Agrionympha vari Whalley, 1978

Gibbs, George W. & Kristensen, Niels P., 2011, Agrionympha, the long-known South African jaw moths: a revision with descriptions of new species (Lepidoptera, Micropterigidae), Zootaxa 2764, pp. 1-21 : 16-17

Agrionympha vari Whalley, 1978 .

Ann. Transv. Mus. 31: 76. ( Figs. 2 I, 11)

Material examined. Holotype Ƥ, labelled: Mariepskop, 24–25 Jan 1956, A. Vári . HT 4855, Agrionympha vari Whalley ( TMP). A perfect specimen.

Description. Head: Antennae dark greyish-brown throughout; 24 flagellomeres in female, lacking basal scales. Piliform scales on scape, pedicel and head ochreous-brown. Cranial piliform scales ochreous with brown tinge.

Thorax: Tegulae silvery-white scaled. Dorsum of thorax dark greyish-brown with purplish sheen. Pro- and mesofemora pale ochreous, hindfemur shiny ochreous-grey; all tibiae and tarsi similar to but darker than femora; no obvious banding. FW length 3.5 mm. in female. FW maculation ( Fig 2 I) with bands not distinctly dark-edged; a narrow claval mark, kinked toward dorsum; an uninterrupted median band; a narrow post-median band represented by a costal bar extending to the middle of the wing and an almost circular spot on the dorsum; a narrow apical band which is slightly subterminal.

Male postabdomen: sex unknown.

Female postabdomen: Not examined (see remarks under A. pseudovari above).

Diagnosis. Like A. pseudovari distinctive by forewing postmedian band being interrupted in central part; distinguishable from pseudovari by un-lined bands, and more parallel-sided costal remnant of postmedian band. Remarks. D.M. Kroon and GWG searched for A. vari at the type locality, 30 years after its discovery, without success, but instead finding yet another species of Agrionympha ( kroonella ). With this experience at two localities (also at Karkloof Falls) we can only presume that the diversity of micropterigids in South Africa could be considerably higher than the current systematic study has revealed.

Distribution. South Africa, Mpumalanga Province, formerly Transvaal, Mariepskop, 24º34ʹS, 32º52ʹE. Known only from type locality.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Forewing maculation of Agrionympha species: A, A. capensis; B, A. karoo, C, A. pseudovari, D, A. fuscoapicella; E, A. kroonella, F, A. sagittella; G, A. jansella; H, A. pseliacma; I, A. vari.