Asapharcha fuscomaculata ( Bidzilya & Mey, 2011 ) 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 : 552-554

Asapharcha fuscomaculata ( Bidzilya & Mey, 2011) , comb. nov.

Figs 3 , 18 , 26 , 33 , 40

Lacistodes fuscomaculata Bidzilya & Mey, 2011 . Esperiana Memoir, 6: 213. Holotype (♂) and 5 paratypes (3 ♂, 2 ♀), examined (MfN).

Material examined. 1 ♀, Namibia, Kunene, Epupa Falls , 21–23.ii.2008, LF, leg. W. Mey; gen. slide 38/23, O. Bidzilya ; 1 ♂, Namibia, 40 km N Palmwag , 1133 m, 27–28.ii.2008, LF, leg. W. Mey; gen. slide 37/23, O. Bidzilya (MfN) .

Diagnosis. The species remotely resembles A. tauropis , but differs in the narrower, light brown rather than greyish-brown forewing with a basal spot that is connected to the dorsal margin ( Fig. 3 ) (the basal spot is not connected to dorsal margin in A. tauropis ). The male genitalia are distinguished by the long uncus (equal in length to the cucullus and longer than the tegumen), the distally broad gnathos (distally narrowed in the rest of Asapharcha species), and a phallus with a large subapical process ( Fig. 26 ) (short subapical process in A. tauropis ). The large (1/3 width of sternum VIII) subrhomboidal subostial sclerite and broad ductus bursae ( Fig. 33 ) (irregular, small, 1/5 width of sternum VIII subostial sclerite and very slender ductus bursae in A. tauropis ) are diagnostic for this species.

Distribution. Asapharcha fuscomaculata is known only from Namibia.

Figures

FIGURES 1–10. Asapharcha spp., adults, dorsal view. 1. A. angustella sp. nov., holotype, male (SouthAfrica, Lelyfontein; gen. slide 48/09, O. Bidzilya). 2. A. centrotypa, holotype, male (Zimbabwe, Sawmills, gen. slide “g. 4248”). 3. A. fuscomaculata, holotype, male (Namibia, Kunene, Palmwag Lodge). 4. A. hirsuta, holotype, male (Zimbabwe, 38 miles N of Bulawayo, road to Victoria Falls). 5. A. lacistoides sp. nov., holotype, male (Namibia, Hobatere Lodge). 6. A. ochrocapitella sp. nov., holotype, male (Zimbabwe, Bulawayo; gen. slide 508/07, O. Bidzilya). 7–10. A. strigifera. 7. Female (South Africa, Gauteng Province, junction of Crocodile and Marico rivers; gen.slide B.M. 7393). 8. Male (holotype of Lacistodes brunneostola). 9. Male (Namibia, Varianto, Otavi Mts). 10. Male (Namibia, Waterberg NP; gen. slide 44/09, O. Bidzilya).

FIGURES 17–22. Asapharcha spp., head. 17. A. angustella sp. nov., lateral view. 18. A. fuscomaculata, dorsolateral view. 19. A. lacistoides sp. nov., lateral view. 20. A. strigifera, lateral view. 21. A. unipunctella, sp. nov., dorsal view. 22. Lasiarchis pycnodes, holotype, male, lateral view (South Africa, Pretoria; gen. slide 503/23, O. Bidzilya).

FIGURES 23–26. Asapharcha spp., male genitalia. 23, 24. A. angustella sp. nov. 23. Holotype (South Africa, Lelyfontein; gen. slide 48/09, O. Bidzilya). 24. Paratype (Namibia, N Montagu, Burger-Pass; gen. slide 549/23, O. Bidzilya). 25. A. centrotypa, holotype (Zimbabwe, Sawmills, gen. slide “g. 4248”). 26. A. fuscomaculata (Namibia, 40 km N Palmwag; gen. slide 37/23, 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).

FIGURES 39–42. Habitats of Asapharcha species. 39. Esel-Kop near Lelyfontein, South Africa. Habitat of A. angustella sp. nov. 40. Epupa Falls, Namibia. Habitat of A. fuscomaculata and A. lacistoides sp. nov. 41. Hobatere Campsite, Namibia. Habitat of A. lacistoides sp. nov. 42. Matopo National Park, Zimbabwe. Habitat of A. ochrocapitella sp. nov. (all photographs made by Wolfram Mey).