Deltophora polliniferens

Li, Houhun, Wang, Zhibo & Sattler, Klaus, 2016, Two new species of the genus Deltophora Janse, 1950 (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), Zootaxa 4061 (1), pp. 77-84 : 82-83

Deltophora polliniferens Li et Sattler, sp. n.

( Figs 5 , 7, 9 , 11)

Deltophora sp. 1, Luo et al. 2011: 4, fig. 1.

Type materials. Holotype ♂, CHINA, Guangdong Province: Tianhe District (23°08'N, 113°14'E), SCBG, Guangzhou City, 26-vi-2006, SX Luo and YQ Li collected on Phyllanthus cochinchinensis , genitalia slide No L05179 , deposited in NKUM.

Paratypes: CHINA, Guangdong Province: 8 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, 22–26-vi-2006, same data as holotype, genitalia slide nos. L05178♀, L07009♀, deposited in NKUM except 1 ♂, 1 ♀ in BMNH; 3 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, Guangzhou, SCBG, 23-vi-2012, on Phyllanthus cochinchinensis (SX Luo), deposited in BMNH. CHINA, Hainan Province: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Ganshiling Nature Reserves (18°38'N, 109°42'E), Baoting Li and Miao Autonomous County, 1-vi-2007, YQ Li collected on P. cochinchinensis , genitalia slide nos. L07001♂, L07002♀. deposited in NKUM.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 5 ): Wing expanse 9.0– 12.5 mm. Head yellowish brown, scales shiny, with silvery grey tips. Labial palpus with second segment expanded, compressed laterally, third segment much thinner and shorter than second, pointed; first and second segments yellowish white on dorsal surface, yellowish brown with dense blackish brown scales on ventral and lateral surface, third segment yellowish white, black medially and before apex on ventral surface. Antenna greyish black, dorsally ringed with yellow. Thorax and tegula yellowish brown, mixed with blackish brown scales. Forewing narrowly elongate-ovate, rounded apically; ground colour yellowish brown, with scattered silvery grey and black scales, forming numerous distinct dots and strigulae along costal margin and termen to before tornus, interrupted by regular yellowish white spots along costal margin; black spot placed below basal 1/3 of fold and at end of cell, respectively, surrounded by ochreous brown, the former larger, somewhat ovate, the latter rounded; broad dark brown transverse band from beyond costal 1/3 to dorsum, edged with sparse black scales; cilia yellowish brown, grey on distal portion of ventral margin. Hindwing and cilia dark grey. Legs yellowish white on dorsal surface, blackish grey on ventral surface; apex of each segment yellowish white. Abdomen dark brown, distally yellowish brown.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 7 ). Uncus straight, slender, exceeding length of tegumen; basal 1/4 narrow, parallel-sided; distal 3/4 slightly expanded, spindle-shaped, with small rectangular posterior process. Tegumen short and broad, sclerotized and folded marginally, anterior margin deeply concave, broadly V-shaped. Valva with basal 1/3 wider than distal 2/3, sub-rectangular, apex bluntly rounded; costal margin straight, slightly concave distally. Sacculus sclerotized, about 2/3 length of costa; ventral margin straight and narrowly folded; with dilated digitate apical process. Saccus large, broad, strongly sclerotized laterally, triangular. Juxta I-shaped, strongly sclerotized. Phallus as long as valva, with basal half inflated, distal half membranous dorsally, sclerotized ventrally.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 9 ). Papillae anales sub-rectangular, setose, with small notch at middle on posterior margin. Apophysis posterior about three times length of apophysis anterior, expanded distally. Eighth sternite with concave anterior and posterior margins. Ostium bursae open near posterior margin of eighth sternite, more than 1/3 width of eighth sternite. Antrum funnel-shaped, nearly as long as eighth sternite. Colliculum dilated, about 1/3 length of antrum. Ductus bursae narrow in posterior half, gradually widened in anterior half, imperceptibly merging with elliptical corpus bursae. Signum strongly hooked, near middle of corpus bursae, basal half concave dorsally, distal half arched and tapered towards apex, concave and serrate on ventral margin; basal plate rounded, scobinate. Seventh abdominal segment distally with pleural pits (Fig. 11).

Diagnosis. D. polliniferens externally resembles D. fasciella Sattler from the Middle East, but can be distinguished by the dark transverse band at 1/3 of the forewing, which is of even width whilst in fasciella it is broader towards the dorsum; the genitalia of both sexes are quite distinct.

Biology. Host-plant: Phyllanthus cochinchinensis (Lour.) Spreng. The larva is a foliage feeder; the adult visits the flowers and is a pollinator of its larval host-plant (Luo et al. 2011).

Distribution. China (Guangdong, Hainan).

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin pollinicus (= pollen) and ferens (= bearing), in reference to the pollinating habit.

FIGURES 10–12. Female seventh abdominal segment and 1st instar larva of Deltophora species. 10, 11, Female seventh abdominal segment: 10, D. phyllanthicella sp. n. (slide no. L07004); 11, D. polliniferens sp. n. (slide no. L07002); 12, fully developed 1st instar larva from female abdomen of D. phyllanthicella sp. n. (slide no. L07004) (scales = 0.25 mm).

Figures

FIGURES 2 – 5. Habitats and adults of Deltophora species. 2 – 3, Habitats of D. phyllanthicella sp. n.: 2, adult resting on hostplant Phyllanthus rheophyticus (Photo by ZB Wang in Yinggeling, Hainan on May 25, 2013); 3, mature larva on leaves of P. rheophyticus (Photo by ZB Wang in Yinggeling, Hainan on May 28, 2013). 4, adult of D. phyllanthicella (holotype ♂); 5, adult of D. polliniferens sp. n. (paratype ♂) (scales = 1.0 mm).

FIGURES 6 – 9. Male and female genitalia of Deltophora species. 6, 7, male genitalia: 6, D. phyllanthicella sp. n. (genitalia slide no. L 07003); 7, D. polliniferens sp. n. (genitalia slide no. L 07001). 8, 9, female genitalia: 8, D. phyllanthicella sp. n. (genitalia slide no. L 07004); 8 a, antrum; 8 b, colliculum; 9, D. polliniferens sp. n. (genitalia slide no. L 07002); 9 a, antrum and colliculum (scales: 6, 7 = 0.25 mm; 8, 9 = 0.50 mm).