Pleurota lepigrei Lucas, 1937

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 : 465

Pleurota lepigrei Lucas, 1937 stat. rev.

Barcode Index Number: BOLD:ACW2140, ADB1232

Table 1, Figs. 12–14 , 39 , 56 , 65 , 66

Pleurota lepigrei Lucas, 1937: 233 . Type locality: Morocco: Barcha. Holotype ♂ (MNHNP; examined from photographs). Originally described as a species, lowered to subspecies by Back (1973). Here restored to species rank based on distinctness in habitus, genitalia structure and DNA barcode (stat. rev.).

Material studied. 1 ♂ (GP 5512 J. Tabell, DNA sample 24634 Lepid Phyl ), 1 ♀ (GP 5540 J. Tabell), Morocco, 25 km S Essaouira, Sidi Kaouki, 100 m, 28.III.2005 , O. Karsholt.; 2 ♂ (GP 5312 J. Tabell, DNA sample 23673 Lepid Phyl; DNA sample 23672 Lepid Phyl), 1 ♀ (GP 5414 J. Tabell, DNA sample 24592 Lepid Phyl), Morocco, 2 km SE Ourika , 930 m, N31.355 W7.769, 2.V.2013, J. Tabell leg. ; 1 ♂ (GP 5309 J. Tabell, DNA sample 23671 Lepid Phyl ), Morocco, 2 km NW Azrou, 1220 m, N33.474 W5.247, 6.V.2013, J. Tabell leg. ; 2 ♀ (DNA sample 24521 Lepid Phyl ), Morocco, Al Haouz Prov., High Atlas, 3 km SE Ourika, 960 m, N31.353 W7.767, 16.IV.2015, J. Tabell leg. ; 13 ♂ (GP 5443 J. Tabell, DNA sample 23732 Lepid Phyl; DNA sample 24523 Lepid Phyl), 1 ♀ (GP 5444 J. Tabell, DNA sample 24520 Lepid Phyl), Morocco, Ifrane Prov. , Middle Atlas, 2.5 km NW Azrou, 1215 m, N33.465 W5.245, 17.IV.2015, J. Tabell leg. ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Morocco, Ifrane Prov. , 3 km NNW Azrou, 1210 m, N33.464 W5.245, 14.V.2016, J. Tabell leg. ; 6 ♂, same collecting data, but 16.V.2016 (all coll. TAB).

The female has been unknown until now.

Diagnosis. Externally P. lepigrei can be distinguished from P. bicostella by the reduced dark spots on forewing. In the male genitalia, distinguishing details from bicostella are the funnel-shaped gnathos, ear-shaped valval lobe (in bicostella , gnathos subtriangular and valval lobe crescent-shaped), longer posterior lobe and narrower cucullus. In the female genitalia, the sclerotized proximal margin of segment 8 is broadly V-shaped (slightly concave in bicostella ) and posterior signa are markedly bigger.

Molecular data. Altogether ten specimens of lepigrei were sequenced, resulting in 658 bp, full-length barcode sequences for nine specimens, and a fragment of 631 bp for one specimen. The results revealed 2.99 %–9.58 % divergence between lepigrei and the other barcoded taxa of the bicostella species group ( Table 1). The nearest neighbour to lepigrei is the Tunisian P. dalilae , with a 2.99 % divergence. The divergence between lepigrei and bicostella is 5.56 %. The barcodes of lepigrei exhibit 2.66 % maximum intraspecific divergence with two different BINs, which may indicate cryptic diversity.

Description. Adult. Wingspan 19.8–23.7 mm. Labial palpus white, sparsely mixed with pale brown, ventrally brown, mixed with white, 5.9 x as long as diameter of eye (1 st and 2 nd palpomeres), 3 rd palpomere 0.3 x length of 1 st and 2 nd palpomeres. Scape dorsally brown, ventrally white, flagellum slightly serrate, brown. Head, thorax and tegula off-white. Forewing pale grey, evenly dispersed with brown scales, discal spot distinct but small, blackish brown; costal line white, from base to 0.83; subcostal line brown, almost parallel-sided. Fringe pale brown, basally white. Hindwing pale grey, margin pale brown, fringe pale brownish grey, apically white.

Male genitalia. Uncus triangular from ventral view, elongate, as long as gnathos, covered with several long and short bristles, apex with stout protuberance. Gnathos funnel-shaped from ventral view, basally broad, apical third narrow, almost parallel-sided, smooth, apex rounded. Tegumen large, both anterior margins concave. Valva subconical, ventral margin evenly curved, costa slightly upwardly oblique; sacculus moderately broad and short, covered with several bristles; valval lobe well delineated, ear-shaped, covered with several bristles. Median plate of juxta strongly swollen; posterior lobe moderately narrow, extended to uncus. Phallus slightly arched, broad, well sclerotized, with a plate-shaped cornutus.

Female genitalia. Papilla analis narrow, elongate, covered with bristles. Apophysis posterioris 2.9 x as long as papilla analis and 1.5 x as long as apophysis anterioris, which is 1.5 x as long as segment 8. Segment 8 longitudinally rectangular, dorsolaterally reinforced by sclerotized band, proximal margin strongly sclerotized, broad, V-shaped, caudal margin slightly concave, edged with several bristles; ventral longitudinal sclerotization club-shaped. Antrum slightly longer than segment 8, parallel-sided, posteriorly slightly sclerotized with two more sclerotized patches. Ductus bursae membranous, as broad as antrum. Corpus bursae ovoid, with one large arched, medially slightly constricted signum bearing two narrow long protuberances, and two leaf-shaped posterior signa of different size.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. Morocco, the High Atlas and Middle-Atlas Mountains, locally abundant.

Note. Synonymized with bicostella by Back (1973). Both morphology and genetics suggest it is a valid species (stat. rev.).

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 9–16. Adults and labels of Pleurota spp. 9–11. P. illucidella Chrétien. 9. ♀ holotype. 10. ♂. 11. ♀. 12–14. P. lepigrei Lucas. 12. ♂ holotype. 13. ♂. 14. ♂. 15. P. ericella (Duponchel), ♂. 16. P. phaeolepida sp. nov., ♂ 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 54–56. Female genitalia of Pleurota spp. 54. P. asiatica Back, paratype, Genitalpräparat Nr. 00605 H.-E. Back. 55. P. illucidella Chrétien, GP 5917 J. Tabell. 56. P. lepigrei Lucas, GP 5444 J. Tabell.