Aphanostola kenyella Bidzilya & Agassiz, 2016

Bidzilya, Oleksiy V., Mey, Wolfram & Agassiz, David, 2016, Review of the genus Aphanostola Meyrick, 1931 (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae, Anomologinae) with description of 19 new species from the Afrotropical Region, Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 63 (1), pp. 45-74 : 51

Aphanostola kenyella Bidzilya & Agassiz sp. n. Figs 9 , 10 , 47

Type material.

Holotype ♂, Kenya, Central, Escarpment, between Limuru and Mai Mahiu, 01°02 ’09” S, 36°35 ’58” E, 1850 m, M.V., light, 14.viii.1999 (Agassiz) (gen. slide 578/14, O. Bidzilya) (coll. Agassiz). Paratype: ♂, same data as holotype (gen. slide 1497, O. Bidzilya) (coll. Agassiz).

Diagnosis.

Aphanostola kenyella sp. n. is recognizable externally by the dark, nearly entirely black forewing and comparatively large size. The male genitalia are characterized by the broad sacculus, the narrow saccus and the phallus with distinct lateral teeth on the tip.

Description.

Adult (Figs 9 , 10 ). Wingspan 8.0-8.2 mm. Head and thorax brown, frons light brown, labial palpus weakly up-curved, segment two black with white apex, segment three black with white ring at base, apex white, scape black, other segments black with narrow whitish rings at base, finely ciliated by male; tegulae black with rare brown tipped scales; ground colour of forewing black to light brown, diffuse light brown medial fascia from ½ to 2/3 length, greyish indistinct spots on ¾ length on both margins, light brown sub-apical area separated with black pattern of irregular shape from light brown medial fascia, cilia brown, black-tipped. Hindwing grey.

Variation. Forewing, head and thorax varies from those of described above to dark, nearly uniformly black.

Male genitalia (Fig. 47 ). Uncus twice as broad as long, posterior margin with deep v-shaped medial incision; gnathos strongly curved, apical ¼ weakly widened; tegumen twice as long as broad, anteromedial incision deep and broad; valva straight, inner margin strongly sclerotized, terminating in a short thorn merged with the posterior margin of the sacculus; sacculus stout, sub-triangular, broader than valva; vinculum slightly broader than long, posterior margin with short triangular medial projections, medial incision deep and narrow, lateral projections short, hump-shaped, placed very close to sacculus; saccus narrow, far exceeding beyond the tip of pedunculus; phallus about as long as valva, gradually narrowed apically, with distinct lateral teeth on apex, basal projection narrow, not reaching the tip of phallus.

Female. Unknown.

Etymology.

The species name refers to the country of occurrence of the new species.

Distribution.

Kenya.

Biology.

Host plant unknown. The specimens from the type-series were collected in mid-August at 1850 m elevation.

Figures

Figures 1 - 21. Adults of Aphanostola spp. (scale bar 1.0 mm) 1. Aphanostola acaciae sp. n., Namibia, Brandberg (gen. slide 73 / 05); 2. Aphanostola acaciae sp. n., Namibia, Mirabib (gen. slide 548 / 14); 3. Aphanostola acaciae sp. n., Kenya, Logumgum (gen. slide 1362); 4. Aphanostola pentastigma, HT, RSA, Pretoria; 5. Aphanostola pentastigma, Kenya, L. Naivasha; 6. Aphanostola morogorensis sp. n., HT, Tanzania, Morogoro Town; 7. Aphanostola calderae sp. n., RSA, Asante-Sana; 8. Aphanostola calderae sp. n., HT, RSA, Asante-Sana; 9. Aphanostola kenyella sp. n., Kenya, between Limuru and Mai Mahiu (gen. slide 1497); 10. Aphanostola kenyella sp. n., HT, Kenya, between Limuru and Mai Mahiu; 11. Aphanostola kruegeri sp. n., RSA, Pretoria (gen. slide 8 / 15); 12. Aphanostola alternella sp. n., HT, Kenya, Turi; 13. Aphanostola antennata sp. n., HT, Namibia, Popa Falls; 14. Aphanostola antennata sp. n., RSA, Nwanedzi (gen. slide 36 / 15); 15. Aphanostola antennata sp. n., Namibia, Kavango; 16. Aphanostola rooiklipella sp. n., HT, Namibia, Rooiklip Farm; 17. Aphanostola griseella sp. n., HT, Namibia, Grootfontein; 18. Aphanostola griseella sp. n., Kenya, Nakuru NP (gen. slide 596 / 14); 19. Aphanostola centripunctella sp. n., Namibia, E. Caprivi (gen. slide 76 / 05); 20. Aphanostola centripunctella sp. n., Namibia, E. Caprivi; 21. Aphanostola centripunctella sp. n., Namibia, E. Caprivi (gen. slide 155 / 15).

Figures 47 - 52. Male genitalia of Aphanostola spp. 47. Aphanostola kenyella sp. n., Kenya, between Limuru and Mai Mahiu (gen. slide 1497); 48. Aphanostola kruegeri sp. n., RSA, Pretoria (gen. slide 4 / 15); 49. Aphanostola alternella sp. n., HT, Kenya, Turi (gen. slide 307 / 14); 50. Aphanostola antennata sp. n., Namibia, Popa Falls (gen. slide 54 / 08); 51. Aphanostola rooiklipella sp. n., Namibia, Omatako (gen. slide 213 / 12); 52. Aphanostola centripunctella sp. n., Namibia, Brandberg (gen. slide 106 / 05).