Cryptolectica capnodecta Vári, 1961

Triberti, Paolo, Staude, Hermann, Sharp, Ian & Lopez-Vaamonde, Carlos, 2024, Exploring the diversity of Gracillariidae (Lepidoptera) in South Africa: host plants, distribution, and DNA barcoding analysis, with the description of nine new species, Zootaxa 5529 (1), pp. 1-51 : 17-18

18. Cryptolectica capnodecta Vári, 1961

( Figs 13 , 38 , 71 )

Cryptolectica capnodecta Vári, 1961: 179

Material. 1♂ South Africa, Limpopo, Hoedspruit, Magalieskop farm, mn 22/xi/2014, em 08/xii/2014, (rearing: M943b), A. & I. Sharp leg., CLV7576, slide TRB4455 ♂ .

Biology. Host plant previously unknown. Here we describe it for the first time reared on Syzygium cordatum (Hochst.) ( Myrtaceae ) ( Fig. 71 ).

Distribution. South Africa (Mpumalanga). New finding for Limpopo.

DNA barcodes. DNA amplification of the specimen failed (SOURE 020-19).

Remarks. This species is known only for the holotype. The collected specimen shows the following differences: forewing pattern with longer dorsal white line ( Fig. 13 ), ending at height of the costal strigula; male genitalia ( Fig. 38 ) with apex of valva more rounded than in the Vári’s drawing (1961); tegumen with a row of short bristles ventrally, not “..finely haired ventrally…” as mentioned in the original description ( Vári 1961: 180); phallus with a bundle of many needle-shaped short cornuti. Hence, this specimen is placed here with some reservation suggesting further verification on the variability of this species.

Figures

FIGURES 13–18. Adults of South African Gracillariidae. 13, Cryptolectica capnodecta, Limpopo, Hoedspruit, A. & I. Sharp leg. 14, C. terminalina, Limpopo, Hoedspruit,A. & I. Sharp leg. 15, Dialectica pyramidota, Limpopo, Hoedspruit,A. & I. Sharp leg. 16, Amblyptila cynanchi, Western Cape, Knysna, S. Mecenero leg. 17, Leucocercops dasmophora, Gauteng, Tshwane, A. & I. Sharp leg. 18, L. curatellifoliae sp. nov. Limpopo, Hoedspruit, A. & I. Sharp leg.

FIGURES 35–39. Male genitalia of South African Gracillariidae. 35-37, Ectropina spirostachydis sp. nov., holotype: 35, ventral view (240 μm); 36, tergum VIII detail (140 μm); 37, phallus (120 μm). 38, Cryptolectica capnodecta: ventral view (240 μm). 39, Conopobathra gravissima: valva detail (280 μm).

FIGURES 67–72. Immature stages of South African Gracillariidae. 67, Conopomorphina aptata, mine on Schotia brachypetala (Fabaceae), Limpopo, Hoedspruit, A. & I. Sharp leg. 68, Acrocercops syzygiena, mine on Syzygium cordatum (Myrtaceae), Gauteng, Tshwane, A. & I. Sharp leg. 69, A. syzygiena, larva, ibidem. 70, A. combreticola, mine on Combretum zeyheri (Combretaceae) Gauteng, Tshwane, A. Sharp leg. 71, Cryptolectica capnodecta, larva on Syzygium cordatum (Myrtaceae), Limpopo, Hoedspruit, A. & I. Sharp leg. 72, C. terminalina, mine on Terminalia sericea (Combretaceae), A. & I. Sharp leg.