Coleophora psychropa Meyrick, 1920

Baldizzone, Giorgio & Van Der Wolf, Hugo W., 2020, On the taxonomy of Afrotropical Coleophoridae (III). New or little known species from Central and Oriental Africa (Lepidoptera, Coleophoridae), Zootaxa 4763 (2), pp. 151-174 : 152-154

Coleophora psychropa Meyrick, 1920

( Fig. 1 )

Literature: Meyrick, 1920: 91 (description); Baldizzone et al., 2006 (World Catalogue).

Original description: 8 mm. Head, palpi, and thorax white. Antennae rather stout, white, faintly ringed with fuscous. Abdomen witish-grey. Forewings lanceolate acute; pale fuscous or, especially towards apex, dorsal half much suffused with white; a slender snow-white streak along costa; cilia ochreous-whitish, sprinkled with fuscous toward base. Hindwings and cilia ochreous-whitish.

This species was described from three males collected in November 2011 by Alluaud and Jeannel during the expedition to Oriental Africa (1911–1912) from Tiwi ( Kenya) in the coastal region. The specimens should be housed in the MNHN, but they could not be found, as confirmed by J. Minet (epist. com.). Viette, in his work of 1951 on the Meyrick types present in the Museum, did not listed this species.

A specimen in poor condition is housed in the NHMUK and is designated as the lectotype. This is clearly one of the three specimens studied by Meyrick that the author had retained for the NHMUK.

Lectotype ♂ [here designated]: “ Psychropa Meyr. ” [handwritten by Meyrick]; “Tiwi | Brit. E. Africa | AJ. II.11 “[handwritten]; “Right Fwing | Abdomen missing “[blue, handwritten and printed]; “ Coleophora psychropa Meyr. 1/1 | E. Meyrick det. | in Meyrick Coll. “[handwritten and printed]; “ PARALECTOTYPE ” [round, printed, blue edged]; “ NHMUK 013673698” [printed with QR code]. Coll. NHMUK.

The specimen is lacking the right antenna, the right forewing, most of the legs and abdomen.

As we are unable to examine the genitalia, the identification of the species remains uncertain. The description by Meyrick may serve as a basis for identification if other Coleophoridae are collected in or near the type locality.

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Adults of Coleophora spp. 1, C. psychropa Meyrick—Lectotype ♂ (photo: Alessandro Giusti, © NHMUK). 2, C. crossanthes Meyrick—Holotype ♂ (photo: Aurore Mathys, © RMCA). 3, C. sabaea Baldizzone, ♂ “KENYA Rift Valley | Kaptagat, 7000ft | 15.i.2000 | D.J.L. Agassiz”, coll. NHMUK. 4, C. schouteni Baldizzone & van der Wolf, sp. nov.—Holotype ♂. 5, C. giustii Baldizzone & van der Wolf, sp. nov.—Holotype ♂. 6, C. giustii Baldizzone & van der Wolf, sp. nov.—Paratype ♀. 7, C. centrafricana Baldizzone & van der Wolf, sp. nov.—Paratype ♂ “TANZANIA Arumeru Distr.: Usa River 1170 m | 28.VII.1991 | leg. L. Aarvik”, ex coll. Wf, coll. Bldz. 8, C. riftella Baldizzone & van der Wolf, sp. nov.—Holotype ♂.