Blastobasis coffeaella ( Busck, 1925 )

Adamski, David, 2013, Review of the Blastobasinae of Costa Rica (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea: Blastobasidae), Zootaxa 3618 (1), pp. 1-223 : 57-58

Blastobasis coffeaella ( Busck, 1925)

( Figs. 18 , 107–108 , 258 , 297 , 340 , Map 16)

Diagnosis.— Blastobasis coffeaella is similar to B. fax in facies but differs from the latter by having a more broadly rounded apex of the uncus; a longer pigmented part of the gnathos; a narrower apical margin of the ventral part of the valva; and a more densely spinose apicoventral margin of the proximal flange of the dorsal part of the valva. B. coffeaella also has a sclerite of the phallus that is sigmoid-shaped; and an apex of the anellus that is mesially emarginate apically, that are lacking in B. fax .

Re-description.—Head: Scales of vertex and frontoclypeus grayish brown tipped with pale grayish brown.

Outer surface of labial palpus brown intermixed with pale-brown scales along apical margin of segment 2, inner surface pale brown. Antennal scape grayish brown intermixed with few pale-brown scales, pecten grayish brown, flagellum brown gray gradually brightening apically; first flagellomere in male dilated, inner surface of dilated part with 34 palmate sex scales (n=1), ( Fig. 297 ). Proboscis pale brown.

Thorax: Tegula with scales agouti patterned, with basal and apical 1/3s grayish brown tipped with pale grayishbrown, and middle 1/3 pale brown; mesonotum with basal 1/2 brown, apical 1/2 pale brown. Legs brown intermixed with grayish-brown scales near midsegments and apical margins of all segments and tarsomeres. Forewing ( Fig. 340 ): Length 6.2–7.9 mm (n = 3), grayish brown intermixed with grayish-brown scales tipped with pale grayish brown and few reddish-brown scales; base dark, gradually brightening to submedian fascia; submedian fascia incomplete; cell with three spots, one near middle, two on apical end along crossvein; apical area between apical part of cell and apex slightly darkening; marginal spots present. Undersurface brown. Hindwing: Translucent pale brown.

Abdomen: Male genitalia ( Figs. 107–108 ): Uncus nearly parallelsided from base, broadly rounded apically, slightly downcurved, sparsely setose, shorter in length than width of anal opening. Dorsal strut of tegumen narrowly linear, fused with base of uncus. Gnathos wide, confluent with tegumen, posteroventral margin slightly protracted mesially, bidentate; midwidth of pigmented part of gnathos slightly wider than midwidth of uncus. Sockets of tergal setae not extending beyond midlength of tegumen. Valva divided; ventral part slightly angled dorsolaterally from beyond base, narrowed apically, forming inwardly curved spinelike process; process setose on outer surface, planate on inner surface; ventral margin upturned near 1/3, forming narrow fold to near slightly raised, setose lobe at base of spinelike process; dorsal part with apical portion of costa extending dorsolaterally, forming setose digitate process; area beneath costa and proximal flange overlaid with sparse microtrichiate membrane, extending above and below phallus to opposite side; basal ridge of digitate process widened laterally, protracted ventrally fusing with dorsolateral ridge of proximal flange; base of ventral margin of proximal flange cleft, extending ventrolaterally forming a broadly rounded, protuberant ridge; proximal flange serrate, bearing few conical setae intermixed with sparse microtrchiae. Juxta bandlike. Vinculum semicircular. Phallus and sclerite of phallus longer than valva; sclerite of phallus sigmoid-shaped; anellus slightly narrowed from widened base, mesially notched apically, setose on apical 1/2 and along lateral margin to base. Female Genitalia ( Fig. 258 ): Apophyses posteriores nearly 2 1/ 2X longer than apophyses anteriores. Eighth tergum with a slightly elongate, darkly pigmented, median longitudinal streak throughout most of length. Ostium bursae within sparsely microtrichiate membrane, slightly posterior to seventh segment; narrow duct connecting ductus bursae and inception of ductus seminalis from shared point; inception of ductus seminalis slightly anterior to posterior margin of seventh sternum. Ductus bursae about 1 2/ 5X longer than apophyses posteriores, with two rows of imbricate platelets within anterior 1/4, gradually becoming sparser posteriorly. Corpus bursae elongate, sparsely spinulate on posterior end; signum short, conical, arising from small, rounded base near middle.

Type examined: Holotype, 3, “on coffee, Sao Paulo, Brazil, A[rthur] Neiva [Collector]”, “ Auximobasis coffeaella Busck, Slide ”, “ U.S. Nat[ional] Mus[eum] Cat[alogue] Num[ber] 28167”, [USNM].

Other Specimens Examined: (2 3, 1 Ƥ): Costa Rica: Heredia Province: Barreal: reared specimens from coffee beans: 2 3, Slide No. 82543; Wing Slide No. 83227; 1 3 not dissected; 1 Ƥ, Slide No. 82544 [USNM].

Distribution (Map 16). Blastobasis coffeaella is known from one collecting site in central Costa Rica between the Cordillera de Central and the western most part of the Cordillera de Talamanca. This species is known also from Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Remarks: The biology of Blastobasis coffeaella on Coffea arabica L. ( Rubiaceae ) was described by Busck (1925).

Figures

FIGURES 11 – 20. Wing venation of Blastobasinae. 11, Blastobasis erae (slide 7040). 12, Blastobasis iuanae (slide 7045). 13, Blastobasis graminea Adamski, 1999 (slide 83226). 14, Blastobasis neniae (slide 7055). 15, Blastobasis orithyia (slide 7053). 16, Blastobasis babae (slide 7049). 17, Blastobasis echus (slide 7036). 18, Blastobasis coffeaella (Busck, 1925) (USNM slide 83227). 19, Blastobasis rotullae (slide 7041). 20, Blastobasis deliciolarum (slide 7047).

FIGURES 105 – 110. Male genitalia of Blastobasinae. 105 – 106, Blastobasis fax (slide 3454). 107 – 108, Blastobasis coffeaella (Busck, 1925) (USNM slide 82543). 109 – 110, Blastobasis rotullae (slide 3894).

FIGURES 257 – 259. Female genitalia of Blastobasinae. 257, Blastobasis graminea Adamski, 1999 (Slide 83226). 258, Blastobasis coffeaella (Busck, 1925) (Slide 83227). 259, Blastobasis vesta (Slide 6016).

FIGURES 292 – 299. Male sex scales on first flagellomere of Blastobasis. 292, Blastobasis usurae. 293, Blastobasis echus. 294, Blastobasis litis. 295, Blastobasis chanes. 296, Blastobasis fax. 297, Blastobasis coffeaella (Busck, 1925). 298, Blastobasis rotullae. 299, Blastobasis custodis.

FIGURES 336 – 343. Imagos of Blastobasinae. 336, Blastobasis echus, holotype. 337, Blastobasis litis, holotype. 338, Blastobasis chanes, holotype. 339, Blastobasis fax, holotype. 340, Blastobasis coffeaella (Busck, 1925). 341, Blastobasis rotullae, holotype. 342, Blastobasis custodis, holotype. 343, Blastobasis deliciolarum, holotype.