Phyllonorycter grewiaephilos De Prins, 2012

Prins, Jurate De & Kawahara, Akito Y., 2012, Systematics, revisionary taxonomy, and biodiversity of Afrotropical Lithocolletinae (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), Zootaxa 3594 (1), pp. 1-283 : 79-82

22. Phyllonorycter grewiaephilos De Prins , new species

( Figs 51, 52 , 136–141 , 198–200 , 313 , 376 , 428, 429 , 438 )

Diagnosis. Pattern of forewing indistinguishable from that of Phyllonorycter grewiaecola but genitalia diagnostic. Absence of fultura superior of anellus, long, slender saccus, thick aedoeagus with digitate vesica and more or less rounded apex of sternum VIII in males prominently differentiate this species from P. grewiaecola . Longer apophyses anteriores, mountain-like sclerotized sterigma with long lateral appendages and diamond-like signum on corpus bursa in female genitalia differentiate this species from the similar P. grewiaecola . Phyllonorycter grewiaephilos was reared only from Grewia villosa leaves. Phyllonorycter grewiaecola also differs in COI sequence (“DNA barcode").

Holotype: ♂. [1] ‘ Kenya / Tsavo National Park / Taita Discovery Centre / 03°40’S 38°45’E, 530 m / mine 12.iv.2002 / leg. J. De Prins’; [2] ‘e.l. Grewia villosa Willd. / [ Tiliaceae ] / 24.iv.2002 ’; [3] ‘Gen. Prep. 3665♂ / De Prins’; [4] ‘MRAC/KMMA / 00272’; specimen ID: [5] ‘ RMCA ENT 00000307 ’; [6] ‘Holotype ♂ / Phyllonorycter / grewiaephilos / De Prins, 2012 ’, in RMCA.

Paratypes: 30♂, 30♀ (including 10♂and 5♀ genitalia preparations). Kenya: 12♂, Tsavo National Park, Taita Discovery Centre, 03°40’S 38°45’E, 530 m, mine 12.iv.2002, leg. J. De Prins, e.l. Grewia villosa Willd. (Tiliaceae) , from 14.iv.2002. to 25.iv.2002, specimen IDs: RMCA ENT 000003053–000003059, 000003076, 000003349, 000004274–000004275, gen. prep. De Prins 3519♂ (MRAC/KMMA 00346), 3670♂ (MRAC/KMMA 00276), 3481♂ (MRAC/KMMA 00398), 3518♂ (MRAC/KMMA 00399), in RMCA, 1♂ in BMNH . 11♀, same locality data, specimen IDs: RMCA ENT 000003078–000003087, 000003104, gen. prep. De Prins 3483♀ (MRAC/KMMA 00258) in RMCA . 1♂, Tsavo National Park, Taita Discovery Centre, 03°40’S 38°45’E, 530 m, 12.iv. 2002, leg. J. De Prins, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000003077, gen. prep. De Prins 3671♂ (MRAC/KMMA 00283), in RMCA . 15♂, Tsavo, ca. 30 km S Voi, Taita Discovery Centre, Env.[ironment] TDC [Taita Discovery Centre], 475 m, 03°43’S 038°46’E, mine 23.iii.2004, leg. J. & W. De Prins, e.l. Grewia villosa Willd. (Tiliaceae) , from 28.iii.2004 to 08.iv.2004, specimen IDs: RMCA ENT 000003061–000003069, 000003071–000003076, gen. prep. De Prins 3605♂ (MRAC/KMMA 00264), 3607♂ (MRAC/KMMA 00269), 3612♂ (MRAC/KMMA 00270), 3611♂ (MRAC/KMMA 00271), in RMCA, 2♂ in BMNH, DNA voucher CLV11607, CLV25307, CLV25107, in CCDB . 19♀, same locality data, specimen IDs: RMCA ENT 000003088–000003099, 000003102, 000003103, 000003267, gen. prep. De Prins 3606♀ (MRAC/KMMA 00265), 3610♀ (MRAC/KMMA 00266), 3609♀ (MRAC/KMMA 00267), 3608♀ (MRAC/KMMA 00268), in RMCA, 2♀ in BMNH, DNA voucher CLV11707, CLV13107, in CCDB . 2♂, Rift Valley, L.[ake] Bogoria, 06.ii.1999, D. J. L. Agassiz, gen. prep. De Prins 3668–3669♂, 1♂ in BMNH and 1♂ in NMK .

Description. Adult ( Figs 51, 52 ). Forewing length: 2.7–2.9 mm.

Head: Vertex tufted with ochreous piliform scales intermixed with white, white blunt, piliform scales are dominant on posterior margin of occiput, projected dorsally; frons smooth, shiny white (in some specimens with slight goldish shine) covered with long narrow appressed white scales. Labial palpus as long as diameter of compound eye, dark fuscous from outer lateral side and white from inside, apically pointed, directed downwards. Maxillary palpus white, proboscis light yellow. Antenna slightly shorter that forewing, not ringed, first three flagellomeres white, rest gradually shading from white to golden fuscous intermixed with elongate, light beige stripes, at apical sector flagellomeres covered with ciliate tiny golden fuscous scales, last flagellomere dark fuscous; pedicel shiny white; scape white anteriorly and ochreous brown posteriorly, pecten white, thick, as long as length of two flagellomeres.

Thorax. Ochreous brown with two oblique white stripes joining posteriorly and white round mark at posterior sector; tegulae dark ochreous anteriorly, white posteriorly, metathorax golden ochreous. Forewing elongate, ground colour ochreous brown with white markings consisting of basal streak, two fascia, one costal and one dorsal strigulae; basal streak short, slender, reaching 1/6 of forewing, directed towards costa, edged with a fine row of black scales posteriorly and a few dispersed scales anteriorly; first fascia at 1/5, slender, oblique, directed towards apex, running transverse, but not reaching costa, tapering, blunt at costa, finely edged on both sides by one row of black scales; first costal strigula small, rounded, at 1/2 of forewing with a few black scales posteriorly; second fascia at 1/3 parallel to first fascia in oblique at origin, directed towards apex, but not reaching costa, at 3/5 making sharp turn to midline of forewing, sinuous to apex, and short, narrow, indistinct strip of white scales extending along costa from apex; first half of second fascia edged basally and apically with one row of black scales to turn at 3/5, after turn apical edging continues as posterior edging with thicker irregular border with black scales sparsely distributed at tornal sector, anterior part of band not edged, elongate costal area finely edged posteriorly with a few dispersed black scales; half rounded dorsal strigula at 2/3 edged basally with row of black scales, a few black scales edge dorsum between second fascia and first dorsal strigula; fringe very short golden shiny at tornal sector and long, dirty white with golden shine along dorsal margin of forewing. Hindwing dirty white with a slight golden shine, fringe long, of same colour. Legs white with some darker markings dorsally; fore femur shiny light ochreous basally suffused with fuscous apically in males and white with suffusion of light ochreous in females, tibia dark fuscous, tarsomeres I–IV white with dark fuscous apical halves in males, fuscous in females, tarsomere V dirty white in males, pale ochreous in females; mid-tibia with three oblique ochreous, parallel stripes, basal one small and indistinct, second one from 1/3 to mid-tibia, third one from mid-tibia to apex; tarsomere I with small basal fuscous patch and ringed apically with dark fuscous scales, tarsomere II ringed subapically with dark fuscous scales, terminal tarsomeres white; spurs dark fuscous basally and white at apical half; hind femur dirty white with indistinct light ochreous small patch at 1/2, hind tibia with ochreous shiny oblique stripe from 1/2 to apex, medial tibial spurs half as long as tibia with two fuscous patches one subbasally and other subapically, apical tibial spurs twice shorter than medial with s few fuscous scales subbasally, hind tibia fuscous hairy, tarsomere I white with dark fuscous patch subapically, tarsomere II white with small light fuscous patch apically in males and white in females, tarsomeres III–IV dirty white with light ochreous shading, terminal tarsomere ochreous.

Abdomen: Fuscous dorsally, golden shiny ventrally, segments VII and VIII beige with light ochreus shading in males dorsally, and pale ochreous ventrally in female. Sternum VIII in males gently tapering caudally with blunt very lightly bidentate caudal apex.

Male genitalia ( Figs 198–200 ). Tegumen rather long, in three parts: central long broad lobe gently rounded at apex, without setae, two lateral symmetrical processes, margins of which run parallel, gently rounded apically, reaching 2/3 length of central lobe, covered with sparse setae. A pair of setae is located on small triangular appendices at base of long lobe-like tegumenal appendages. Valvae symmetrical, valva 1.5× as long as sternum VIII, narrow, costal and dorsal margins running almost parallel, weekly curved at mid, bluntly cut at apex; weekly setose at basal sector of dorsal margin and pinaculated with tubercules from middle of costal margin to apex. Setae thick, ca. as long as distance between costal and dorsal margins of valva. Vinculum narrow, sclerotized, U-shaped; transtilla narrow, consisting of two symmetrical hook-shape bent parts; fultura absent, saccus slightly shorter as sternum VIII, slender, gently rounded apically. Aedoeagus twice as long as sternum VIII, length 2/3 width of valva, coecum slightly bulged, central part running straight with 2 long close to each other long needle-like cornuti (clearly visible at enlargement 200×), vesica narrow, 3× narrower in diameter as a central part of aedoaegus, 1/6 as long as entire aedoeagus, sclerotozed, finger like, without special appendices.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 313 ). Papillae anales connected dorsally, flattened, 2× wider than long, sclerotized posteriorly, covered with dense round penaculate tubercules of long setae; setae 2–3× as long as papillae anales, basal bar rather broad, sclerotized, slightly wider ventrad from posterior apophyses. Posterior apophyses well sclerotized, ca.0.34 mm long, reaching anterior 1/3 segment VII, wider at basal 1/3, tapering to apex, pointed. Segment VIII weakly sclerotized, well connected to segment VII. Anterior apophyses ca. 2/3 in length of posterior apophyses, ca. 0.23 mm long, extending to anterior 1/3 of segment VII. Sterigma well developed, crescent-shaped, with depression around ostium bursae, and with long lateral appendages; ostium bursae located at posterior 1/3 of segment VII, antrum sclerotized, broad tubular; ductus bursae short, ca. as long as segment VII, ½ with of antrum at its origin, then gradually broadening towards corpus bursae. Corpus bursae oval, ca. 0.32 × 0.21 mm, large, with sclerotized diamond-like signum ca. 0.1 mm. Central sector of signum area crossed by an arrow-like signum.

Variation. There is little variation in shine from golden ochreous till ochreous in forewing and size of first costal strigula which varies from hardly visible few white scales to clearly defined half rounded patch.

DNA sequences. Two COI barcodes are available for P. grewiaephilos (Molecular sample codes: Pgre1 [ JX888180 ], Pgre2 [ JX888181 ]; Table S1 ).

Etymology. The specific name is composed of the name Grewia and the Greek name Philos (Φíλος), meaning ‘friend’ (masculine). The name means ‘A friend of Grewia ’.

Habitat. Phyllonorycter grewiaephilos have been found in savannah areas at altitudes between 470 m and 920 m ( Fig. 438 ).

Host plant(s). Malvaceae : Grewia villosa Willd. ( Figs 428, 429 ).

Mine. An underside tentiform mine elongate or oval, 11–16 mm long. The mine is opaque creamy, or light brown. No folds are perceptible, frass loosely scattered; pupation without cocoon. Exuvium protrudes epidermis of a leaf before adult emerges. Mines were found locally but abundant in a small area of savannah within Tsavo National Park in Kenya in a period between 23 March and 12 April. The preimaginal stages within mines were in similar stadium of development. The difference of period between the first and the last moth emergence is 11 days. The plants are mostly exploited in the first half of the rainy season, when new leaves are well grown up.

Pupa ( Figs 136–141 ). The general form is elongated oval, sub-cylindrical, gradually narrowing towards last five segments, slightly fattened, light brown with a lighter shading on abdomen and darker on vertex; the pupa becomes slightly darker brown close to the adult emergence, like in most Lithocolletinae species. Length ca. 2.4–2.5 mm. Head more or less triangular, with two pairs of long setae and with loose antennal appendages. Vertex furnished with a frontal process (cocoon cutter), relatively short, broadly triangular, acute, with wrinkled median surface. The apices of the antennae and the apices of the wings approximately coincide at the same length. The appendages of antennae are shorter than the appendages of metathoracic future legs which extend slightly beyond the abdominal tip. The distance between the apices of the mesothorax and metathoracic legs is approximately 1.25× the distance between the apices of the prothoracic and mesothoracic legs. Abdominal segments mostly covered dorsally and ventrally with dense minute spines; two pairs of setae (one dorsal and one lateral) present on each segment of A2–7. Caudal sternum of A10 with short, blunt plates arranged in a rosette and caudal tergum equipped with rudimentary cremaster, consisting of one short spine situated proximally and two blunt processes situated sub-distally.

Flight period. Adults fly from early February to mid-April.

Distribution. ( Fig. 376 ). Recorded from the Rift Valley and Tsavo National Park in Kenya.

Figures

FIGURES 51–56. Adults. Scale bar 1 mm. 51, Phyllonorycter grewiaephilos, holotype ♂, Kenya, Tsavo, mine 12.iv.2002, leg. J. De Prins, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 00000307. 52, Phyllonorycter grewiaephilos, paratype ♂, Kenya, Tsavo, mine 12.iv.2002, leg. J. De Prins, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000003076. 53, Phyllonorycter grewiella, holotype 6373♂, South Africa, Malelane, 24.iii.1952, leg. A.J.T. Janse & L. Vári, in TMSA. 54, Phyllonorycter grewiella, ♂, Kenya, Tsavo, mine 12.iv.2002, leg. J. De Prins, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000003111. 55, Phyllonorycter grewiella, ♀, Kenya, Tsavo, mine 12.iv.2002, leg. J. De Prins, specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000003112. 56, Phyllonorycter grewiella, ♀, Namibia, Erongo, 15–16.iii.2005, leg. W. Mey, in ZMHB.

FIGURES 136–141. Exuvium of Phyllonorycter grewiaephilos. 136, ventral view. 137, lateral view. 138, terminal segment, caudal view. 139, terminal segment, ventral view. 140, terminal segment, lateral view. 141, small cremaster on terminal segment.

FIGURES 198–200. Male genitalia. Scale bar 100 µm. 198–200, Phyllonorycter grewiaephilos, paratype, genitalia prep. MRAC/KMMA 00264, in RMCA. 198, ventral view. 199, sternum VIII. 200, aedoeagus.

FIGURES 312–313. Female genitalia. Scale bar 200 µm. 312, Phyllonorycter grewiaecola, genitalia prep. MRAC/KMMA / 00277, in RMCA. 313, Phyllonorycter grewiaephilos, paratype, genitalia prep. MRAC/KMMA 00265, in RMCA.

FIGURES 367–378. Distribution of Afrotropical Lithocolletinae species. 367, Phyllonorycter achilleus. 368, Phyllonorycter adderis. 369, Phyllonorycter agassizi. 370, Phyllonorycter chionopa. 371, Phyllonorycter encaeria. 372, Phyllonorycter kazuri. 373, Phyllonorycter lantanae. 374, Phyllonorycter gato. 375, Phyllonorycter grewiaecola. 376, Phyllonorycter grewiaephilos. 377, Phyllonorycter grewiella. 378, Phyllonorycter acutulus.

FIGURES 427–431. Leaf mines of Afrotropical Lithocolletinae species. 427, Phyllonorycter grewiaecola abaxial mine on Grewia tristis [Malvaceae], Tsavo, Kenya, 12 April 2002. 428–429, Phyllonorycter grewiaephilos mine on Grewia villosa [Malvaceae], Tsavo, Kenya, 23 March, 2004. 428, adaxial side. 429, abaxial blotch/tentiform mine. 430, Phyllonorycter grewiella mine on Grewia villosa [Malvaceae], Tsavo, Kenya, 12 April 2002. 431, Phyllonorycter ocimellus mine on Ocimum gratissimum [Lamiaceae], Taita Hills, Kenya, 09 April, 2001.

FIGURES 437–440. Habitats of Afrotropical Lithocolletinae species. 437, Arabuko Sokoke Forest, Kenya, April 2001. The habitat contains elements of coastal mixed forest as well as miombo / Cynometra woodland. 438, Tsavo, Kenya, April 2002. The habitat contains elements of semi-arid grassland and savannah. 439, Ololua Forest, Rift Valley, Kenya, April 2002. The habitat is dominated by tree vegetation. 440, Taita Hills, Kenya, April 2003. The habitat is a precambrian mountain range covered with moist forest housing many endemic species of flora and fauna.