Scrobipalpa aptatella ( Walker, 1864 )

Bidzilya, Oleksiy V., 2021, A review of the genus Scrobipalpa Janse, 1951 (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae) in the Afrotropical region, Zootaxa 5070 (1), pp. 1-83 : 41

Scrobipalpa aptatella ( Walker, 1864)

Figs 87 , 149 , 194

Gelechia aptatella Walker, 1864: 636 .

Gelechia heliopa Lower, 1900: 417 . Synonymized by Gaede 1937: 261–262.

Scrobipalpa heliopa Walker, 1864 — Janse 1951: 199.

Scrobipalpa (Scrobipalpa) heliopa Walker, 1864 — Povolný 1967: 211.

Material examined. Ethiopia: 1 ♀, Athiopien , Addis-Abeba, 20.v.1979 | Dr. Angenstein Mgdbg., DDR, 3461 (gen. slide 191/07, O. Bidzilya) ( MfN) . South Africa: 1 ♂, Umkomaas , 24.i.1914 (Janse) (gen. slide 8517) ; 1 ♂, Natal, Weenen , 2840 ft., i.1924 (Thomasset) ; 1 ♀, Pret. North , 26.ii.1917 (Swierstra) ; 1 ♀, Pretoria , 3.xii.09 (Janse) (gen. slide 5473) ; 2 ♂, Rustenburg TP, i.1934 (Smith) (gen. slide 143/17, O. Bidzilya); 1 ♂, Barberton , 18.i.1911 (Janse) (gen. slide 4394) ; 1 ♂, Rustenburg, TP., i.1934 (Smith) (all TMSA) . Namibia: 1 ♂, Brandberg, Wasserfallfläche , 1940 m, 18.iii.2001, Malaise-Falle (Mey) (gen. slide 34/07, O. Bidzilya) ( MfN) .

Diagnosis. Scrobipalpa aptatella is easily distinguished superficially by its light brown forewing without distinct markings, and palpomere 3 of the labial palpus 1/2 the length of palpomere 2; in most of other Scrobipalpa species palpomere 2 is conspicuously shorter. The male genitalia are easily recognized by a vincular process that is longer than the sacculus, in combination with a long and broad saccus. Scrobipalpa ergasima is another Afrotropical species that has a sacculus shorter than the vincular process, but all other characters of the male genitalia are quite different. In the female genitalia, the combination of a long broad antrum and short apophyses anteriores are characteristic.

Biology. Larvae were recorded feeding on Nicotiana tabacum (Solanaceae) in South Africa ( Prinsloo & Uys 2015: 311) and on Nicotiana sp. in DR Congo ( Ghesquière 1940: 50). Adults fly from December to March and in May.

Distribution. Australian region ( Australia, New Zealand, Samoa); introduced in the Afrotropical ( Cape Verde, DR Congo, Kenya, Ethiopia (first record), Tanzania, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa; might be distributed broader), Oriental ( India, Sri-Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia) and Palaearctic (South Europe, Northern Africa, Middle East, Arabian Peninsula, China) regions ( Ghesquière 1940, Báez & García 2005; Bidzilya & Li 2010; Huemer & Karsholt 2010; De Prins & De Prins 2021).

Figures

FIGURES 81–90. Scrobipalpa spp., adults. 81. S. geomicta, Namibia, Auas Mts., male. 82–84. S. portosanctana, South Africa. 82. Port Elizabeth, male. 83. Petersburg, male. 84. Petersburg, male. 85. S. swakopi, Namibia, Swakopmund, HT, male (gen. slide 13/10, OB). 86. S. ethiopica, Ethiopia, Simien Mts, HT, female (gen. slide 444/07, OB). 87. S. aptatella, South Africa, Rustenburg, male (gen. slide 143/167, OB). 88. S. ergasima, Namibia, Otjikondo W Outjo, Holstein farm, male. 89, 90. S. agassizi sp. nov., Kenya, Turi. 89. HT, female. 90. PT, male. Scale bar = wingspan.

FIGURES 149–152. Scrobipalpa spp., male genitalia. 149. S. aptatella, South Africa, Rustenburg (gen. slide 143/17, OB). 150. S. ergasima, Namibia, Brandberg (gen. slide 339/07. OB). 151, 152. S. agassizi sp. nov., Kenya, Turi, PT. 151. Gen. slide 1392, OB. 152. Gen. slide 319/20, OB.

FIGURES 194–196. Scrobipalpa spp., female genitalia. 194. S. atpatella, Ethiopia, Addis-Abeba (gen. slide 191/07, OB). 195. S. ergasima, South Africa (gen. slide 90/12, OB). 196. S. agassizi sp. nov., Kenya, Turi, PT (gen. slide 1396, OB).