Leucinodes laisalis (Walker, 1859) Walker, 1859

Mally, Richard, Korycinska, Anastasia, Agassiz, David J. L., Hall, Jayne, Hodgetts, Jennifer & Nuss, Matthias, 2015, Discovery of an unknown diversity of Leucinodes species damaging Solanaceae fruits in sub-Saharan Africa and moving in trade (Insecta, Lepidoptera, Pyraloidea), ZooKeys 472, pp. 117-162 : 135-137

Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Crambidae

Leucinodes laisalis (Walker, 1859) comb. n. Figs 7-8, 20, 28, 35, 40-41, 44-46

Megaphysa laisalis Walker 1859: 382-383. ( Hampson 1899: 275 to Sceliodes )

Daraba idmonealis Walker 1859: 385-386.

Hyamia subterminalis Walker 1866: 1145.

Daraba plenisignata Walker 1866: 1977-1978.

Leucinodes translucidalis Gaede 1917: 398, syn. n.

Type-locality.

South Africa, Cape of Good Hope

Material examined.

Type-specimen. Holotype, sex unknown, [round white label with green border] “Type”; [round pale white label] [front] "C. G. | Hope", [back] "44 | 6"; [rectangular blue label] "Megaphysa | laisalis Wlk | Type" (BMNH). - Additional material.MOROCCO. 1♂ Oued Cherrat, 17.ix.1952, leg. Ch. Rungs, prep. RM 734 (MNHN); SENEGAL. 1♂ Dakar, viii.1952, leg. A. Villiers, prep. RM736 (MNHN); CÔTE D’IVOIRE. 1♂ Bouaké, Inepa, 29.-30.xii.1983, leg. Stam, prep. RM688 (RMCA); NIGERIA. 1 ex. Oyo, Ibadan, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, 7.501N 3.906E, 240m, 19.vi.2006, leg. G.M. Miller & T.M. Kuklenski, DNA Barcode USNM ENT 676643 (USNM); KENYA. 1♂ Nairobi, Kiambu (Kyambu), 6000 ft, x.1916, leg. H. L. Andrewes, BMNH Pyralidae slide No. 23136 (BMNH); 1♂ 1♀ Kitui (Katoteni), 30.viii.2005, ex larva on Solanum incanum , adult 30.ix.2005, leg. Muli & Okuku, preps RM301 & RM308 (SMTD); 10ex. Laikipia County, Laikipia Plateau, Mpala Research Centre, 0.293N 36.899E, 1650m, 13.ii.1999 (1ex.), 20.iv.1999 (4ex.), 17.vii.1999 (3ex.), 23.xii.1999 (1ex.), 06.xii.2002 (1ex.), leg. S.E. Miller & T.M. Kuklenski (5ex.), S.E. Miller & R. O’Meara (4ex.), S.E. Miller (1ex.), DNA Barcodes USNM ENT 196697-196706 (USNM); 1ex. Matthews Range, 1.24N 37.29E, 1506m, 17.i.2004, leg. R.S. Copeland, DNA Barcode USNM ENT 719748 (USNM); TANZANIA. 1♀ Morogoro, Sokoine University Garden, 06°50'S 037°38'E, 05.vii.2009, leg. J. & W. De Prins, prep. RM668 (RMCA); 1♂ Morogoro Distr. & Town, 550-600 m, 14.xi.1992, leg. L. Aarvik, prep. RM686 (coll. Aarvik); SOUTH AFRICA. 1♂ Mpumalanga, Barberton, northern edge of town, suburban garden- and bushland, 610 m, 15./16.i.2007, leg. T. Karisch, DNA Barcode BC MTD 01819, prep. RM504 (coll. Karisch); SPAIN. 1♂ Cadiz, 3 km NW Tarifa, 5 m, 25.ix.1987, leg. P. Skou, prep. RM380 (ZMUC); GREAT BRITAIN (IMPORT). see Suppl. material 2 (Fera material).

Diagnosis.

Distinguished from most other members of Leucinodes by the orange-brown to greyish forewing colour. Distinguished from Leucinodes ethiopica by the generally darker forewing colour with less amount of white. Differs from both Leucinodes ethiopica and Leucinodes ugandensis in: male genitalia with large, oval sacculus; broad, strongly sclerotized ventrad fibula; saccus well elongated; phallus coecum keeled, posteriodorsal apodeme with slim, fingerlike, well sclerotized process; female genitalia with antrum broad, its anterior end coiled, with exocuticle diffusely sclerotized.

Redescription of adults.

Head. Frons slightly bulged; labial palps upturned, greyish to brown, first meron on ventral side with forward-directed tuft, third meron in males half as long as second meron, considerably longer in females; maxillary palps minute; haustellum well developed; eyes large, hemispherical; ocelli present; antennae ciliate, cilia considerably longer in males; vertex with creamy white scales; chaetosemata absent.

Thorax. Dorsal side brown with greyish and dark brown scales mixed in; ventral side grey to whitish; legs predominantly whitish or grey, epiphysis present; tibial spurs 0, 2, 4 with outer spur 2/3 the length of inner spur.

Wings. Forewing length 7.0-11.5 mm, the females being somewhat larger; both sexes with one frenular bristle; forewing ground colour orange- to grey-brown, with the general Sceliodes wing pattern.

Abdomen. First segment whitish, remainder light-brown; older specimens often with darkened abdomen due to degeneration of abdominal fat body.

Male genitalia. As for the genus, apart from: vinculum saccus conspicuously elongated anteriad; juxta usually with small notch at median base; valvae emerging in narrow angle from vinculum; phallus with keeled coecum, posteriodorsal apodeme with slim, fingerlike, slightly curved and well sclerotized process, vesica with a short line of tiny cornuti.

Female genitalia. As for the genus, apart from: antrum long, tubular, anterior end coiled; apophysis pairs straight, apophyses anteriores with somewhat broader muscle attachment area at posterior quarter.

Distribution.

In Africa known from Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania (own observations). Externally, Leucinodes laisalis is similar to Leucinodes ugandensis (see below), therefore literature records from other African countries than those listed here need verification. In Europe recorded from Spain, Portugal ( Speidel 1996, Huertas Dionisio 2000; own observations) and Great Britain (own observations). The records from Great Britain certainly refer to interceptions and it is assumed that those from the Iberian Penninsula also do not refer to a native occurrence. Huertas Dionisio (2000) recorded the species from Solanum linnaeanum , a species native to southern Africa.

Food plants.

Solanaceae : Solanum incanum L. (Kenya, leg. Muli & Okuku 2005), Solanum anguivi Lam. (" Solanum sodomaeum L.,"), Solanum macrocarpon L., Solanum melongena L., Solanum linnaeanum Hepper & P.-M. Jaeger, Solanum lycopersicon L. and Capsicum annuum L. ( Hayden et al. 2013).

Immature stages.

Larva. Generally very similar to Leucinodes orbonalis and Leucinodes africensis . On the metathorax the MSD setae are usually on separate pinacula, while the mesothoracic MSD setae are usually on the same pinaculum. The abdominal D1 pinacula are often smaller than those of Leucinodes orbonalis and Leucinodes africensis , and lack dark spots or unpigmented areas (see Ogunwolu (1978) for a detailed larval description and chaetotaxy). Pupa. length ca. 8.5 mm; distal margins of cremaster usually evenly rounded, without distinct corners; spinulation of cremaster’s dorsal surface a little coarser than dorsal spinulation on abdominal segment 9 dorsal surface, no distinct small spines as in Leucinodes orbonalis or Leucinodes africensis ; cocoon of beige coloured silk that does not darken significantly over time.

Remarks.

We found a significant DNA Barcode difference of 2.4-2.8% uncorrected-p distance between the single South African specimen and the Kenyan and Ghanan/Nigerian Barcode clusters (Fig. 47; see also section 'DNA Barcoding’ below). These differences in the DNA Barcode are not reflected in a divergent morphology of the clusters.

The record of Leucinodes laisalis from Belgium by Nyst (2004) is most probably a misidentification, since the illustrated imago resembles much more the whitish Leucinodes species. Apart from that, there is a European record of Leucinodes laisalis from Spain. Additionally, it is frequently intercepted with the import of solanaceous fruits in Great Britain.

Despite repeated search in the collection of the ZMHB, original material of Leucinodes translucidalis Gaede, 1917 from Tanzania, Tendaguru, could not be traced. According to the original description, this taxon can be regarded as conspecific with Leucinodes laisalis due to all details given in the original description. Especially the white triangle at the anterior line, another white triangle, though often somewhat inconspicuous, at the middle of costa, and the dark brown area below apex support the conspecifity with Leucinodes laisalis .