Asapharcha tauropis ( Meyrick, 1921 ) Bidzilya & Mey & Rajaei, 2024

Bidzilya, Oleksiy V., Mey, Wolfram & Rajaei, Hossein, 2024, Taxonomic revision of Asapharcha Meyrick, 1920 (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae), with descriptions of four new species, Zootaxa 5443 (4), pp. 548-566 : 560-563

Asapharcha tauropis ( Meyrick, 1921) , comb. nov.

Figs 11–14 , 30 , 37, 38

Lacistodes tauropis Meyrick, 1921 : Annals of the Transvaal Museum, 8 (2): 92. Holotype (♀), examined (DMSA). Asapharcha crateropa Meyrick, 1930 . Syn. nov. Exotic Microlepidoptera, 3: 555. Holotype (♀), examined (MHNG). Type material examined. Holotype of Lacistodes tauropis ♀, Zimbabwe “ Sawmills, Rhod. S. , 2/18, A.J.T. Janse ” | Lacistodes tauropis M., Type no. 564”; gen. slide 501/23, O. Bidzilya ( DMSA) . Holotype of Asapharcha crateropa ♀, Mozambique “Makulene, xii.07 I.08” | “Coll. Dr. G. Audéoud” | “ Asapharcha crateropa Meyr. ”, Type”, MHNG ENT 0002716; gen. slide 500/23, O. Bidzilya (MHNG).

Material examined. Kenya: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Rift Valley , L. Bogoria , 3000ft, 3.vii.1999, leg. Agassiz; gen. slide 288/ 14♂, 289/ 14♀, O. Bidzilya ( DA) . Ethiopia: 1 ♀, 6 km E Weyto, Weyto River , 600 m, 11.v.2008, leg. Hacker / Schreier; gen. slide 8323, Derra ( ZSM) . 1 ♂, SW Ethiopia [Gamu-Gofa], Konso , 1610 m, 37°23’E 5°16’N, 11.iii.1960, leg. Richter; gen. slide 384/23, O. Bidzilya ( SMNS) . South Africa: 1 ♀, Limpopo, Blouberg NR , Tamboti Camp , 22°59’20.5”S 29°09’03.1”E, 850 m, 13.ii.2007, at light, leg. Bartsch & Berg; gen. slide 385/23, O. Bidzilya ( SMNS) ; 4 ♂, Mpumalanga, Hongonyi Lodge , S 24°27’,17’ E 31°4,56’, 30.iv–1.v.2010, LF, leg. Mey & Kühne; gen. slide 80/12; 29/23, O. Bidzilya (MfN) .

Diagnosis. Asapharcha tauropis is characterized by a trapezoidal, apically broadened, greyish-brown forewing with a large brown spot on 1/3 and a small spot on 2/3 ( Figs 11–14 ). Other species of the genus have a narrower, lanceolate, and apically rounded forewing. Asapharcha fuscomaculata has a somewhat similar wing pattern, but in the latter species, the basal brown spot is connected with the dorsal margin (not connected in A. tauropis ). Asapharcha tauropis has a long uncus that is slightly shorter than the cucullus and longer than the tegumen; elongated valvella; and a phallus with a distinct triangular subapical process. In A. fuscomaculata the uncus is long, the gnathos is broad (rather than pointed) in distal half, the cucullus is distally subtriangular rather than rounded, and the subapical process of the phallus is larger. Female genitalia of A. tauropis are easily recognizable by a trapezoidal ostium, and a long slender ductus bursae with distinct intersection to a small rounded and folded corpus bursae. In congeners the corpus bursae is elongate, not folded, with a more gradual junction with the ductus bursae, the latter of which is much shorter.

Redescription. Wingspan 15.2–17.3 mm. Head light grey to yellowish-white; labial palpus off white, segment 2 brown in basal part, segment 3 with brown apex; antennal scape dark brown, apex light grey, flagellomeres dark brown with indistinct grey rings. Thorax and tegulae light fuscous, black caudally. Forewing light grey with distinct brown or blackish-grey suffusion, especially in apical 1/3, large dark spot on 1/3 at middle of wing, small brown spot at end of cell, base of costa dark brown, cilia scales grey, black-tipped; hindwing light grey to grey.

Variation. Forewing varies from light or dark grey to light brown, depending on the extent dark suffusion; large dark spot is separated to two spots in some specimens.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 30 ). Uncus elongate, twice as long as broad, longer than tegumen, slightly shorter than cucullus, with short apical emargination, densely covered with hairs in distal 1/2; gnathos comparatively short, strongly curved at base, then gradually bent, pointed apically; tegumen subtrapezoidal, distinctly differentiated from uncus, anteromedial emargination triangular, extending to 1/3 length of tegumen; cucullus narrow at base, widened apically, posterior margin rounded, extending to 2/3 length of uncus, densely covered with hairs especially in its distal part; sacculus very short, hump-shaped, valvella slender, elongate; saccus triangular, rounded anteriorly, not extending to base of tegumen; phallus short, its distal part as long as caecum, with lateral triangular process and pointed apex, caecum moderately swollen, ovate, ductus ejaculatorius about seven times longer than phallus, with indistinct sclerotization in anterior part.

Female genitalia ( Figs 37, 38 ). Papillae anales subovate, about 1/2 length of apophyses posteriores, covered with long setae at base and short setae in distal part; apophyses anteriores four times as long as apophyses posteriores; segment VIII twice as wide as long, unmodified, evenly sclerotized, anterior margin strongly sclerotized, straight, subostial sclerite large, irregular; apophyses anteriores straight, 1/2 length of segment VIII; ductus bursae slender, long, uniform in width, antrum indistinct, posterior sclerite broad; corpus bursae rounded, folded, distinctly differentiated from ductus bursae; signum absent.

Remarks. Lacistodes tauropis was described from a single female ( Fig. 11 ) from Sawmills ( Zimbabwe). The photographs of adult, male genitalia and female genitalia of L. tauropis in Bidzilya & Mey (2011: pl. 32, fig. 20; pl. 5, fig. 26; pl. 11, fig. 43) should be referred to A. lacistoides sp. nov.

Asapharcha crateropa was described from the female holotype ( Fig. 12 ) from Makulane ( Mozambique). The wing pattern and male genitalia of this specimen match those of the holotype of A. tauropis . Hence, the following synonymy is proposed: Asapharcha crateropa Meyrick, 1930 syn. nov. of Asapharcha tauropis ( Meyrick, 1921) .

Distribution. Asapharcha tauropis is recorded from South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Kenya (new record), and Ethiopia (new record). Records from Namibia accompanied by photographs of adult, male genitalia, and female genitalia ( Bidzilya & Mey 2011: pl. 32, fig. 20; pl. 5, fig. 26; pl. 11, fig. 43) should be referred to A. lacistoides sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURES 11–16. Asapharcha spp., adults, dorsal view. 11–14. A. tauropis. 11. Holotype, female; 12. Female (holotype of A. crateropa). 13. Male (South Africa, Hoedspruit). 14. Male (Kenya, Lake Bogoria). 15. A. unipunctella, holotype, male (Namibia, Rundu, Okavanga River; gen. slide 484/07, O. Bidzilya). 16. Lasiarchis pycnodes, holotype, male (South Africa, Pretoria; gen. slide 503/23, O. Bidzilya).

FIGURES 30–32. Asapharcha spp., male genitalia. 30. A. tauropis (South Africa, Hongonyi Lodge; gen. slide 29/23, O. Bidzilya). 31. A. unipunctella sp. nov., holotype (Namibia, Rundu, Okavanga River; gen. slide 484/07, O. Bidzilya). 32. Lasiarchis pycnodes, holotype (South Africa, Pretoria; gen. slide 503/23, O. Bidzilya).

FIGURES 33–38. Asapharcha spp., female genitalia. 33. A. fuscomaculata (Namibia, Kunene, Epupa Falls; gen. slide 38/23, O. Bidzilya). 34. A. lacistoides sp. nov., paratype (Namibia, Hobatere Lodge gen. slide 34/23, O. Bidzilya). 35. A. ochrocapitella sp. nov., Paratype (Zimbabwe, Bulawayo; gen. slide 47/09, O. Bidzilya). 36. A. strigifera (Namibia, Kunene; gen. slide 30/23, O. Bidzilya). 37. A. tauropis, holotype of A. crateropa (Mozambique, Makulane; gen. slide 500/23, O. Bidzilya). 38. A. tauropis, Blouberg, NR, South Africa (South Africa, Blauberg NR; gen. slide 385/23, O. Bidzilya).