Coleophora retusa Tabell, 2023

Tabell, Jukka, Kullberg, Jaakko, Mutanen, Marko, Tokár, Zdenko & Sihvonen, Pasi, 2023, New and little known Coleophora Hübner, 1822 species from Morocco. Part I (Lepidoptera, Coleophoridae), Zootaxa 5374 (2), pp. 151-195 : 153-154

Coleophora retusa Tabell , sp. nov.

Barcode Index Number: BOLD:ACR0106

Figs. 1, 2, 18, 30, 31, 53

Type material. Holotype ♂ (GP 5533 J. Tabell, DNA sample 24951 Lepid Phyl [barcoding failed]: Morocco, High Atlas, Ljoukak 18 km SW, N 30°55´34´´ W 8°16´31´´, 2.VI.2015, 1300–1500 m, C. Hviid, O. Karsholt & K. Larsen [leg.] (coll. ZMUC) . Paratypes: 1 ♂ (DNA sample 24952 Lepid Phyl) same collecting data as holotype; 1 ♀ (GP 6149 J. Tabell, DNA sample 27123 Lepid Phyl) Morocco, Anti-Atlas: Souss-Massa-Drâa, Idikl 16 km E Tafraoute , 29°44´00´´N 08°50´40´´W, 8.–10.III.2017, 1580 m, C. Hviid, O. Karsholt, K. Larsen, D. Nilsson. [leg.] (all coll. TAB); 1 ♂ [paratype of C. eilatica] Morocco, Tinerhir area 1400–2000 m, 12.IV.1989, Zool. Mus. Copenagh. Exp. (coll. ZMUC); 1 ♂ [paratype of C. eilatica] Marocco, Exp. Bassi-Olmi-Scaramozzino, 10–19.IV.1990, Prov. Agadir, Taghazout (coll. Baldizzone) .

Diagnosis. The male genitalia are similar to those of C. eilatica Baldizzone, 1994, but they can be distinguished by broader tegumen and more rounded apex of sacculus (acute-shaped in C. eilatica). The female genitalia of C. eilatica, illustrated by Baldizzone (2007), are not similar to those of C. retusa , and can readily be distinguished by shorter apophyses and sterigma.

Molecular data. Two samples were sequenced successfully, resulting in 654 bp and 637 bp barcodes. The nearest neighbour is an unnamed Saudi-Arabic species, with a 2.04 % divergence. The barcodes of C. retusa exhibit 0.16 % maximum intraspecific variation (n=2). Male and female specimens are considered conspecific based on the DNA information and similar abdominal structures.

Description. Adult. Wingspan 11–11.5 mm. Antenna white, annulated with brown. Scape dirty white, weakly tufted. Labial palp white mixed with pale brown, second article 1.5x longer than third article. Postocular scales white. Head, thorax and tegula white mixed with pale brown. Forewing white with scattered pale brown scales, distinct pale brown stripes along main veins. Dorsal fringe cilia pale brown. Hindwing pale grey, fringe cilia pale brown. Female darker, head and thorax brown, forewing covered with brown scales.

Abdominal structures. Sternal bar short, well sclerotized. Tergal latero-posterior bar straight or slightly curved outward, 0.5x as long as anterior one. Transverse bar straight, in female slightly curved, narrow, parallel-sided, distal edge medially less sclerotized in male. Tergal sclerite 3.5x as long as wide, covered with about 35–40 conical spines (on T3).

Male genitalia. Gnathos knob transversely oval. Tegumen parallel-sided, moderately broad, pedunculum short, bulged outward, upper half covered with several nodules. Transtilla small, wedge-shaped. Valvula membranous. Cucullus club-shaped, slightly tapered basally. Sacculus narrow; ventral margin slightly convex, oblique, terminating in a rounded apex; dorsal margin straight, slightly oblique. Phallotheca a conical tube, broadly sclerotized dorsally. Vesica broad, membranous, with a long, arched chain of numerous small spiniform cornuti.

Female genitalia. Papilla analis elongate, densely covered with bristles of different length. Anterior apophysis 0.6x as long as sterigma, posterior apophysis 3.3x as long as anterior one. Sterigma trapezoidal, 1.6x as wide as long, proximal margin medially deeply concave, distal margin rounded, distal ¼ sparsely covered with bristles, medial excavation deep, drop-shaped. Ostium wide, situated at proximal margin of sterigma. Colliculum funnelshaped, shorter than sterigma, with darker medial lamina. Spinose part of ductus bursae longer than sterigma, straight, with two lateral bands and a medial lamina, lamina reaching the posterior section of ductus bursae, which is membranous, surfaced with small flecks, anterior section narrow. Corpus bursae with a large leaf-shaped signum, spine straight and narrow.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. Morocco, known from the High Atlas and Anti-Atlas Mountains.

Etymology. Latin retusum = blunt, refers to the blunt apex of sacculus.

Note. Moroccan paratypes of C. eilatica belong to C. retusa . The female genitalia of C. eilatica were described by Baldizzone (2007), based on specimens collected simultaneously (2 ♂, 2 ♀) from Yemen in 1996 .