Yponomeuta subplumbella Walsingham, 1881

Agassiz, David J. L., 2019, The Yponomeutidae of the Afrotropical region (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutoidea), Zootaxa 4600 (1), pp. 1-69 : 13-14

12. Yponomeuta subplumbella Walsingham, 1881

Hyponomeuta subplumbella Walsingham, 1881: 248–249 , pl. XI f. 16.

Parahyponomeutaonomeuta malgasaella Viette, 1954: 82 syn. nov.

Type locality: Republic of South Africa: Kwazulu Natal , Estcourt .

Redescription of adult ( Plate 2). Wingspan 14–20 mm. Head pale grey, labial palpus long and slender, whitish grey, segment 2 just longer than segment 3; scape and antenna grey. Thorax grey with five black spots, tegula grey with one black spot. Forewing narrow, grey with a black spot in middle near base, three rows of black spots, subcostal, along fold and subdorsal, fringe concolorous with wing. Hindwing grey. Abdomen and legs pale grey.

Variation. The forewing ground colour varies from plain grey to grey sprinkled with whitish and dark scales.

Male genitalia ( Plate 9). Uncus broad, gently concave, socius slender with pointed apex, valva with straight sclerotised costa, a small process near base of valva, saccus digitate. Aedeagus twice length of valva, narrow, with two long slender cornuti.

Female genitalia ( Plate 19 ). Lamella postvaginalis lobes widely separated, antrum short, ductus bursae slender with slight scobination, corpus bursae ovate, signum a small ovate spinose patch.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from most other narrow winged species by the more or less uniform greyish ground colour of the forewing. In the male genitalia the straight costa of the valva is diagnostic, in the female the inwardly pointing lobes of the lamella postvaginalis separate the species from superplumbella .

Biology. The species has been reared from Gymnosporia fruits or Maytenus , larvae feeding gregariously in a web.

Distribution. Republic of Republic of South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Tanzania, Kenya.

Type material. Type in NHMUK, not located.

Other material examined: REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA: 9 specimens from Walsingham collection : 3 ♂ 1 ♀ Kimbolton, Estcourt, Hutchinson No. 42 1885, Nos 596, 597 1892 ; 1 ♂ 1 ♀ 1 specimen without abdomen Ann- shaw, King Williamstown 1892 and 1898 Barrett; 2 ♂ 1 ♀ Umtata, Transkei 1899 Barrett ; 1 ♂ Pietermaritsburg 1.xi.1901 AJ; 1 ♂ Mfongosi Zululand , WE ii.1911 ; 1 ♀ Barberton , W. 30.ix.1910 ; 1 specimen without abdomen Grahamstown , R 1907 ; 1 ♂ Louis Trichardt iv.1932 ; 2 ♀ 1 without abdomen Natal Natl Park iii.1932 BMNH Mic- rolep 28365; 1 without abdomen Weenen ii.1926 ( NHMUK) ; 1 specimen without abdomen labelled “ Type ”, Natal, Durban SAM LEP 015692 ; 1 specimen without abdomen Pretoria 7.ix.1912 A.J.T. Janse SAM LEP 015693; 1 specimen without abdomen Mfongosi, Zulu L. W.B. Jones 015694 ; 1 specimen without abdomen Barberton, Transvaal v. 1961 H. Edwards 015695; 3 specimens without abdomen Dunbrody v. 1915 & v.1918 Rev. A.Vogt 015696–7; 1 specimen without abdomen Mfongosi iii.1911 015698; 2 specimen without abdomen Cape Town iii.1917 & iv.1916 R.C. Keytel 015725 & 015897 ( SAMC) ; 1 ♂ 1 ♀ Pretoriuskop 6–7.iv.1952 , 1 ♂ 31.v–3.vi.1980 L. Vári; 1 ♂ Pretoriuskop, K.N.P. Survey 31.v–3.vi.1980 L. & G. Vári; 2 ♂ 2 ♀ Transkei, Umtata 31°36’S 28°47’E 7.xi.1987, 24.xii.1987, 17.x.1988 N.J. Duke; 2 ♂ Transkei, Langeni Forest 9.xii.1987 N.J. Duke; 3 ♂ 2 ♀ Pretoria , 6.xi.1979, 13.ii.1990, 10.x.1949, 29.xi.1915 & 3.v.1920 A.J.T. Janse; 1 ♂ 1 without abdomen Port St John’s viii.1916 H.H. Swinn; 2 ♀ 1 without abdomen Perez Fyfe Nat. Res. Potgietersrus Dist. 30.xi.1966 Potgieter & Goode; 5 ♂ 4 ♀ Resolution, Albany Dist. 21–28.i.1928, 21.iii.1928, 21.iv.1928 ; 6 ♂ 4 ♀, 1 without abdomen Durban 6.ii.1953, 23.vii.1953, 2.i.1954, 8.i.1954, iv.1955, 25.xi.1957, 26.xi.1958, 8.iv.1959, 10.x.1960, 14.x.1960, 30.x.1960 C.G.C. Dickson; 1 ♂ Rustenburg 30–31.iii.1986 L. Vári; 2 ♂ Rustenburg Natuurreservaat 3–6.xi.1975 Potgieter & Scoble, 1 ♂ 10–17.xi.1976 Potgieter & Molakane; 1 ♂ 1 ♀ KZN Ngome State Forest, SNE Mountain Sourveld 1150 m 27°48’S 31°25’E 4–10.iv.1998 M. Krüger; 7 ♂ 6 ♀ E. Cape, Candeboo, Graaff-Reinet District Farm Paardekraal 32°14’S 24°09’E 1002 m 8–12.ii.2003 D.M. Kroon; 1 ♂ Pt. St John’s Transkei 3.iii.1985 N.J. Duke; 2 ♂ 2 ♀ Bea- con Bay, EL, Cape 20.xi.1983 , 1 ♀ 29.x.1983, 1 ♀ 20.iii.1988; 1 specimen without abdomen Seven Wickspoort , Cape 21.x.1983 ; 2 ♂ 1 ♀ Transkei, Umtata bred Maytenus 27.xii.1986 , 10.i., 7.i.1987 N.J. Duke; 1 ♂ Rubusie For- est, Cape, 7.i.1983 N.J. Duke; 1 ♂ Transkei, Umtata 21.xi.1984 N.J. Duke; ( TMSA) ; 3 ♀ Gauteng 1106 m Tswaing Crater Reserve 25°24’S 38°58’’E 2.iv.2004 leg J De Prins MRAC ENT 000006489 , 000006491 , 000006492 ; SWA- ZILAND: Mbabane ex larva on Maytenus em. 3.vi.1991 N.J. Duke; ZIMBABWE; 2 ♂ 1 ♀ Matabeleland, Turk Mine xii.1959 ; 1 ♂ Bulawayo 5.ii.1924 BM Microlep 28364; TANZANIA: Morogoro Distr. & Town , 550–600m, 7.xii.1991 L. Aarvik, and same data 27.v.1992 ( DJLA) ; Njombe 20.ii.1952 ( NHMUK).

Remarks. The holotype specimen of malgasella Viette in MNHNP was examined with its genitalia slide, and found to be identical to subplumbella , hence the synonymy.

Figures

PLATE 19.