Neaspasia coronana Aarvik

Aarvik, Leif & Agassiz, David J. L., 2014, Revision of African Neaspasia Diakonoff, 1989 and the related Conaspasia, n. gen. (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae), Zootaxa 3754 (2), pp. 117-132 : 121-122

Neaspasia coronana Aarvik , new species

( Figs. 6 , 22 , 33 )

Type material. Holotype, ♂, TANZANIA: Iringa Reg., Mufindi Distr., Kigogo Forest . 1900 m, 23–25.xi.2005, L. Aarvik, M. Fibiger, A. Kingston, genitalia slide L. Aarvik 2738 ( NHMO); Paratypes, 4♂♂, 1♀, same data as holotype, genitalia slide ♀ NHMO 2286 ( NHMO). 1♂ MALAWI: Nyika Plateau, W of Chelinda Camp, L[icht] F[ang] rain forest , 2100 m, 14.x.1996, Mey & Nuss, genitalia slide L. Aarvik 2013.009 ( ZMHU).

Description. Male ( Fig. 6 ). Head: Beige, neck tufts black, with white tips. Antenna dark grey, scape white. Labial palpus ca. 1.7 times diameter of eye, beige, third segment drooping. Thorax: Black, with white transverse band. Fore- and mid-legs grey externally, beige internally, with light rings; hind leg beige, tibia pencil light ochreous. Wingspan 17.0– 18.5 mm. Forewing upperside black, with white costal patch extending from one third to apex and white saddle-shaped dorsal macula; costal white patch with black strigulation along costa; white terminal line interspersed with reddish scales; cilia black. Hindwing light grey, lighter towards base; cilia light grey, becoming lighter towards anal corner; rhopaloid scales present at anal corner. Abdomen: Grey, anal tuft ochreous. Genitalia ( Fig. 22 ) with uncus broad, subtriangular, setose; socii broad, setose; valva with deep cavity, neck narrow, group of spines between caudal edge of sacculus and basal excavation reaching middle of sacculus; cucullus with spines along ventral edge, one stronger spine at ventral lobe; phallus slender, slightly curved, becoming gradually more slender towards distal end.

Female. Head and Thorax: Essentially as described for male, but with darker hindwing and lacking anal roll and pencil of hind tibia. Abdomen: Genitalia ( Fig. 33 ) with sterigma shaped as a broad subrectangular plate with rounded corners, ostium close to posterior edge of sterigma; ductus bursae a slender tube, becoming membranous and widened towards corpus bursae, ductus seminalis arises at widened part, with sclerite at this point.

Diagnosis. Externally this species has a distinct forewing pattern not resembling other species of Neaspasia . The male genitalia are very similar to those of N. orthacta , but they can be distinguished by a larger group of spines between the caudal edge of the sacculus and the basal excavation which reaches the middle of the sacculus. The female genitalia likewise resembling those of N. orthacta , but they differ by the rounded posterior corners of the sterigma.

Distribution. Neaspasia coronana is known from Malawi and Tanzania.

Ecology. The two known localities for this species are situated in mountain rain forest.

Etymology. The species name refers to the dorsal mark of the forewing which is shaped like a crown, corona.

Figures

FIGURES 2 – 9. Adults of Neaspasia. 2 – 5. N. orthacta (Meyrick). 2. Male from Kenya: Gilgil. 3. Male from Tanzania: Morogoro. 4. Female from Rep. South Africa: Gauteng. 5. Female from Kenya: Gilgil. 6. N. coronana n. sp. Paratype male. 7. N. karischi n. sp. Holotype male. 8. N. malamigambo n. sp. Paratype male. 9. N. brevisecta (Meyrick). Male from Ivory Coast: nr. Bouaflé. Scale 10 mm.

FIGURES 21 – 26. Male genitalia of Neaspasia. 21. N. orthacta (Meyrick) (slide L. Aarvik 2012.010). 22. N. coronana n. sp. (slide L. Aarvik 2738). 23. N. karischi n. sp. (slide L. Aarvik 2013.017). 24. N. malamigambo n. sp. (slide NHMO 2303). 25. N. brevisecta (Meyrick) (slide L. Aarvik 2013.030). 26. N. brevibasana (Walsingham) (slide L. Aarvik 2012.011). Scale 1 mm.

FIGURES 33 – 35. Female genitalia of Neaspasia. 33. N. coronana n. sp. (slide NHMO 2286). 34. N. malamigambo n. sp. (slide NHMO 2284). 35. N. brevibasana (Walsingham) (slide L. Aarvik 2013.004). Scale 1 mm.