Opogona incorrectella VIETTE, 1957

Bippus, Maik, 2016, New or poorly known Microlepidoptera from the Mascarenes (Lepidoptera: Autostichidae, Bedellidae, Batrachedridae, Carposinidae, Epermeniidae, Gelechiidae, Tineidae, Tortricidae), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 66 (2), pp. 347-370 : 351-367

Opogona incorrectella VIETTE, 1957

Description: Wingspan: 7–8 mm; forewings are dark blackish-violet with a silvery iridescent-metallic transverse line near middle and two similar marks in the apical third. A small silvery area at base. Adult (plate 9, figs 39–40); female and male genitalia (plate 9: figs 41–42b).

I could collect numberous specimens in La Réunion, La Possession , alt. 400 m on: 15-x-2014 (four specimens) , 26-x-2014, 06-xi-2014 (female, slide RE-1369), 11-xi-2014 (three specimens), 29-xi-2014, 17-xii-2014, 09-i-2015, 26-xi-201514- xii-2015, 29-i-2016, 16-ii-2016, 07-vii-2016, 04-viii-2016 and 30-ix-2016 and two specimens in Mauritius, Blackriver , alt. 20m, 20°22'5"S / 57°22'47"E on 08-vi-2016 .

J. Rochat had observed this species at Bois Court ( Réunion), 21°11'44"S / 55°31'50"E (alt. 1390 m) on 17-xii-2006, Grande Chaloupe ( CD41 ) on 19-v-2009, Piton Montvert on 17-x-2011 and Trois Bassins on 07-x-2016 (pers. comm., 2016) .

Fig. 8: Idioglossa bigemma , after WALSINGHAM, 1881 (10 mm).

Fig 9: Idioglossa bigemma mascarena sspec. nov. 9a: male genitalia; 9 b: aedeagus.

BIPPUS, M.: NeW OR POORly kNOWN MICROlePIDOPteRA fROM the MASCAReNeS

Figs 31–33: Erechtias zebrina (BUTLER, 1881) . 31: adult; 32: adult; 33a: aedeagus; 33b: male genitalia.

40a

40b

Figs 43–45: Protaphreutis borboniella ( BOISDUVAL, 1833) . 43: adult, male, ex-larvae; 44: larvae; 45: adult.

56

71

Figs 70–72: Lobesia vanillana . 70: adult; 71: adult; 72: caterpillar feeding on mildew. Fig. 73: Crocidosema lantana , in situ.

Figs 74-75: Bedellia somnulatella .

Hostplant: One specimen was bred from inflorescence of Pithecellobium dulce (ROXB.) BENTH (Fabaceae) on 30-ix-2016.

Distribution: La Réunion (type locality) and new record for Mauritius.

Remarks: From the description of Opogona iridogramma MEYRICK, 1924 from Rodrigues island I learnt that the description of that species matches perfectly also to Opogona incorrectella VIETTE, 1957 .

This species was described by MEYRICK (1924) after a female with a wingspan of 7mm as follows:

“Head and throax dark violet-fuscous, face and fillet pale shining ochreous. Forewings lanceolate; dark purple-bluefuscous; slender straight transverse pale iridescent-metallic line before middle, a similar transverse mark from costa at 2/3, a dot on costa before apex, and one on tornus: cilia dark fuscous. Hindwing and cilia rather dark bronzyfuscous. Fore-wings beneath strongly iridescent.”

No image of Opogona iridogramma was published and the type was not available. Further studies will be necessary to clarify, whether these two taxa are synonyms.