Hystrichophora vittana, Agassiz, 2011

Agassiz, David J. L., 2011, The Lepidoptera of Acacia domatia in Kenya, with description of two new genera and six new species, Journal of Natural History 45 (29 - 30), pp. 1867-1893 : 1879-1880

Hystrichophora vittana sp. nov.

Description of adult ( Figure 3D )

Wingspan 24–31 mm. Head white, labial palpus clothed with white scales above, brown on outer side, terminal segment bent slightly downwards; flagellum fuscous becoming paler towards base, scape white. Thorax white, tegulae brown, metathorax with a pair of coremata pointing obliquely inwards. Fore wing costa chocolate-brown, a broad white vitta from base to apex, small black spots on lower edge at one-third and two-thirds, beneath it a chocolate-brown streak widening towards termen, dorsal streak white; a row of black dashes along termen, cilia white except grey below apex. Hind wing fuscous, becoming paler basally and white towards costa. Abdomen white mixed with pale fuscous. Legs pale fulvous, tibia of hindleg clothed with white hairs, tibiae of foreleg and midleg with fuscous scales.

This species differs from other Olethreutinae in its large size and very distinctive fore wing markings with the white vitta separating brown areas along costa and dorsum.

Male genitalia ( Figure 7 ). Uncus paired, strongly bent downwards; valva reduced to a long, narrow, curved, digitate process; sacculus large, very three-dimensional, slightly asymmetrical with a large pointed process near base and a process with two similar flaps apically; aedeagus strongly curved without cornutus.

Female genitalia ( Figure 8). Ostium wide and strong, signa comprising two angled plates, one of them tapering.

Larva ( Figure 1E )

Head black, prothoracic plate black with a white central division. Body white with an orange band around each segment, a subdorsal row of brown spots on the anterior part of each segment, a similar row of brown spots beneath it on the posterior part of each segment, a row of larger brown spots sublaterally, each on the anterior side of the orange ring; thoracic legs brownish, anal plate black.

Lives within a domatium of Acacia drepanolobium , often within a brown silken tube.

Pupa wings blackish, body brown. Emerges through a circular “trapdoor” in the wall of the domatium.

Distribution

Kenya, Tanzania.

Derivation

From the Latin vitta meaning a band.

Material examined

Holotype ♂ KENYA: Central | 10 km S of Naro Moru | 2060 m 0 ◦ 16 Ɩ 53 ƖƖ S | 37 ◦ 0 Ɩ 39 ƖƖ E | l. in domatium of| A. drepanolobium | em. 23.xii.2009 | D. J. L. Agassiz; paratypes: same locality ♂ em. 20.xii.2009, ♀ em. 29.i.2010 to be deposited in NMK; same locality ♂♂ em. 17.i.2010, 9.xii.2009, ♀ em. 12.xii.2009 ( DJLA).

Also : same locality ♂ (without abdomen) em. 19.xii.2009, ♂ em. 21.i.2010, ♀ em. 10.xii.2009, 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀ KENYA: Central | Naro Moru 6500 ft | 29.xii.1999, one with DJLA slide No. 1179, 1 ♂ same locality 28.xii.1999 DJLA right wings slide No. 1182, 1 ♀ KENYA: Central | naro Moru 1960 m | 0 ◦ 9 Ɩ 5 ƖƖ S | 37 ◦ 0 Ɩ 40 ƖƖ E| 2.xii.2008 |D. Agassiz, L . Aarvik | & A. J . Kingston, 1 ♂ KENYA: Laikipia | Mpala ranch 1700 m | 0 ◦ 17 Ɩ 27 ƖƖ N | 36 ◦ 53 Ɩ 52 ƖƖ E| l. in domatium of A. drepanolobium | em. 15.iv.2010 | Agassiz, Kioko, Mugambi | & Ngugi ( DJLA) . 1 ♂ Nairobi May 1906 (Jackson) BM Genitalia slide 16598; 1 ♀ Nairobi, B. E . Africa June | F. J . Jackson; 1 ♂ Karura Forest, Nairobi , June 1951, E . Pinhey; 1 ♀ Nairobi , Nov-Dec. 1952, E . Pinhey; 1 ♂ Ngong, Nairobi , Feb. 1954 Msst Coulson; Nairobi, July 1925 Van Somerer (without abdomen); 1 ♀ Tanganyika Terr. Banag Hill, Muoma (Capt M. S. Moore) ( BMNH) .

Figures

Figure 1. (A) Acacia drepanolobium showing the domatia; (B) domatium of A. drepanolobium showing “shields” protecting larvae from ants; (C) domatium of A. drepanolobium with larvae of Endotera nodi and silken tube made by Phthoropoea chalcomochla; (D) Larva of Hystrichophora vittana; (E) domatium of A. zanzibarica with frass exuded by Hystrichophora bopprei.

Figure 3. (A) Phthoropoea chalcomochla; (B) Endotera nodi; (C) Kenyatta iodes; (D) Hystrichophora vittana; (E) Hystrichophora bopprei; (F) Hystrichophora griseana;

Figure 7. Male genitalia of Hystrichophora vittana.