Mesophleps kruegeri, Bidzilya, 2021

Bidzilya, Oleksiy, 2021, New host-plants records of Afrotropical Gelechiidae (Lepidoptera), with description of three new species, Zootaxa 4952 (3), pp. 495-522 : 497-499

Mesophleps kruegeri sp. nov.

Figs 1–10

Staude et al. 2020: 55 (larva and adult; as Mesophleps sp.).

Type material. Holotype ♂, Namibia, Mile 46, 18°18’S 19°15’E, 24-26.iii.2003, leg. W. Mey ( MfN) . Paratypes: 1♂, same data as for holotype ; 1♂, Namibia, Mile 46, Rundu district , 24-29.iii.2002, LF (Richter) (gen. slide 162/19, O. Bidzilya) ; 1♂, Namibia-Exp., ZMB-92, East Caprivi: Mudumu NP: Nakatwa , 18°10’S / 23°26’E, 8- 13.iii.1992, lux. (Mey) (gen. slide 446/07, O. Bidzilya) ; 1♂, Namibia, Mile 46, Rundu distr. , 24-29.ii.2002, LF (Mey) ( MfN, ZMKU) ; 1♂, 1♀, LepsocAfrica CRG, M1530 , Gelechioidea, reared on Terminalia sericea , Combretaceae , York, Farm , Hoedspruit , South Africa, Limpopo, 24˚15’53.4”S, 30˚53’28.5”E, 5.xii.2016 eclosed (A. & I. Sharp) (gen. slide 15/ 19♂, 185/ 20♀, O. Bidzilya) ; 1♂, AM210 , South Africa, Gauteng, Krokodilspruit , 25°35’12,5”S, 28°25’42,9” E, 25.x.2018 (larva), 30.x.2018 (pupation), 13.xi.2018 (emerged) (A. & I. Sharp) (all HSS) .

Diagnosis. Mesophleps kruegeri sp. nov. is a medium sized species with dark brown forewing with indistinct white markings, and dark, greyish-black hindwing. It is an unusual species of Mesophleps Hübner, 1825 that differs from congeners in the narrow smooth palpomere 2 of the labial palpus, absence of bands of microtrichia on abdominal terga ( Fig. 10 ), the gnathos displaced anteriad, and broad valva in the male genitalia. The female genitalia are typical for Mesophleps in having relatively short apophyses, a distinctly convex posterior margin of segment VIII, thin ductus bursae, and lack of signum in the corpus bursae. The new species can be recognized by the comparatively large subtrapezoidal sclerite on the posterior margin of sternum VIII (distinctly smaller in M. palpigera (Walsingham, 1891) and M. oxycedrella (Milliére, 1871)) , and elongated subovate subostial plate with distinct Vshaped posterior emargination.

Description. Adult ( Figs 1–5 ). Wingspan 12.8–15.0 mm. Head smooth, light brown to dark brown, frons lighter, off-white labial palpus smooth scaled, palpomere 2 white, with black base and brown irroration before apex, palpomere 3 white mixed with black, 1.5 times as long and about 1/3 width of palpomere 2, acute, strongly upcurved, scape black, apex mixed with white-tipped scales, flagellomeres black with white underside; thorax, tegula and forewing covered with black white-tipped scales which form very diffuse spots at 1/3, 1/2 and 3/4 of costal margin, the latter connected by very narrow, apically angulated white fascia with diffuse tornal spot at 3/4 of dorsal margin, diffuse transverse patch of black or brown white-tipped scales at 1/3, cilia black and grey-tipped; hindwing and cilia dark, greyish black. Abdomen dark brown, underside light grey except last pregenital segment uniformly blackish brown with long black hairs on posterior margin in female, sternum II with lateral process at base of venulae, anteriorly with subtriangular projection, apodemes short and broad, segment VII twice as long as segments II-VI, tergum VII subquadrate, posterior margin weakly emarginated, sternum VII slightly broader than long, posterior margin with shallow subtriangular medial emargination in male and moderately broad emargination in female. Male genitalia ( Figs 6–8 ). Uncus sub-rectangular, weakly narrowed apically, twice as long as broad, posterior margin strongly edged, covered with papillae, medial incision small; gnathos shifted anteriorly and placed close to base of tegumen, lobes of gnathos broadly separated, basal half sub-ovate, elongate, distal half narrow, strongly sclerotized, knife-shaped; tegumen twice longer than broad, weakly narrowed posteriorly, anteromedial emargination narrow, triangular, extending to 1/3 length of tegumen; valva narrow at base, then broad, with rounded apex, extending beyond top of uncus; vinculum narrow, posterior margin broadly projecting, with deep triangular medial emargination, covered with hairs; saccus short, trapezoidal, anterior margin with small medial emargination; phallus gradually narrowed from moderately broad weakly sclerotized basal portion towards narrow pointed distal half. Female genitalia ( Fig. 9 ). Papillae anales subtriangular, covered with long hairs; apophysis posterioris straight, twice as long as apophysis anterioris; segment VIII three times as broader as long, evenly sclerotized, subostial plate subovate with distinct V-shaped posterior emargination, posterior sclerite large, sub-trapezoidal with lateral folds extending to about anterior margin of sternum VII; antrum narrow, tubular, with indistinct transition to very thin ductus bursae, corpus bursae pear-shaped, as long as length of ductus bursae, no signum.

Variation. The freshly reared male has the forewings with a light sheen and small tufts of raised scales at base and about 1/3 of dorsal margin.

Biology. The larvae feed on leaves of Terminalia sericea (Combretaceae) . Adults were obtained from late February to March in Namibia, and in November-December in South Africa.

Distribution. South Africa: Limpopo Province, Gauteng Province; Namibia: Kavango Region.

Etymology. The new species is named in honor of the late Martin Krüger, the well-known expert on Afrotropical moths and butterflies and for many years the curator of Lepidoptera in the Ditsong National Museum of Natural History (formerly Transvaal Museum) in Pretoria.

Remarks. The new species is rather isolated within Mesophleps from having several unique external and genitalia characters mentioned in the Diagnosis. Additionally, the larva of M. kruegeri sp. nov. is foliage feeder on Combretaceae , whereas larvae of other species of Mesophleps with known host-plants are seed feeders on other plant families ( Li & Sattler 2012: 19). Despite these differences, the gnathos with distinct posterior processes and the well-developed posterior margin of the vinculum in the male genitalia, as well as the typical Mesophleps female genitalia, indicates that M. kruegeri sp. nov. is a specialized species within Mesophleps rather than representing a separate generic entity.

Figures

FIGURES 1–5. Mesophleps kruegeri sp. nov. 1–3. Adults. 1. Holotype, male, Namibia. 2. Paratype, male, Namibia (gen. slide 446/07, O. Bidzilya). 3. Paratype, male, South Africa (gen. slide 15/19, O. Bidzilya). 4, 5. Head, lateral view. 4. Female, South Africa. 5. Male, South Africa.

FIGURES 6–10. Mesophleps kruegeri sp. nov. 6–8. Male genitalia. 6. Namibia (gen. slide 162/20, O. Bidzilya). 7. South Africa (gen. slide 15/19, O. Bidzilya). 8. Namibia (gen. slide 470/14, O. Bidzilya). 9. Female genitalia. South Africa (gen. slide 185/20, O. Bidzilya). 10. Male abdominal segments VI-VIII (gen. slide 162/20, O. Bidzilya).