Urodeta trilobata Sruoga et De Prins

Prins, Jurate De & Sruoga, Virginijus, 2012, A review of the taxonomic history and biodiversity of the genus Urodeta (Lepidoptera: Elachistidae: Elachistinae), with description of new species, Zootaxa 3488, pp. 41-62 : 51-53

Urodeta trilobata Sruoga et De Prins , sp. nov.

( Figs 17–28 )

Type material. Holotype: 3, SOUTH AFRICA, Gauteng, 1100 m, Tswaing Crater Reserve, 25°24’S 28°05’E, 16.xi.2004, leg. J. & W. De Prins. Specimen ID: RMCA ENT 0 0 0 0 0 6120, gen. prep. MRAC / KMMA 0 0 664 ( RMCA).

Paratypes: 13, 1Ƥ, same data as holotype. Specimen IDs: RMCA ENT 0 0 0 0 0 6123, 0 0 0 0 0 6122, gen. prep. MRAC / KMMA 0 0 665, 0 0 666 ( RMCA).

Diagnosis. Urodeta trilobata is a small, lightly-coloured species, with indistinct wing markings. The hindwings of the new species are very narrow and will separate it from all other similarly looking Urodeta species. The trilobed valva in male genitalia, and pair of sclerotized rods laterad from the ostium bursae in female genitalia are very distinctive and separate U. trilobata from all other Urodeta species.

Male ( Figs 17, 18 ). Forewing length 2.6–2.7 mm; wingspan 5.9–6.0 mm (n=2). Head: Frons, vertex and neck tuft whitish, mottled with brown-tipped scales; labial palpus straight, very short, blackish brown; scape whitish, mottled with brown; flagellum rather broad, unicolourous, greyish brown. Thorax and tegulae grey-brown, slightly mottled due to darker tips of scales; posterior margin of thorax and tegulae whitish grey. Forewing strongly mottled with scales basally whitish and distally from pale brown to blackish brown; blackish brown scales forming spot on fold before middle of wing, and other small spot at 2/3 from base of wing. Fringe scales brownish grey with irregularly scattered blackish brown tipped scales. Hindwing very narrow, brownish grey, its fringe paler.

Female ( Figs 19, 20 ). Forewing length 2.5 mm; wingspan 5.8 mm (n=1). Similar to male, but flagellum narrower and paler, and forewing somewhat broader.

Male genitalia ( Figs 21–23 ). Tegumen short, uncus indeterminate. Basal arms of gnathos long and strongly sclerotized, apically fused to each other; spinose knob of gnathos large, rounded. Valva short and wide, sacculus separated from remaining valva as triangular shaped and weakly sclerotized lobe; termen of valva very deeply emarginated so valva appears divided into long and narrow lobes. Transtilla wide, strongly sclerotized. Ventral shield of juxta elongate and narrow, gradually widened distally, apex rounded and fused to phallus. Vinculum Ushaped, narrow, strongly sclerotized, without saccus. Phallus as long as sacculus, strongly dilated basally, and tapered distally; vesica with two groups of spines: basal group with small prolonged spines, apical group contains very small spines and large ones with rounded tips ( Fig. 22 ) near the apex of phallus.

Female genitalia ( Figs 24–28 ). Papillae anales very short, with scattered long setae; basal margin with very long setae in ventral and dorsal parts; apophyses posteriores vestigial, visible only as very short extension basolaterally ( Fig. 28 ). Segment 8 short, not sclerotized, apophyses anteriores absent. Ostium bursae situated in membrane between sterna 7 and 8, laterally with pair of strongly sclerotized rods. Antrum membranous, slightly shorter than papillae anales. Ductus bursae gradually widening cephalically, almost smoothly continued to corpus bursae, with longitudinal folds and transversal band of small internal spines just before entering to corpus bursae. Corpus bursae oval, with small internal spines, arranged in rows of 3–8 ones ( Fig. 26 ); signum irregular oval sclerotized plate, with one large and several small spines.

Biology. Unknown.

Flight period. Based upon the specimens available, adults fly in November.

Distribution. So far this species is known only from the Tswaing Nature Reserve in the Gauteng Province of South Africa ( Figs 1, 2 ).

Etymology. The species name is derived from Latin tri- (three) and lobate (having lobes), in reference to the shape of the valva.

Remarks. The forewings of type specimens are somewhat rubbed and therefore, the description is approximate.

Figures

FIGURES 17 – 23. Urodeta trilobata, sp. nov. 17 – 18, holotype male, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 0 0 0 0 0 6120. 17, adult male. Scale bar 1 mm; 18, head, latero-frontal view, male; 19 – 20, paratype female, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 0 0 0 0 0 6122. 19, adult female. Scale bar 1 mm; 20, head, latero-frontal view, female; 21 – 22, male genitalia. Holotype. Gen. prep. MRAC / KMMA 0 0 664, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000006120; 21, general view of male genitalia (phallus removed). Scale bar 0.1 mm; 22, phallus. Scale bar 0.1 mm. 23, phallus and juxta (arrow pointing to ventral shield of juxta). Paratype. Gen. prep. MRAC / KMMA 0 0 665, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 0 0 0 0 0 6123. Scale bar 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 24 – 28. Urodeta trilobata, sp. nov., female genitalia. Paratype. Gen. prep. MRAC / KMMA 0 0 666, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 0 0 0 0 0 6122. 24, female genitalia. Scale bar 0.2 mm; 25, signum. Scale bar 0.1 mm; 26, spines of corpus bursae; 27, ostium region. Scale bar 0.1 mm; 28, papillae anales. Scale bar 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 1 – 3. Locality of the new Urodeta species in South Africa. 1, map, circle—Tswaing Crater Reserve, cross—Pretoria city; 2, general view of Tswaing Crater, photographed by JDP on 15. ii. 2002; 3, the collecting site of Urodeta acinacella, sp. nov. and U. quadrifida, sp. nov., photographed by JDP on 16. ii. 2002.