5475”) are fixed on slide in lateral position ( Fig. 189 ), so they are rather difficult to interpret. However, the lobes of the ventromedial depression, the shape of sternum VIII, the signum hook and other characters match well to those of S. vicaria . Although the holotype looks externally more uniformly brown than usual specimens of S. vicaria , the characteristic black patch at 1/3 of costa and black points in cell are quite similar to the ground plan of the forewing pattern of S. vicaria . I have examined a single male from Cederberg (see under material) that well agrees externally with the holotype of S. geomicta . The genitalia of this specimen are undistinguished from those of S. vicaria that confirms the suggestion that S. vicaria is a junior subjective synonym of S. geomicta .

Phthorimaea vicaria was described from three specimens collected in Pretoria. Meyrick stated in the introduction to his paper with description of Ph. vicaria that the types of species collected by T.J. Swierstra are kept in TMSA ( Meyrick 1921: 49). Therefore, the female deposited there is a holotype of vicaria , whereas a specimen from Meyrick’s collection in NHMUK that was considered by Povolný (1966: 130, fig. 8) as “ lectotype ” of Ph. vicaria , is in fact a paratype. Despite the female holotype is undissected, there is no doubt about the identity of this species to a number of externally identical specimens of both sexes, including ones from type series, from South Africa and other regions.

Figures

FIGURES 71–80. Scrobipalpa spp., adults. 71, 72. S. selectoides sp. nov., Namibia. 71. Spencerbay Water, HT, female (gen. slide 246/12, OB). 72. Swakopmund, PT, female (B.M. gen. slide No. 34185). 73, 74. S. etoshensis sp. nov., Namibia, Etosha. 73. HT, female. 74. PT, male.75, 76. S. traganella. 75. South Africa, Knersvlakte, Groot Graafwater, male. 76. South Africa, Cederberg, male. 77, 78. S. meridioafricana. 77. Namibia, Drai-Hoek, PT, male. 78. South Africa, Springbok, female. 79, 80. S. geomicta, South Africa. 79. New Hanover, HT, female (gen. slide g. 5475). 80. Pretoria, female, HT of vicaria. Scale bar = wingspan.

FIGURES 81–90. Scrobipalpa spp., adults. 81. S. geomicta, Namibia, Auas Mts., male. 82–84. S. portosanctana, South Africa. 82. Port Elizabeth, male. 83. Petersburg, male. 84. Petersburg, male. 85. S. swakopi, Namibia, Swakopmund, HT, male (gen. slide 13/10, OB). 86. S. ethiopica, Ethiopia, Simien Mts, HT, female (gen. slide 444/07, OB). 87. S. aptatella, South Africa, Rustenburg, male (gen. slide 143/167, OB). 88. S. ergasima, Namibia, Otjikondo W Outjo, Holstein farm, male. 89, 90. S. agassizi sp. nov., Kenya, Turi. 89. HT, female. 90. PT, male. Scale bar = wingspan.

FIGURES 143–148. Scrobipalpa spp., male genitalia. 143, 144. S. meridioafricana, Namibia. 143. Orange River, PT (gen. slide 345/07, OB). 144. Nababiep (gen. slide 130/17, OB). 145. S. geomicta, Namibia, Brandberg (gen. slide 63/13, OB). 146. S. portosanctana, South Africa, Asante-Sana (gen. slide 155/17, OB). 147, 148. S. swakopi, Namibia. 147. Swakopmund, PT (gen. slide 441/07, OB). 148. Brandberg, HT (gen. slide 12/10, OB).

FIGURES 187–190. Scrobipalpa spp., female genitalia. 187. S. traganella, South Africa, Knersvlakte, Groot Graafwater (gen. slide 80/13, OB). 188. S. meridioafricana, South Africa, Sprinbokfarm 10 km SW (gen. slide 128/17, OB). 189, 190. S. geomicta, South Africa 189. New Hanover, HT (gen. slide g. 5475). 190. Petersburg (gen. slide 327/20, OB).