Multiquaestia Karisch, 2005

Aarvik, Leif & Karisch, Timm, 2009, Revision of Multiquaestia Karisch (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Grapholitini), Zootaxa 2026, pp. 18-32 : 19

Genus Multiquaestia Karisch, 2005

Multiquaestia Karisch, 2005: 500 . Type species: Multiquaestia albimaculana Karisch, 2005 .

Diagnosis. The characteristic forewing pattern of Multiquaestia with the two white marks on the dorsum – interconnected in some species – is not unique to this genus. It occurs in at least two other genera within Olethreutinae: Dracontogena Diakonoff, 1970 and Epinotia Hübner, 1816 . The former genus is assigned to Grapholitini and the latter to Eucosmini . On the African continent confusion with Dracontogena is possible, but members of Dracontogena are generally larger and more robust. Eucosma deltozyga Meyrick, 1928 , placed by Razowski & Krüger (2007) in Fulcrifera Danilevsky & Kuznetzov, 1968 , probably belongs to Dracontogena as well. Most species of Multiquaestia have the terminal 2/5 of the forewing ochreous or yellowish in contrast with the rest of the forewing. The only exception is M. fibigeri sp. n. The presence of unique male sexual characters in both genera serves to eliminate any potential confusion. Females of Multiquaestia differ structurally from Dracontogena by the sclerotised anterior edge of sternite 7.

Redescription. Head ( Fig. 1 ): Rough scaled, frontal scaling protruding. Labial palpus 1.5–2.0 times diameter of eye, triangular in lateral view owing to scaling on second segment; third segment nearly concealed by scaling in some species. Antenna with short setae, scape with dense scaling. Haustellum short, hardly functional. Thorax: Without crest. Forewing with all veins separate; R3, R4, and R5 approximate near base; hind wing with Rs and M1 stalked, M2 and M3 distant ( Fig. 2 ). Venation similar in male and female. Legs similar in both sexes, without modifications. Abdomen: Male genitalia with tegumen formed as an arched band, with appendages reduced (in two species) or absent; socii represented by setose patches. Pedunculus of tegumen straight in lateral view, indicating a tegumen/vinculum articulation of type “ a ” sensu Komai (1999). Valva generally long and slender, strongly constricted at neck, basal excavation large, cucullus large, rounded, with some strong bristles along its distal edge. Aedeagus long and slender in most species, in some species with numerous small teeth, carinae attached to external wall of aedeagus; vesica with deciduous cornuti of different size, number of cornuti deduced by attachment points on inner wall of aedeagus. Female genitalia with strongly sclerotised ductus bursae, well developed lamella postvaginalis, and conspicuously sclerotised anterior edge of sternite 7. Corpus bursae with two curved horn-shaped signa, with a variably developed sclerotised ring at their base.

Male secondary structures. The male has a hair-pencil from the base of the hind margin of the hind wing that fits under raised scales on the dorsal side of the abdomen ( Figs. 3, 4 ). The hair pencil is attached to the wing margin where the wing forms a fold downwards, giving the incorrect impression that the pencil originates from the wing underside. The raised scales forming a roof over the pencils are larger than other abdominal scales, and they are attached laterally on the dorsal side of the abdomen. On the tergites below the raised scales there are numerous short hair-like scales ( Fig. 5 ). The function of these scales is unknown, but it is probable that they interact with the hair-pencil from the hind wing. Males have additional coremata on abdominal segment 8: one bundle of pencils attached laterally on each side of the contracted sternite 8 and one pair attached in the same way on tergite 8 ( Fig. 6 ). The abdominal brush is conspicuous.

Systematic position. Karisch (2005) stated that the broad sterigma (=lamella postvaginalis), the sclerotised ductus bursae, the large corpus bursae, and the forewing shape and venation associate Multiquaestia with Grapholitini . He found, however, that the shape and venation of the hind wing are closer to those of Bactrini . The male genitalia show that Multiquaestia is not related to Bactrini . The reduced appendages of the tegumen and the shortened sternum 8 place the genus in Grapholitini . Komai (1999) divided Grapholitini into three genus groups; the Dichrorampha group, the Cydia group, and the Grapholita group. Multiquaestia does not possess any of the three apomorphies of the Dichrorampha group. The straight pedunculus in lateral view and the fact that the coremata on segment 8 lack levers suggest a position within the Cydia group of genera rather than within the Grapholita group sensu Komai (1999). However, the three apomorphies defining the Cydia -group also are lacking. At present we are unable to place Multiquaestia with certainty in any of the three genus groups within the tribe. We identify two autapomorphies for Multiquaestia : the sclerotised anterior edge of sternite 7 in females and the hair-pencil from the hind margin of the hind wing fitting under a “roof” of raised scales on the dorsal side of the abdomen in males. Male tortricids have a rich array of scent organs in the form of hair-pencils on legs or wings, folds and patches with sex scales, and abdominal coremata. Oxysemaphora Diakonoff, 1973 , which according to Horak (2006) has a basal position in the tribe Olethreutini , has hair-pencils attached to the hind wing edge that are inserted into the abdomen’s lateral scaling ( Horak 2006: fig. 153). Interestingly, the cladistic analysis referred to by Horak (2006) placed the Oxysemaphora group at the base of Eucosmini . Horak (2006) suggested the possibility that Oxysemaphora and allies represent a sister group to the remaining Olethreutini and Eucosmini . If the hairpencils in Oxysemaphora and Multiquaestia are homologous, then Multiquaestia could represent a further development from this basal group.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Morphological structures in adult Multiquaestia. 1. Head in lateral view of Multiquaestia iringana n. sp. 2. Venation of M. albimaculana Karisch. 3. Dorsal view of male abdomen of M. iringana n. sp. showing hair-pencil from edge of hind wing to cover of raised scales on dorsal side of abdomen. 4. The same as 3, but with the pencil exposed and spread. 5. Slide mount of abdomen of male M. skulei n. sp. showing modified hair-scales on tergites 4 and 5. 6. Slide mount of abdomen of male M. iringana n. sp. showing coremata and structure of sternite 8 (S 8), tergum 8 (T 8) and intersegmental ventral sclerite (IS).