Aphanostola melliferae Bidzilya, Agassiz & Mey, 2016

Bidzilya, Oleksiy V., Mey, Wolfram & Agassiz, David, 2016, Review of the genus Aphanostola Meyrick, 1931 (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae, Anomologinae) with description of 19 new species from the Afrotropical Region, Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 63 (1), pp. 45-74 : 58-59

Aphanostola melliferae Bidzilya, Agassiz & Mey sp. n. Figs 32 , 33 , 60 , 61 , 80

Aphanostola sp. 4 - Agassiz and Bidzilya 2016 (in press).

Type material.

Holotype ♀, Kenya: Rift Valley, Lake Bogoria, 1000 m, 0°15'N, 36°05'E, l. Acacia mellifera , em. 30.viii.2007 (Agassiz) (gen. slide 142/15, O. Bidzilya) (coll. Agassiz). Paratypes: 1♂, 2♀, same data as holotype (gen. slide 1549♂, 1550♀, O. Bidzilya); 1♂, KENYA: Rift Valley, Lake Bogoria, 1000 m, 0°21'N, 36°04'E, l. Acacia mellifera , em. 6.xi.2007 (Agassiz); 1♀, KENYA: Rift Valley, Lake Bogoria, 1000 m, 0°21'N, 36°04'E, l. Acacia mellifera , em. 26.viii.2007 (Agassiz); 1♂, 1♀, KENYA: Rift Valley, Lake Bogoria, 1000 m, 0°15'N, 36°7'E, l. on Acacia mellifera , em. 23.xi, 2.xii.2005 (Agassiz) (gen. slide 143/15♂, O. Bidzilya); 1♂, KENYA: Rift Valley, Lake Bogoria, 1000 m, 0°21'N, 36°4'E, l. Acacia mellifera , em. 23.xi.2005 (Agassiz) (all coll. Agassiz); 2♂, 1♀, Namibia, Sandveld, 60 km N Gobabis, 22.-26.i.2007, LF (Mey & Ebert) (gen. slide 457/07♂, O. Bidzilya); 1 ♂, Namibia, Omatako Ranch, LF, 22-23.iii.2003 (Mey) (gen. slide 67/15, O. Bidzilya) (all MfN).

Diagnosis.

The new species can reliably be separated from Aphanostola rooiklipella sp. n., and Aphanostola africanella sp. n. by the genitalia. Aphanostola antennata sp. n. is very similar to above mentioned species, but differs in broader forewing. Aphanostola pentastigma is usually larger that Aphanostola melliferae sp. n. the forewing are narrower with black spot at base of costal margin. The male genitalia are well recognizable by very short, weakly sclerotized distal portion of valva, stout broadly rounded sacculus and the shape of the phallus. The female genitalia are defined by a characteristically shaped antrum and sub-ostial sclerites as well as by a strongly sclerotized entrance to the corpus bursae which is unique for Aphanostola .

Description.

Adult (Figs 32 , 33 ). Wingspan 7.2-8.1 mm. Head white, labial palpus weakly curved, dark grey with white apex, inner surface white, antenna thick and finely ciliated in male, thinner in female, scape brown, antennal segments light brown with whitish basal rings; head and thorax white to light grey; forewing covered with white brown-tipped scales, costal margin mottled with brown, apex black spotted, narrow black dash in folds, three black spots in cell, cilia grey, brown tipped; hindwing light grey.

Male genitalia (Figs 60 , 61 ). Uncus very short, about 1.5 times broader than long, posterior margin straight; gnathos curved at base, then straight, narrow, strongly pointed apically; tegumen trapezoid anterior margin twice the length of posterior margin, anteromedial emargination deep; valva straight, narrow, basal portion strongly sclerotized, inner margin with long thorn on ¾ length, distal ¼ weakly sclerotized, hairy; sacculus, broader than valva, beak-shaped; vinculum broad, without projections, medial incision deep, narrow; saccus stout, wide, broadly rounded, far exceeding beyond the apex of pedunculus; phallus straight, broad, posterior margin weakly emarginated, base weakly inflated, basal projection absent.

Female genitalia (Fig. 80 ). Papilla analis sub-ovate; apophyses posteriores long, narrow; apophyses anteriores thick, twice as long as segment VIII; segment VIII sub-rectangular, weakly sclerotized; antrum tubular, strongly edged, broadened in distal half; lateral sub-ostial sclerite prolonged, leaf-shaped, posterior sub-ostial sclerite rounded; ductus bursae narrow, gradually merging into very long and narrow corpus bursae with strongly sclerotized entrance; signum absent.

Etymology.

The species is named after the name of its host plant, Acacia mellifera .

Distribution.

Kenya, Namibia.

Biology.

Larvae feed on Acacia mellifera in Kenya ( Agassiz and Bidzilya 2016 in press) and probably also on this tree in Namibia. Adults were observed in late August and late November to early December in Kenya and in January and March in Namibia.

Figures

Figures 22 - 39. Adults of Aphanostola spp. (scale bar 1.0 mm) 22. Aphanostola joannoui sp. n., HT, RSA, Hongonyi Lodge; 23. Aphanostola joannoui sp. n., RSA, Hongonyi Lodge (209 / 12); 24. Aphanostola namibiensis sp. n., HT, Namibia, Brandberg; 25. Aphanostola namibiensis sp. n., Namibia, Auas Mts.; 26. Aphanostola brandbergensis sp. n., Namibia, Brandberg (gen. slide 74 / 05); 27. Aphanostola aarviki sp. n., HT, Tanzania, Morogoro Town; 28. Aphanostola africanella sp. n., Namibia, Mt. Etjo (gen. slide 597 / 14); 29. Aphanostola africanella sp. n., Namibia, E. Etosha (gen. slide 151 / 15); 30. Aphanostola africanella sp. n., Kenya, Baringo; 31. Aphanostola emarginata sp. n., HT, RSA, Mkuzi; 32. Aphanostola melliferae sp. n., Kenya, L. Bogoria (gen. slide 143 / 15); 33. Aphanostola melliferae sp. n., HT, Kenya, L. Bogoria; 34. Aphanostola maxima sp. n., Ethiopia, Tana-See; 35. Aphanostola maxima sp. n., HT, Ethiopia, Tana-See; 36. Aphanostola longicornuta sp. n., Kenya, L. Bogoria (gen. slide 577 / 14); 37. Aphanostola longicornuta sp. n., Kenya, Kakamega Forest (gen. slide 590 / 14); 38. Aphanostola longicornuta sp. n., Kenya, Kakamega Forest; 39. Aphanostola atripalpis, PT, India, Pusa (gen. slide 411 / 14).

Figures 59 - 64. Male genitalia of Aphanostola spp. 59. Aphanostola emarginata sp. n., HT, RSA, Mkuzi (gen. slide 48 / 15); 60. Aphanostola melliferae sp. n., Kenya, L. Bogoria (gen. slode 1549); 61. Aphanostola melliferae sp. n., Namibia, Sandveld (gen. slide 457 / 07); 62. Aphanostola maxima sp. n., HT, Ethiopia, Tana-See (gen. slide 427 / 07); 63. Aphanostola longicornuta sp. n., Namibia, Etosha (gen. slide 503 / 14); 64. Aphanostola atripalpis, India, Pusa, PT (gen. slide 411 / 14).

Figures 80 - 82. Female genitalia of Aphanostola spp. 80. Aphanostola melliferae sp. n., Kenya, L. Bogoria (gen. slide 1550); 81. Aphanostola kruegeri sp. n., RSA, Pretoria (gen. slide 8 / 15); 82. Aphanostola longicornuta sp. n., Namibia, E. Etosha (gen. slide 500 / 14).