Ptilothyris purpurea Walsingham, 1897

Park, Kyu-Tek, Mey, Wolfram, Koo, Jun-Mo, Prins, Jurate De & Cho, Soowon, 2019, Revision of the genus Ptilothyris Walsingham, 1897 (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea: Lecithoceridae), with descriptions of eight new species from Africa, Zootaxa 4567 (2), pp. 201-235 : 206-209

1. Ptilothyris purpurea Walsingham, 1897

( Figs. 3 A–D, Figs. 4 A–H)

Ptilothyris purpurea Walsingham, 1897: 38 . TL: Lagos, Nigeria. [NHMUK]

Diagnosis. Adult ( Figs. 3 A–D). Forewing length 11.0–12.0 mm. The common diagnostic characteristic characters of P. pupurea include: (i) antenna strongly bipectinate, dark brown in the basal 3/5, orange white beyond in the male; serrate, dark brown in basal 3/ 4 in the female; (ii) forewing elongate, with the length more than 4 times the width, and the ground color dark brown with purplish iridescence.

The species is similar to P. vokaensis sp. nov. and P. porphyrea Ghesquière in having orange-white patch on hind wing in the male. However, it can be easily distinguished from P. vokaensis sp. nov. by the antemedian fascia on the forewing which is broader, irregularly shaped, more strongly convex outwardly, while in P. vokaensis the patch is nearly parallel sided, vertically elongated, not reaching inner margin. The hyaline patch on the hind wing is more or less semiovate, whereas it is nearly quadrate in P. vokaensis . Ptilothyris purpurea can also be distinguished from P. porphyrea by the dark-brown fringe along the inner margin of the hind wing, whereas the fringe in P. porphyrea is light orange from basal 1/4 on inner margin to near tornus.

The abdomen of male ( Fig. 4H ) has spinous zones on tergites, with a pair of long hair-pencils on anterior margin of abdominal segment VIII; sternite VIII with strongly arched linear sclerotization along anterior margin and tergite VIII with narrow quadrate plate bearing laterally narrow sclerites. The male genitalia of P. purpurea provide a more easily distinguishable character from those of P. vokaensis and P. porphyrea by having the juxta with large, slender, horn-shaped caudal processes.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 4 A–D). Uncus broadened apically, deeply concave medially forming two rounded lobes. Basal plate of gnathos trifurcate apically, median lobe semi-ovate, slender; lateral lobes curved inwardly; median process strongly curved downwards. Valva elongate, slightly expanded along basal 1/3 of costa; cucullus strongly upturned, gradually narrowing to a rounded apex, densely setose, with long hairs around ventro-proximal margin. Ventral plate of juxta with two symmetrical, slightly curved, sickle-shaped caudal processes, slightly longer than 2/ 5 of length of juxta; dorsal plate short, with nearly straight caudal margin. Phallus shorter than valva, tapered apically; cornutus long, about 3/4 of phallus, heavily sclerotized, sharply acute apically.

Female genitalia ( Figs. 4 E–G). Abdominal sternite VIII deeply emarginate medially, anterior margin broadly and shallowly concave. Ostium bursae deeply emarginate. Lamella antevaginalis broad, sclerotized, subquadrate. Apophyses anteriores very short; apophyses posteriores also relatively short, about the same length of segment VIII. Antrum short. Ductus bursae slightly longer than corpus bursae, broader in posterior 2/5; base of ductus seminalis broad, arising from near posterior 2/5. Corpus bursae ovate; signum large, half moon-shaped, with a band-like sclerotized ridge along flat side.

Material examined. [ NHMUK]: 1♂ (lectotype hereby designated), Nigeria, Idanre, Yoruba, Carter 1894, 1185 ; ♂ Type H.T. in a red circular label, with a determination label written as “ Ptilothyris purpurea, Wlsm, Tr. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1897 , 38. Pl. II. 2, Type ♂ figured.” However, in the description by Walsingham (1897), it is recorded as “ Lagos (♂♂. Sir G. Carter), French Congo [ Gabon], Kangwé, Ogowé River (♀, Rev. A.C. Good)” ; 1♀ Lagos, Carter 1896, 2185; Walsingham Collection, 1910-427; Ptilothyris purpurea, Wlsm., Tr. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1897 , 38, Pl. II. 2. 1/1; 2♂, Warri, VI [18]97 (Dr. Roth), 1908-122; 1♂, Warri, Berin. R. 5. 97; Ptilothyris purpurea Wals. , 9/9, E. Meyrick, det., in Myrick Coll.; 1♂ and 1♀, pinned together, 1558 In Forest, Mumu, W. Nigeria, 15 iv [19]65, ♂ ♀, Ptilothyris purpurea Wals. , det. J.D. Bradley 1962, gen slide no. CIS-7088(♂), -7089(♀); 1♂, N.W. State, 11 mls. N.W. Mokwa, Zuguma, R. Eku, 11-19. viii. 1970, P.H. Wari, B. M. 1970-604, Riparian Rainforest. Ghana, 2♂, Aburi Gold Coast 1912 3, W. H. Paterson, Ptilothyris purpurea .

Distribution. Gabon, Ghana, Nigeria.

Remarks. Additional five specimens collected from DR Congo (2♀, Bas-Congo, 320 m, Nat. Res. Luki- Mayumbe, 05˚37ʹS, 013˚05ʹE, 16 v 2007, leg. J & W. De Prins; DNA Le Voucher, AK-07-018; De Prins Coll. BMNH (E), 2014-125; 2♂, 1♀, same locality as the above specimens, 05˚27ʹS, 13˚05ʹE, 29 xi 2008, leg. J. & W. De Prins) are placed in P. purpurea in NHMUK, but these specimens probably belong to a different species. Thus, they are not included in P. purpurea here.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Ptilothyris purpurea Walsingham. A, Lectotype, male, in NHMUK; B, Labels of lectotype; C, Male (top) and female (bottom), with the same label data as lectotype; D, Male, with the same label data as lectotype, close-up of dorsal view of the body.

FIGURE 4. Male and female genitalia, and abdomen of Ptilothyris purpurea Walsingham. A, Male genitalia, gen. slide no. CIS-7088, in NHMUK; B, Juxta; C, Phallus; D, Lateral view of male genitalia; E, Female genitalia, gen. slide no. CIS-7089; F, Genital plate and ostium; G, Signum; H, Abdomen, with hair-pencils.