Tricerophora objecta (Meyrick, 1921) Bidzilya & Mey, 2018

Bidzilya, Oleksiy V. & Mey, Wolfram, 2018, Review of the genus Tricerophora Janse, 1958 (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae) with description of six new species, Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 65 (1), pp. 81-98 : 87-88

Tricerophora objecta (Meyrick, 1921) comb. n.

Telphusa objecta Meyrick, 1921 - Annals of the Transvaal Museum 8 (2): 70

Type material examined.

Holotype of T. objecta , ♀: [Zimbabwe] "Salisbury, Rhod., 30.12.'17, A.J.T. Janse" | " Telphusa objecta M., TYPE No: 662." | "g. 5546" ( TMSA)

Other material examined.

1 ♀, [D.R. Congo] Katanya , Tshinkolobwe, 22.viii.1931 (Romieux) (gen. slide 103/18, O. Bidzilya) ( MHNG)

Diagnosis.

The species is recognizable externally by the paired white triangular spot in the middle of the costal and dorsal margin of the forewing. The female genitalia are very characteristic having broad, extremely anteriorly prolonged sternum VIII with a large, medial membranous window.

Description.

Adult (Figs 9-10 ): Wingspan 18.0 mm. Head and thorax white, segment 2 of labial palpus white with several brown-tipped scales on outer surface, base black, brush of raised scales underside, segment 3 white mixed with brown, slender, acute. Scape brown mottled with white underside, flagellum light brown with narrow white rings. Tegulae white with brown base. Forewing brown, rarely mottled with slightly raised black-tipped scales, white triangular spot in middle of costal margin and on the opposite side in middle of dorsal margin, another white smaller spot on ¾ of costa, cilia white brown-tipped; hindwing and cilia grey.

Male: Unknown.

Female genitalia (Fig. 32 ): Sternum VIII about as broad as long, evenly sclerotized in middle, weakly narrowed posteriorly, strongly sclerotized along lateral margins, anterior margin strongly projecting anteriorly forming a stout sub-rectangular lobe with large medial membranous rounded window with uneven edges; apophysis anterioris 3/4 length of segment VIII; antrum very long, tubular, with 15 transverse rings; ductus bursae slightly longer than anterior lobe of sternum VIII, with short sclerotized portion before entrance of corpus bursae, antrum weakly sclerotized, about half the length of ductus bursae, ductus bursae hidden under anterior lobe of sternum VIII but translucent and visible; corpus bursae prolonged; signum with long and broad, serrated arms of equal length.

Distribution.

Zimbabwe, D.R. Congo.

Biology.

Adults has been collected in December in Zimbabwe and in August in D.R. Congo.

Notes.

Telphusa objecta was described from the single female holotype collected in Salisbury (Harare), Zimbabwe. Janse (1960: 58) noted that generic position of this species is uncertain and its assignment to Telphusa only provisional. The female genitalia of T. objecta share with species of Tricerophora laterally sclerotized sternum VIII, the long antrum and a signum with long serrated lobes. Despite unknown males, we have no doubt that the species belongs to Tricerophora . The ostium with transverse rings indicates the affinity of T. objecta to T. commaculata , T. pundamilia sp. n. and T. rukinga sp. n.

Figures

Figures 1 - 10. Adult of Tricerophora spp. 1 - 4. T. commaculata. 1. HT, ♀, Magude (gen. slide 5544). 2. PT, ♂, Inyack Isl. (gen. slide 8617). 3. ♀, Pretoria (gen. slide 8406). 4. Zimbabwe, ♂ (gen. slide 322 / 07, O. Bidzilya). 5 - 6. T. nigribasis. 5. HT, ♂, Pentonville (gen. slide 8455). 6. ♂, Brandberg (gen. slide 117 / 05, O. Bidzilya). 7 - 8. T. rukinga sp. n. 7. HT, ♂, Rukinga (gen. slide 324 / 14, O. Bidzilya (= 1542, DJLA )). 8. PT, ♀, Rukinga (gen. slide 325 / 14, O. Bidzilya (= 1543, DJLA )). 9 - 10. T. objecta. 9. HT, ♀, Harare. 10. ♀, Kenya, Tschinkolobwe (gen. slide 103 / 18, O. Bidzilya). Scale bar = 2 mm.

Figures 31 - 32. Female genitalia of Tricerophora spp. 31. T. rukinga sp. n., PT, Rukinga (gen. slide 325 / 14, O. Bidzilya (= 1543, DJLA )). 32. T. objecta, Kenya, Tschinkolobwe (gen. slide 103 / 18, O. Bidzilya).