Dichomeris tananaella ( Viette, 1985 ) Park & Koo & Minet, 2020

Park, Kyu-Tek, Koo, Jun-Mo & Minet, Joël, 2020, Review of the Malagasy lecithocerid species described by Pierre Viette and deposited in MNHN (Paris), with new generic combinations and descriptions of a new subfamily and genus of Momphidae (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea), Zootaxa 4845 (2), pp. 151-190 : 175-176

Dichomeris tananaella ( Viette, 1985) , comb. nov. (Dichomeridinae)

( Figs. 18 A–H)

Idiopteryx tananaella Viette, 1985: 21 . TL: Tsaratanana.

Type 1♀ (holotype), North Madagascar, Tsaratanana massif, trail from Mangindrano to Maromokotra, north of the 2362 m high peak, alt. 2,310 m, 9–12 xi 1966; Tsaratanana expedition (xi 1966), camp no. 2, P. Griveaud, P. Soga, P. Viette and D. Wintrebert leg.; genitalia prep. P. Viette no. 5699.

Adult ( Figs. 18 A–D). Wingspan, 15 mm. Vertex shiny brown; frontoclypeus silvery white ( Fig. 18C ). Antennae brown with white annulets (more distinct distally). Labial palpi lost, except for their (light grey) first segments; according to the original description: segment 2 pale proximally, turning progressively shiny brown distally; segment 3 shiny brown. Tegulae and mesonotum shiny brown; abdomen dark grey. Body whitish ventrally. Outer surfaces of fore- and midlegs: tibiae and tarsi dark brown, the latter with white scales at the apices of tarsomeres 1, 3 and 5 (replaced by greyish scales on tarsomeres 4). Midleg spurs white and dark brown; midtibia dorsally provided with a few loose (white/whitish) scales near middle and at its distal extremity. Dorsal surface of forewing distinctive: shiny dark brown; before middle a wide, golden yellow, transverse band (which is edged with transverse silvery white lines); in distal region, a relatively narrow, golden yellow, transverse band, which is edged with black distad; between these bands, in the region of the discocellulars, a dark brown eye spot with a yellow central dot and a silvery white peripheral line; at the apex and along the termen, a black marginal line edged with white scales proximad; fringe yellow proximally, whitish distally (although greyish at tornus). Hind wing dorsal surface: yellowish pale grey, with brown areas in the proximal, subcostal and apical regions; fringe yellowish white; a pecten of piliform scales on CuA ( Fig. 18B ). Forewing ventral surface brown, with yellowish margins (yellowish area broader along inner margin). Hind wing ventral surface whitish, with brown areas subapically and along the costa; veins Rs and M 1 also darkened with brown scales. Abdominal segments ( Fig. 18H ) without spinose zones; tergum and sternum II exactly as in Dichomeris paulianella ( Viette 1955) .

Female genitalia ( Figs. 18 E–G): See also the line drawing given by Viette (1985: Fig. 18 ). Corpus bursae ovate, longer than ductus bursae; signum plate broad, scobinate, with posterior tail; appendix bursae elongate, arising from the corpus bursae medially. Ductus bursae with heavily sclerotized plates, one of them extending to nearly middle of corpus bursae, reaching signum. Ductus seminalis arising from an excrescence of the anterior part of the ductus bursae. Ostium bursae relatively wide, not delimited by a well sclerotized antrum. Apophyses anteriores about 1/4 length of apophyses posteriores. Papillae anales separate ventrally.

Distribution. Madagascar (North) ( Viette, 1985).

Remarks. Like Dichomeris paulianella ( Viette, 1955) and on similar grounds, “ Idiopteryx ” tananaella Viette, 1985 is here transferred to the Gelechiidae : Dichomeridinae : the genus Dichomeris Hübner.

Figures

FIGURE 18. Dichomeris tananaella (Viette, 1985), comb. nov.: A, holotype; B, dorsal surface of hind wing; C, lateral view of head (palpi lost); D, labels; E, female genitalia, prep. P. Viette no. 5699; F, ditto, close-up of ostium bursae; G, ditto, ductus bursae; H, abdomen. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.