Mesophleps safranella ( Legrand, 1965 ) Li & Sattler, 2012

Li, Houhun & Sattler, Klaus, 2012, A taxonomic revision of the genus Mesophleps Hübner, 1825 (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) 3373, Zootaxa 3373, pp. 1-82 : 29-30

Mesophleps safranella ( Legrand, 1965) comb. nov.

( Figs 17, 31, 64, 93, 123)

Gelechia safranella Legrand, 1965 , Mém. Mus. natn. Hist. nat. Paris (N. S.) (A) 37: 74, pl. 5, fig. 4. Holotype ♀, SEYCHEL- LES: Mahé, Beau Vallon , 1.v.1959 (Legrand) (slide no. 8876, Leraut; MNHN, Paris) [examined].

♂, ♀. Wingspan 11.5–14.0 mm. Labial palpus recurved, segment 2 distally broadened by erect dorsal scales, dark brown to black with white distal ring; 3 shorter than 2, white. Antenna with alternating dark and light brown rings. Forewing yellowish brown to ochreous brown, dorsum sometimes darker greyish brown; costa basally with delicate blackish brown edge, distal three-fifths with slightly wider brown to blackish brown stripe interrupted by faint oblique white line running from distal quarter towards termen, black spots variable, discal and plical often smaller than discocellular, tornal small or shadowy; termen with small number of indistinct black spots, usually two or three near apex more distinct.

Pregenital abdomen ( Fig. 17). Anterior margins of TIV–VII with broad and straight, transverse band of densely set posteriorly-directed microtrichia.

Genitalia ♂ ( Fig. 64). Uncus short, rounded; gnathos band narrow, hooks short, robust, about one-half length of uncus; tegumen with triangular to sub-triangular anterior emargination, pedunculi broad, distally forked; sclerotized posterior margin of vinculum medially concave, sometimes notched, with broad protruding sclerotization. Phallus with bulbous base, more or less evenly tapered towards narrow distal third.

Genitalia ♀ ( Figs 93, 123). Dorso-posterior margin of segment VIII slightly convex; ventro-anterior margin weakly sinuous. Subostial plate relatively broad, caudal margin concave at ostium bursae, anterior margin straight; sclerotized antrum relatively broad, funnel-shaped, sometimes slightly exceeding transverse anterior margin of subostial plate; ductus bursae thin, about twice length of apophyses anteriores, entering corpus bursae postero-laterally; corpus bursae elongate ovoid, anteriorly broad, tapered posteriorly, about length of ductus bursae; ductus seminalis from cervix bursae.

Remarks. M. safranella can be distinguished with certainty from several other species of the palpigera -group only by the genitalia. The male genitalia differ from those of palpigera , ioloncha and sublutiana in the rounded rather than sub-rectangular uncus. The uncus resembles most that of the Neotropical adustipennis but in safranella it is slightly more elongate and less evenly rounded. Moreover, in safranella the gnathos band is narrower and the gnathos hooks are stouter and slightly shorter in relation to the uncus. In the female the dorso-posterior margin of segment VIII is convex but less so than in palpigera and adustipennis . M. ioloncha differs from safranella in the more elongate uncus and longer, slimmer gnathos hooks in the male genitalia and the large oval rather than posteriorly tapered corpus bursae in the female.

Biology. Host-plants: Acacia sp. , Albizia lebbeck (Leguminosae, Mimosoideae ). The larva lives in the pods.

Distribution. Niger, Benin, Kenya, Malawi, Madagascar, Seychelles.

Material examined (9 ♂♂, 8 ♀♀, including 5 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀ genitalia preparations)

Niger: 1 ♂, Borodarou , ex pod of Acacia , 21.i.2000 (Polaszek & Bal) . Benin: 1 ♀, Atcherigbe , ex pod of Albizia lebbeck , 18.i.2000 (Polaszek) . Kenya: 2 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, Kikuyu Ibea , Escarpment, 7500–8500 ft, ix–x.1900 (Doherty) ; 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, Coast , Mwabungu s. l., 3.iv.1999, 19.viii.2000 (Agassiz) . Malawi (‘ Nyasaland’ ): 2 ♂♂ [no locality], ex dry seeds of Albizia lebbeck , 1.iv.1933 (Lamborn) . Madagascar: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Diego Suarez , 24, 25.viii.1917 (Melou) . Seychelles: 1 ♂, holotype (as above) .