Spulerina polula, Sruoga & Prins, 2023

Sruoga, Virginijus & Prins, Jurate De, 2023, New species, new country distribution records, and a new generic combination of Afrotropical Acrocercopinae (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), Zootaxa 5285 (1), pp. 75-115 : 110-111

Spulerina polula , sp. n.

( Figs 24A–F )

Material examined. Holotype: ♁, Congo Dem. Rep., Bas-Congo, 320 m, Nat. Res. Luki-Mayumbe, 05°27’S 13°05’E, 05.iv.2006, leg. J. De Prins. Gen. prep. VS557, in coll. RBINS.

Diagnosis. In wing pattern and male genitalia this species closely resembles Spulerina multispina sp. nov. and S. cuneata sp. nov., known from the same locality. The new species is hardly distinguishable by external characters, however, it can be well diagnosed in male genitalia. The main differences are the following: (1) valva in S. polula sp. nov. parallel-sided on basal 3/5, in S. multispina on basal 1/2 and in S. cuneata on basal 2/3; (2) the fan-shaped comb in S. polula sp. nov. at apical 1/4 of valva, in S. multispina sp. nov. and S. cuneata sp. nov. it is at apical 1/3 of valva; (3) the length/width ratio of longest tooth of fan-shaped comb in S. polula sp. nov. is 2, in S. multispina sp. nov. it is 4 and in S. cuneata sp. nov. it is 6; (4) tegumen in S. polula sp. nov. with 3 pairs of subapical setae, in S. multispina sp. nov. with one pair, and in S. cuneata sp. nov. with 2 pairs of subapical setae; (5) vesica in S. polula sp. nov. with few long cornuti and numerous small ones, in S. multispina sp. nov. and S. cuneata sp. nov. vesica is without long cornuti, small ones only.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 24A ). Forewing length: 3.0 mm.

Thorax: Grey brown, posterior margin brownish white; tegulae same. Forewing yellowish brown with four white transverse fasciae with dark brown edges; first fascia incomplete, not reaching dorsal margin; rounded white subapical spot at 4/5 of costa with small brown-black spot or streak inside it and two small oblique streaks towards tornus; white apical spot very small, inconspicuous; apical fringe brown-black, subapical dorsal fringe yellowish grey. Hindwing brown-grey, its fringe scales somewhat paler. Fore coxa white, with grey-brown apical patch; fore femur grey-brown with small medial white patch; fore tibia grey-brown, with white basal patch; tarsomeres I–IV white with grey-brown apical patches, tarsomere V white; mid coxa white, with grey-brown apical patch; mid femur grey-brown with small medial and apical white patches and subapical tuft of brown-black scales, mid tibia white, with subbasal, subapical and apical grey-brown patches, tarsomeres I–III white with brown-black medial patches, tarsomeres IV–V white; hind coxa white with small brown-black apical patch, hind femur white with small brown-black basal and apical patches, hind tibia white, with brown-black basal and subapical patches, tarsomeres I–IV white with brown-black medial patches, tarsomere V white.

Abdomen: Grey-brown dorsally and white ventrally, sterna with dark brown anterior margins. Dorsocephalic apodeme of male tergum VIII widened basally, apically truncated and strongly curved ventrad, about 0.6 as long as segment VII ( Fig. 24F ).

Female. Unknown.

Male genitalia ( Figs 24B–E ). Tegumen narrow and elongate, ca. 0.6 as long as valva, with three pairs of subapical and one pair of apical setae. Valva narrow and long, nearly straight and parallel-sided on basal 3/5, then gradually narrowed and upcurved apically, thus costal margin shallowly concave at its apical 1/4; fan-shaped comb at apical 1/4 of valva, with 9–11 short, apically blunt teeth on strongly sclerotized C-shaped base; long slender androconial scales scattered on outer surface of valva near base. Vinculum with short sclerotized median ridge, saccus short, blunt.Aedeagus straight, tubular, as long as valva, with two lateral scletotized ridges in basal 0.6 length of aedeagus; vesica with two rows of larger cornuti and numerous tiny spines in about 1/2 the length of aedeagus.

Host plant(s). Unknown.

Flight period. The only known specimen was captured at the beginning of April.

Distribution. Known only from type locality in the west of DRC.

Etymology. The specific name is from the Latin ‘ polula ’ (small), in reference to the small teeth of fan-shaped comb of valva.

Remarks. The head of the holotype is missing and therefore the description of external characters is incomplete.

Figures

FIGURE 24. Spulerina polula sp. nov., holotype, male.A, adult, scale bar 1 mm; B, genitalia, general view (aedeagus removed; left bunch of scent scales broken off during preparation); C, aedeagus; D, cornuti; E, valval comb; E, caudal part of abdominal pelt, gen. prep. VS557. Scale bar 0.1 mm.