Thaumatovalva albolineana Timm & Brown

Timm, Alicia E. & Brown, John W., 2014, A new genus of Grapholitini from Africa related to Thaumatotibia (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae), ZooKeys 438, pp. 113-128 : 118

Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Tortricidae

Thaumatovalva albolineana Timm & Brown sp. n. Figs 1, 2, 7, 11, 15, 19

Type material.

Holotype ♂, Democratic Republic of Congo, North Kivu, Rutshuru, [1.18°S, 29.45°E] [1275 m], Jun 1937, J. Ghesquiere (RMCA). Paratypes (5♂, 5♀). Democratic Republic of Congo: North Kivu: Rutshuru, Feb 1937 (1♂, 1♀), Mar 1937 (2♀), Apr 1937 (2♂), May 1937 (1♀), Jun 1937 (2♂, 1♀), J. Ghesquiere (RMCA). Kenya: Kakamega District: Kakamega Forest reserve, Rondo Retreat Centre, 1598 m, 00°13 ’37.9” N, 34°53 ’04.6” E, 23-26 Nov 2010 (1♂), T. Gilligan & A. Mukiri (TGC).

Diagnosis.

Thaumatovalva albolineana is similar to Thaumatovalva deprinsorum and Thaumatotibia spinai both superficially and in genital morphology. However, males of Thaumatovalva albolineana are easily distinguished by the modified scaling on the under surface of the hindwing, which consists of a narrow line of short, compact white scales along the rounded portion of the wing from the end of the anal region to about vein CuP.

Description.

Male.Head: Vertex dark brown mixed with lighter brown, upper frons concolorous with vertex, lower frons cream; labial palpus slightly lighter than vertex, inner surface slightly lighter yet; antennal scaling brown. Thorax: Dorsum dark brown, mixed with lighter brown, tegula concolorous with dorsum; hind tibia with dark brown patch of expanded scales. Forewing length 5.8-7.5 mm (mean = 6.5; n = 5); forewing as described for genus; hindwing upper surface nearly uniformly brown, under surface concolorous with forewing under surface, but slightly darker in anal region; a conspicuous narrow band of shiny, pearly-white scales along wing margin, extending from lower edge of anal margin to approximately CuP (Fig. 11). Abdomen: Brown (black scale patches not visible on undissected specimens). Genitalia (Fig. 15) with valva narrow basally, broadening to middle, with large, triangular expansion of valva ventrally just before cucullus, outer edge of cucullus rounded, valva attenuate through cucullus, apex rounded; phallus narrow, with bulbous subbasal lobe and conspicuous elongate dorsal lobe ca. 0.66 distance from base to tip.

Female.Head and thorax: Essentially as described for male, except forewing length 6.0-8.0 mm (mean = 7.4; n = 5). Abdomen: Brown. Genitalia (Fig. 19) essentially as described for genus; ventral portion of segment VIII with a broad subrectangular semi-sclerotized patch with V-shaped posterior edge, ostium situated at end of short narrow trough extending from vertex of V-shaped sclerotized region; ductus bursae long, ca. twice length of corpus bursae, slender, frail, with ring-like sclerite near middle; ductus seminalis originating ca. 0.5 distance between sclerotized ring and corpus bursae; ductus gradually broadening into corpus in distal 0.1; corpus bursae pear-shaped, finely punctate (at high magnification), with two nearly equal sized signa, each a long curved spine from a rounded sclerotized base.

Distribution and biology.

Thaumatovalva albolineana is known nearly exclusively from the type locality of Rutshuru in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but there is a single specimen from Kenya. Specimens have been collected between about 1500 and 1600 m elevation. Adults have been collected primary from February through June, with a single record from November (Kenya). Nothing is known of the early stages.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the narrow band of white scales on the underside of the hindwing.