Coptotriche alavelona Lees & Stonis

Lees, David C. & Stonis, Jonas R., 2007, The first record of Tischeriidae (Insecta: Lepidoptera) from Madagascar, with description of Coptotriche alavelona sp. n. and an updated distributional checklist of Afrotropical Tischeriidae, Zootaxa 1645, pp. 35-45 : 38-39

Coptotriche alavelona Lees & Stonis , sp. n.

Type material: Holotype: male, “ Madagascar SE: Prov. Fianarantsoa Pref. Ambalavao S/P Ambohimahimasina, Ambondrombe Mt. Near Andranobazaha camp, GPS point “22G676” 21.8817o S 47.2495o E, elev. c. 1700 m. Tropical vegetation by stream, 160 W blended bulb on sheet near ground; vegetation had been disturbed; 23.iii.2004 c. 23:36; D.C. Lees. /Genitalia slide No 31441 ( BMNH), collection number DL2028, institute # BMNH (E) #732343 (voucher specimen and treated genomic DNA from abdomen: plate #MSL160 H09). Extracted genomic DNA from leg only, plucked in field ( BMNH (E) #678507, plate #MSL079 F06). Holotype deposition: BMNH.

Description: Male ( Fig. 2). Forewing length: 3.1 mm. Wingspan: 6.7 mm. Head: palpi cream; face smooth and glossy, brownish cream; frontal tuft and collar comprised of glossy grey brown slender lamellar scales; antenna grey brown on upper side, cream on underside, with long piliform sensillae. Thorax and tegulae dark grey brown. Forewing bright ochre (i.e., yellowish, with orange tint) but darkened with fuscous brown scales on basal area and at wing apex; a few fuscous brown scales also along dorsum. Underside of forewing dark brown. Cilia fuscous, paler (grey) at tornus. Hindwing fuscous brown or ochreous brown grey on upper side and underside (hindwing colour depends on angle of view); cilia brown. Legs grey cream, densely covered with fuscous scales on upper side. Abdomen fuscous brown, same colour as tegulae, on sternum whilst light grey covered in sparse brown scales on lateral and ventral parts of tergum.

Female unknown.

Male genitalia ( Figs 3 AB, 4ABC, 5). Capsule 578–620 µm (including the extended vinculum). Uncus unusually elaborate, with spines on caudal thickening and triangularly shaped pointed ventral lobe ( Fig. 4 A). Socii large, as long as uncus, distinctly paired, with tiny setae. Tegumen with deep but asymmetrical anterior excavation. Valva about 390 µm, slender and with median inner lobe in ventral view ( Fig. 3 A) but broad and sinuous in lateral view ( Fig. 5 ). Transtilla absent; sublateral processes of valvae situated close to each other but not connected by transverse bar, which is absent. A huge (approx. 50 µm at base, 100 µm at caudal end) membranous anellus-like structure connected with sublateral processes of valvae ( Fig. 4 B). Vinculum small but with extremely long (2/3 of valva length) rod-like anterior extension (apodeme) ( Figs 3 A, 4C). Aedeagus long (560 µm), folded at the apex, with tiny spines on ovally broadened apical third ( Fig. 3 B).

Distribution and conservation. The species occurs in high elevation tropical moist forest of SE Madagascar, Ambondrombe Mt. The locality where the species was found is famous in Malagasy legend as the final destination of the spirits of the ancestors ( Cousins, 1875), for all 18 ethnic groups. It is thus conserved officially as a historical site of cultural and archaeological significance, rather than a nature reserve ( Fig. 6 ). However, Ambondrombe is further planned as a Site de Conservation within one of the forest corridor zones in the current “Durban Vision” process to triple Madagascar’s protected areas ( Rabetaliana 2005).

Bionomics. The single adult was found in mid-March. It was attracted to light (to a white sheet using a blended UV/tungsten bulb: Fig. 6 E) but since the surrounding vegetation ( Fig. 6 D) had been disturbed, and considering that a usually strictly day-flying micropterigid moth came to the sheet at the same time (Lees, unpublished), it is plausible that the species is not normally active at night. The collection site was beside a river, in riparian tropical montane bamboo forest, with a canopy height> 18 m ( Fig. 6 C).

Diagnosis: This species differs from all other Coptotriche species in the remarkably elaborate uncus and the extremely extended rod-like vinculum (see also Discussion).

DNA extract: in frozen collection at BMNH Entomology, details as above.

Etymology: The species name ‘ alavelona ’ means ‘living forest’ in Malagasy and we use it to refer to the remaining Madagascar tropical primary forest with its astonishing biodiversity. The name is composed of two words “ala” (forest) and “velona” (living).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Male genitalia of Coptotriche alavelona Lees & Stonis, sp. n., holotype, genitalia slide No 31441 (BMNH): A, capsule without aedeagus; B, aedeagus (scale 0.1 mm)

FIGURE 4. Details of male genitalia of Coptotriche alavelona Lees & Stonis, sp. n., holotype, genitalia slide No 31441 (BMNH): A, uncus, left side; B, sublateral processes of valva and anellus-like structure; C, caudal fragment of vinculum (scale 0.1 mm).

FIGURE 5. Lateral view of male genitalia of Coptotriche alavelona Lees & Stonis, sp. n. in glycerol before permanent mounting in Euparal, holotype, genitalia slide No 31441 (BMNH) (scale 0.1 mm)

FIGURE 6. Type locality of Coptotriche alavelona Lees & Stonis, sp. n. (SE Madagascar, Ambondrombe Mt.). A. Map of Madagascar (inset) showing general geographic position and detail of Ambondrombe mountain with GPS point mapped on Google Earth (virtual view from 10 km. elevation), showing forest cover. B. View from Ambondrombe mountain to West, showing vegetation just above camp in foreground (1800 m). C. View towards tall tropical montane forest below ridge which is type locality of moth. D. Bamboo forest at type locality showing remains of old campsite and assistants. E. Assistant Ravomiarana Ranaivosolo at the actual sheet where moth was caught, showing low position of bulb.