Coleophora hirtella Baldizzone & van der Wolf, 2020

Baldizzone, Giorgio & Van Der Wolf, Hugo W., 2020, On the taxonomy of Afrotropical Coleophoridae (IV). New or little known species from South Africa (Lepidoptera, Coleophoridae), Zootaxa 4816 (2), pp. 151-170 : 164-165

Coleophora hirtella Baldizzone & van der Wolf , sp. n.

( Fig. 7 )

Holotype ♂ ( GP Bldz 11632) “ R.S.A. | Cape Prov. | Beaufort-West | Karoo NP | 24-25 Feb.1995 | leg. HW VD WOLF ”, coll. Baldizzone.

Diagnosis. Species with brown forewing striated with white stripes. The male genitalia are different from all known species, particularly from the characteristic structure of the apical part of the transtilla, bristling with long, sharp spines, unlike any other African and Palearctic species.

Description. Wingspan 13 mm. Head white, suffused with ochre dorsally. Antenna ringed with white and brown, lighter on basal 1/4; scape white, brown with suffused dorsally, without erect scales. Labial palpus white on inner side and dorsally, brown on outer side; second article 0.5 longer than third. Haustellum well developed. Thorax white, suffused with ochre medially. Tegula ochreous white on inner side, ochre on outer side. Forewing ochre, white streaked along costa, radial veins, on ventral edge of cell, from middle to apex of disc, and anal fold, scattered with sparse dark brown scales forming an oval point in the cell; cilia light grey ochre. Hindwing pale grey; cilia light ochreous grey. Abdomen ochreous.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 38, 40, 41 ): Gnathos knob oval. Tegumen constricted in middle, pedunculus long and wide. Transtilla triangular in basal half, tip slender, bearing 10 robust, erect spines of various lengths. Valvula sclerotized. Cucullus large, oval at apex. Sacculus slender, well sclerotized, ventral edge curved, dorsal angle with robust, hornshaped protuberance. Phallotheca with two juxta rods, right rod slightly curved and sharp at apex. Cornuti as 3 curved spines of different lengths tightly gathered at their base in long and slender cluster.

Female genitalia: Unknown.

Abdominal structures ( Fig. 39 ): No posterior lateral struts. Transverse strut slightly curved, more sclerotized on distal edge. Tergal disk (3 rd tergite) about 4 times as wide, covered with about 40 conical spines.

Bionomy. The early stages and the foodplant are unknown.

Distribution. South Africa, Cape Province, Karoo National Park.

Etymology. The species name is from Latin hirtus = “bristling with thorns”, and refers to characteristic feature of transtilla.

Figures

FIGURES 7–10. Adults of Coleophora spp. 7, C. hirtella Baldizzone & van der Wolf, sp. nov., holotype ♂. 8, C. deinosella Baldizzone & van der Wolf, sp. nov., holotype ♂. 9, C. intorta Baldizzone & van der Wolf, sp. nov., holotype ♂. 10, C. leptella Baldizzone & van der Wolf, sp. nov., holotype ♂.

FIGURES 38–41. Male genitalia of C. hirtella Baldizzone & van der Wolf, sp. nov. 38, GP Bldz 11632, holotype. 39, abdominal segments 1–5. 40, enlarged detail of valva and phallotheca. 41, detail of cornuti.