Scrobipalpa selectoides, Bidzilya, 2021

Bidzilya, Oleksiy V., 2021, A review of the genus Scrobipalpa Janse, 1951 (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae) in the Afrotropical region, Zootaxa 5070 (1), pp. 1-83 : 35

Scrobipalpa selectoides sp. nov.

Figs 71, 72 , 185

Type material. Holotype ♀, [ Namibia] S.W Afr.: C. Namib, Spencerbay Water , 25.47 S – 14.54 E | 14.i.1974, E-Y: 288, mercury vap. Light, leg. Endrödy-Younga (gen. slide 246/12, O. Bidzilya) ( TMSA) . Paratypes: 1 ♀, [ Namibia] S.W. Africa (25), Swakopmund, 26–30.i.1972 ( Southern African exp. B.M. 1972-1) (B.M. genitalia slide No. 34185) ( NHMUK) .

Diagnosis. Scrobipalpa selectoides sp. nov. is easily distinguished externally by its bright forewing with welldefined brown markings and a white subapical fascia. Among South African Scrobipalpa it somewhat resembles S. etoshensis sp. nov., but it has broader wings, is lighter, lacks a black pattern, and has distinct brown markings, all of which are absent in the latter species. The comparatively broad palpomere 3 of the labial palpus is an additional character that separates S. selectoides sp. nov. from related species. The female genitalia of S. selectoides sp. nov. resemble those of S. traganella and S. etoshensis sp. nov., but the anteromedial emargination between the lobes of ventromedial depression is narrower, and the signum bursae is stouter.

Description. Adult ( Figs 71, 72 ). Wingspan 16.0–16.8 mm. Head covered with white, brown-tipped scales, frons entirely white; labial palpus moderately upcurved, creamy, brown-tipped, with diffuse brown basal and medial ring, palpomere 2 with brush of short scales beneath, palpomere 3 about 1/3 length and slightly narrower than palpomere 3; scape brown, mottled with white distally, flagellum with alternating brown and white-brown rings, entirely white on ventral surface; thorax and tegulae slightly darker than head, light brown; ground colour of forewing light brown, three diffuse dark brown transverse fasciae: at base, at 1/3, and at 2/3; paired dark brown spots at 1/ 3 in cell, single brown spot at corner of cell, white subapical fascia straight or weakly angulated at 3/4 after dark brown costal and tornal spot, indistinct blackish-brown markings at base of costal and dorsal margin, at base, and in basal 1/2 of fold, apical 1/4 distinctly mottled with black, cilia white, black-tipped; hindwing light grey, veins and dorsal margin suffused with brown.

Variation. The paratype is darker, more contrasting, with more distinct black markings.

Male genitalia. Unknown.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 185 ). Papillae anales elongate, narrowed apically, covered with short setae; apophyses posteriores as long as ductus bursae and corpus bursae combined; segment VIII almost as broad as long, sternum VIII with broad, shallow, medial emargination, subgenital plates broad, outer margin with triangular projection at 2/3 length, narrow patches of foam-sculpturing extending posteriorly from base of apophyses anteriores to about 1/3 length of subgenital plate along its anterior and inner margins, lobes of ventromedial depression digitate, entirely covered with foam-sculpturing, separated by deep, narrow, anteromedial emargination, extending slightly beyond anterior edge of segment VIII, joined posteromedially; apophyses anteriores rod-like, shorter than segment VIII, about 1/3 length of apophyses posteriores; ductus bursae short with distinct junction with large, rounded corpus bursae, signum strongly curved, base stout, triangular, distal hook strongly curved at base, narrow and nearly straight, on left side near entrance to corpus bursae.

Biology. Host plant unknown. Adults fly in January.

Distribution. Namibia.

Etymology. The species name refers to the external similarity of new species to the Palaearctic Scrobipalpa selectella ( Caradja, 1920) .

Figures

FIGURES 71–80. Scrobipalpa spp., adults. 71, 72. S. selectoides sp. nov., Namibia. 71. Spencerbay Water, HT, female (gen. slide 246/12, OB). 72. Swakopmund, PT, female (B.M. gen. slide No. 34185). 73, 74. S. etoshensis sp. nov., Namibia, Etosha. 73. HT, female. 74. PT, male.75, 76. S. traganella. 75. South Africa, Knersvlakte, Groot Graafwater, male. 76. South Africa, Cederberg, male. 77, 78. S. meridioafricana. 77. Namibia, Drai-Hoek, PT, male. 78. South Africa, Springbok, female. 79, 80. S. geomicta, South Africa. 79. New Hanover, HT, female (gen. slide g. 5475). 80. Pretoria, female, HT of vicaria. Scale bar = wingspan.

FIGURES 182–186. Scrobipalpa spp., female genitalia. 182, 183. S. asantesana sp. nov., South Africa. 182. Cathedral Peak (gen. slide 94/17, OB). 183. P.K. le ROUX DAM (gen. slide 325/20, OB). 184. S. brandbergensis, Namibia, Brandberg, PT (gen. slide 80/05, OB). 185. S. selectoides sp. nov., Namibia, C. Namib, Spencerbay Water, HT (gen. slide 246/12, OB). 186. S. etoshensis sp. nov., Namibia, Etosha, PT (gen. slide 104/12, OB).