Coleophora creola Baldizzone

Baldizzone, Giorgio & Van Der Wolf, Hugo W., 2015, On the taxonomy of Afrotropical Coleophoridae (II) (Lepidoptera, Coleophoridae), Zootaxa 4000 (3), pp. 335-362 : 351-352

Coleophora creola Baldizzone & van der Wolf, sp. nov.

( Fig. 6 )

Holotype ♂ (GP Bldz 15029) CABO VERDE, Ilha do Sal, S.ta Maria, 10.X.2002 | legit Graziano Bassi ”, coll. Bldz.

Diagnosis. A species of small size and a habitus which is comparable with that of C. kunenensis and of many Palearctic and Afrotropical species. Judging from the male genitalia the species belongs to the 30th species group of Toll’s system with the double rods in the phallotheca. In the male genitalia the huge sickle-shaped process of the transtilla and the big arrow-like point of one of the rods of the phallotheca are characteristic.

Description. Wingspan 9 mm. Head light hazel. Labial palp white, the second segment, double the length of the third, is almost entirely brown externally. Antenna: the scape, without bristly scales basally, is white externally and ochreous internally; flagellum ringed white and light hazel. Thorax concolorous with head. Forewing rather light hazel lined whitish along costa and veins; some dark brown scales are dispersed mainly in the apical region and form a slender line on the basal half of the anal fold. Fringe light grey. Hindwing and fringe light grey. Abdomen light hazel.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 57–59 ): Gnathos knob globular. Tegumen long, medially strongly constricted, broadening into triangular pedunculus. Transtilla large, a sickle-shaped process. Valvula indistinct. Cucullus large, rounded. Sacculus narrow, with slightly rounded ventral margin with triangular ventro-caudal process. Parallel to ventral margin a narrow sclerotized ridge. Phallotheca long, consisting of two rods of unequal lengths: the shorter one tubular, transparent, gradually tapering into a sharp point, the longer one ending in a huge arrow-like sclerotized point. Cornuti a compressed row of rather thick spines.

Female genitalia: Unknown.

Abdominal apodemes ( Fig. 60 ): No posterior lateral struts. Transverse strut with slender, slightly convex, margins. Tergal disk slightly longer than wide, with about 24 short conical spines.

Bionomy. The foodplant and the early stages are not known.

Distribution. The species is known only from the Cape Verde islands.

Etymology. The name of the species refers to the Creole population of the Cape Verde islands.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Adults of Coleophora spp. 1, Coleophora kenyaensis Baldizzone & van der Wolf, sp. nov., — Holotype ♂. 2, C. vansoni Baldizzone & van der Wolf, sp. nov. — Paratype ♀ (GP Bldz 11646). 3, C. elegans Baldizzone & van der Wolf, sp. nov. — Paratype ♀ (GP Bldz 13572). 4, C. namaqua Baldizzone & van der Wolf, sp. nov. — Paratype ♂ “ RSA, North. [ern] Cape Kamieskroon, Farm Windhoek, 16. X. 2007, leg. W. Mey ” “ Bachtal ca. 2 km oberth. Farmhaus ”. 5, C. kunenensis Baldizzone & van der Wolf, sp. nov. — Holotype ♂. 6, C. creola Baldizzone & van der Wolf, sp. nov. — Holotype ♂. 7, C. kamiesella Baldizzone & van der Wolf, sp. nov. — Paratype ♀ (GP Bldz 15354).

FIGURES 57 – 60. Male genitalia of C. creola Baldizzone & van der Wolf, sp. nov. 57, GP Bldz 14207, holotype. 58, Idem, enlarged detail of valva, sacculus and phallotheca. 59, Idem, much enlarged cornuti. 60, Idem, abdominal segments 1 – 5.