Epicephala obovatella, Kawakita, Atsushi & Kato, Makoto, 2016

Kawakita, Atsushi & Kato, Makoto, 2016, Revision of the Japanese species of Epicephala Meyrick with descriptions of seven new species (Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae), ZooKeys 568, pp. 87-118 : 96-98

Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Gracillariidae

Epicephala obovatella sp. n. Figs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Epicephala sp. 3 ( Kato et al. 2003); Epicephala sp. ( obovatum ) ( Kawakita et al. 2004); Epicephala sp. ( rubrum ) ( Kawakita et al. 2004); Clade 1 ( Kawakita and Kato 2006); Epicephala sp. ex Glochidion obovatum ( Kawakita and Kato 2009; Kawakita et al. 2015); Epicephala sp. 1 ( Glochidion obovatum ) ( Kawakita et al. 2010).

Diagnosis.

This species is similar to Epicephala camurella Li, 2015 in having dented cucullus, distal projection on sacculus with dense spines, bilobed lamella postvaginalis, smooth antrum and triangular signa. However, the former clearly differs from the latter in distal projection on sacculus being finger-shaped and each lobe on lamella postvaginalis being club-shaped.

Description.

Wingspan: 7.5-11.0 mm.

Head: With numerous white scales on dorsal surface. Labial palpus dark brown. Antenna brown, about 1.2 × as long as forewing. Female proboscis with a large number of trichoid sensilla; sensilla 1.5 × as long as width of proboscis, denser toward base.

Thorax: White dorsally. Forewing brown with narrow white band on dorsum from base to 2/3 of entire length; three pairs of narrow white bands beginning at costal and dorsal margin near 1/2 to 3/4 length of wing and extending obliquely toward wing apex, terminating before reaching mid-width of wing; a narrow silver band with metallic reflection extending from costa to dorsum at 5/6 length; distal 1/6 orange-brown with black dot centrally, franked by short white band near dorsum; distal end fringed with narrow white band; cilia grayish brown. Hindwing brown, 0.8 × length of forewing; cilia grayish brown.

Male genitalia: Tegumen rectangular, acute at apex. Cucullus rounded rectangular, dented at ventral margin at 3/4 of its length; inner surface covered with numerous hairs. Sacculus rounded trapezoid, 0.6 × length of cucullus; dorsal margin attached with a narrow plate terminating distally as an inward finger-like projection with a row of spines dorso-ventrally. Vinculum U-shaped; saccus oblong, acute at apex, 0.8 × length of vinculum. Aedeagus straight; cornutus absent.

Female genitalia: Lamella postvaginalis strongly bilobed; each lobe club-like, dilated outward, about 0.5 × length and width as seventh sternite. Antrum broad, 0.2 × width of seventh sternite, as long as lamella postvaginalis, smooth on surface. Ductus bursae 1.8 × length of lamella postvaginalis, with bundle of longitudinal parallel ridges for its entire length. Corpus bursae oval, as long as buctus bursae; signum triangular, located medially. Apophyses posteriores 1.5 × length of apophyses anteriores. Ovipositor dentate laterally, angular at apex.

Material examined.

6♂, 6♀. Holotype ♀ - JAPAN: Wakayama Prefecture: Wakayama, Tomogashima (34.280678, 135.000482), 12 m, collected as larva in fruit of Glochidion obovatum and reared to adult, 13.viii.2009 (KYO). Paratypes - same data as holotype, 1♂, 1♀ (KYO). Other specimens - JAPAN: Wakayama Prefecture: Wakayama, Tomogashima, 10.vii.2003, 1♂; Miyazaki Prefecture: Kushima, Cape Toi, 30.x.1999, 1♂, 3♀ (M. Kato); Kushima, Cape Toi, 9.xi.2001, 1♂; Kagoshima Prefecture: Yaku Island, Nagata, 11.xi.2001, 1♂; Okinawa Prefecture: Kume Island, Ueshiro, 9.viii.2004, 1♂, 1♀.

DNA barcodes.

AY221972-AY221976, AY525731, AY525728, DQ299001-DQ299005, DQ299008-DQ299014, DQ299019-DQ299021, DQ299023, DQ299028-DQ299032.

Known host and adult behavior.

Glochidion obovatum (mainland Japan, Yaku Island and Kume Island) and Glochidion rubrum (Yonaguni Island and Taiwan), which are parapatric sister species. Pollination behavior present. The egg is laid through the ovary wall between the wall and ovule (Fig. 8F). Larva feeds on seeds.

Distribution.

Occurs throughout the warm temperate to subtropical regions of Japan (Fig. 9D). Recorded also from Taiwan.

Etymology.

The name obovatella (an adjective) derives from the species name of the primary host plant Glochidion obovatum .

Remarks.

The Taiwanese population of this species is genetically divergent from the Japanese population (>4% divergence in COI; Table 1 and Suppl. material 2). However, they are morphologically indistinguishable ( Kawakita and Kato 2006), so we tentatively consider the Taiwanese population as Epicephala obovatella .