Spulerina patera, Sruoga & Prins, 2023

Sruoga, Virginijus & Prins, Jurate De, 2023, New species, new country distribution records, and a new generic combination of Afrotropical Acrocercopinae (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), Zootaxa 5285 (1), pp. 75-115 : 108

Spulerina patera , sp. n.

( Figs 23A–G )

Material examined. Holotype: ♁, Congo Dem. Rep., Bas-Congo, 320 m, Nat. Res. Luki-Mayumbe, 05°37’S 013°05’E, 16.v.2007, leg. J. & W. De Prins. Gen. prep. VS559, in coll. RBINS.

Diagnosis. In wing pattern and male genitalia this species closely resembles Spulerina marginata sp. nov. known from the same locality and S. aphanosema Vári, 1961 from Zimbabwe (for illustrations refer to Vári 1961, pl. 21, fig. 4; pl. 64, fig. 2). The new species is hardly distinguishable by external characters, however, it can be well diagnosed in male genitalia. The main differences in male genitalia are the following: (1) length/width ratio of valva in S. patera is 4.2, in S. marginata sp. nov. and S. aphanosema it is 3.5; (2) in S. patera sp. nov. vesica with curved sclerotization, in S. marginata sp. nov. and S. aphanosema it is straight; (3) tegumen in S. patera sp. nov. with two subapical and one apical pairs of setae, in S. marginata it is with four subapical and one apical pairs of setae, and in S. aphanosema with one subapical and one apical pairs of setae; (4) fan-shaped comb in S. patera at apical 1/4 of valva, with 14–16 teeth, in S. marginata it is at apical 1/3 of valva, with 10–11 teeth, and in S. aphanosema it is at apical 1/3, with about 17 teeth divided in 3 or more bundles.

Description. Adult ( Figs 23A, B ). Forewing length: 2.7 mm.

Head: Frons and vertex white; occipital tufts brownish grey. Labial palpus ca. 1.8 times as long as width of head, drooping, white, second palpomere grey brown in apical part, terminal palpomere with some grey brown scales medially. Maxillary palpus 0.4 as long as width of head. Antenna 1.2 as long as forewing, scape white, with large grey brown flap of scales below, pedicel brown black; flagellum pale brown-grey with basal part white.

Thorax: Grey brown; tegulae grey brown with white posterior margin. Forewing yellowish brown with four white transverse fasciae with dark brown edges; first and fourth fasciae incomplete; subapical white spot interrupted by ground colour into costal triangular blotch and a small dorsal spot; white apical spot very small, inconspicuous; apical fringe dark brown, subapical dorsal fringe yellowish grey. Hindwing brownish grey, its fringe scales somewhat paler. Fore coxa white, with grey-brown basal and apical patches; fore femur grey-brown with small medial white patch; fore tibia dark brown, with white basal patch; tarsomeres I–III white with dark brown apical patches, tarsomeres IV–V white; mid coxa white, with dark brown apical patch; mid femur dark brown with medial and apical white patches and subapical tuft of dark brown scales, mid tibia white, with basal and apical dark brown patches, tarsomeres I–II white with dark brown medial patches, tarsomere III white with dark brown basal patch, tarsomeres IV–V white; hind coxa white with small dark brown apical patch, hind femur white with small dark brown basal and subapical patches, hind tibia white, with dark brown basal and subapical patches, tarsomere I white with dark brown medial patch, tarsomeres II–IV white with small dark brown basal patches, tarsomere V white.

Abdomen: Grey brown dorsally and white ventrally, sterna with dark brown anterior margins. Dorsocephalic apodeme of male tergum VIII widened basally, truncated apically, about 0.4 as long as segment VII ( Fig. 23G ).

Female. Unknown.

Male genitalia ( Figs 23C–F ). Tegumen narrow and elongate, ca. 0.6 as long as valva, with two pairs of subapical and one pair of apical setae. Valva nearly straight and parallel-sided on basal 3/5, then gradually narrowed and upcurved apically, thus costal margin shallowly concave at its apical 1/3; fan-shaped comb at apical 1/4 of valva, with 14–16 narrow teeth on common base; long slender very dense androconial scales scattered on outer surface of valva near base. Vinculum short, saccus roundly tapered toward apex. Aedeagus straight, tubular, somewhat dilated basally, slightly longer than valva, with two lateral sclerotized ridges on basal 1/2, apex pointed; vesica with few tiny spines near apex and large curved sclerotization 0.35 the length of aedeagus, which densely covered by large spines increasing in size apically.

Host plant(s). Unknown.

Flight period. The only known specimen was captured at mid-May.

Distribution. Known only from type locality in the west of DRC.

Etymology. The specific name is from the Latin ‘ patera’ (flat bowl), in reference to the shape of the valval comb.

Remarks. The head of the holotype is somewhat abraded and therefore the description is approximate.

Figures

FIGURE 23. Spulerina patera sp. nov., holotype, male. A, adult, scale bar 1 mm; B, head, frontal view; C, genitalia, general view (aedeagus removed; right bunch of scent scales broken off during preparation); D, aedeagus; E, cornuti; F, valval comb; G, caudal part of abdominal pelt, gen. prep. VS559. Scale bar 0.1 mm.