Coleophora deinosella Baldizzone & van der Wolf, 2020

Baldizzone, Giorgio & Van Der Wolf, Hugo W., 2020, On the taxonomy of Afrotropical Coleophoridae (IV). New or little known species from South Africa (Lepidoptera, Coleophoridae), Zootaxa 4816 (2), pp. 151-170 : 165

Coleophora deinosella Baldizzone & van der Wolf , sp. n.

( Fig. 8 )

Holotype ♂ ( GP Wf 10634) “ S. Afr., E. Transvaal | Berlin, gorge-edge | 24.32 S – 30.44 E ”; “ 3.2.1987; E - Y: 2407 | UV light collection | leg. Endrödy - Younga”, coll. TMSA.

Paratype ♂ ( GP Wf 10633) idem, coll. TMSA .

Diagnosis. Species with light-brown streaked forewings. The male genitalia resemble those of the Palearctic species of the group of C. pappiferella Hofmann, 1869 from the characteristic shape of the gnathos knob. The only Afrotropical species that resembles it in the genital structure is C. aphanombra Meyrick, 1913 with evident differences: in the latter species the sacculus is narrower and the protrusion of the ventral angle is larger and more elongated than in C. deinosella , the phallotheca has the two juxta rods thinner, more sclerotized and of different lengths, and the cornuti are absent.

Description. Wingspan 12 mm. Head dirty white suffused with ochre, white above the eye. Antenna ringed with dirty white and brown; scape white dorsally, brown ventrally, without erect scales. Labial palpus brown, white dorsally; second article about twice the length of third. Haustellum well developed. Thorax and tegula white, suffused with ochre. Forewing light brown, with white streaks along costa, part of radial veins, cell, anal fold, and dorsum, with sparse, scattered dark brown scales; cilia light ochre. Hindwing pale grey; cilia light ochreous. Abdomen light brown.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 42, 44 ): Gnathos knob oval, spinulate only on upper surface. Tegumen stout, medially constricted, pedunculus short. Transtilla large, oval in distal half. Valvula oblong with rounded ventral edge. Sacculus narrow with curved ventral edge, ventral angle with short triangular tip, short and hollowed lateral edge, dorsal angle with short triangular tip. Phallotheca long, with two symmetrical juxta rods, ticker in distal half. Two large cornuti, thorn-shaped, joined in wide base.

Female genitalia: Unknown.

Abdominal structures ( Fig. 43 ): No posterior lateral struts. Transverse strut with proximal edge linear and narrow, distal edge curved and thicker. Tergal disk (3 rd tergite) about 6 times their width, covered by about 25–30 conical spines.

Bionomy. The early stages and the foodplant are unknown.

Distribution. South Africa.

Etymology. The species name is from Greek δεΙνός = “remarkable” and refers to male genitalia aspect.

Figures

FIGURES 7–10. Adults of Coleophora spp. 7, C. hirtella Baldizzone & van der Wolf, sp. nov., holotype ♂. 8, C. deinosella Baldizzone & van der Wolf, sp. nov., holotype ♂. 9, C. intorta Baldizzone & van der Wolf, sp. nov., holotype ♂. 10, C. leptella Baldizzone & van der Wolf, sp. nov., holotype ♂.

FIGURES 42–44. Male genitalia of C. deinosella Baldizzone & van der Wolf, sp. nov. 42, GP Wf 10633, paratype. 43, abdominal segments 1–5. 44, GP Wf 10634, holotype, enlarged detail of valva, phallotheca, and cornuti.