Conogethes sahyadriensis, Shashank & Kammar & Mally & Chakravarthy, 2018

Shashank, P. R., Kammar, Vasudev, Mally, Richard & Chakravarthy, A. K., 2018, A new Indian species of shoot and capsule borer of the genus Conogethes (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), feeding on cardamom, Zootaxa 4374 (2), pp. 215-234 : 217-221

Conogethes sahyadriensis sp. nov.

( Figs 1–2 , 6, 9 , 12, 15 , 17, 19, 21 , 23 )

Diagnosis. Conogethes sahyadriensis and C. pluto are identical in the colouration of the labial palps ( Figs 6–7 ), in the presence of two dark spots on the dorsal metathorax ( Figs 9–10 ), and in the wing maculation ( Figs 1–3 ), and cannot be distinguished based on these characters. The two species can be distinguished by the male genitalia: the dorsal tegumen roof has a more pronounced bulge in C. pluto ( Fig. 13 ); the clasper base of C. pluto is broader, with a trapezoid shape ( Fig. 13 ), whereas the clasper of C. sahyadriensis has a narrower, rectangular base ( Fig. 12 ); the valva sides towards the apex form a blunt right angle in C. sahyadriensis , whereas in C. pluto the valva apex is evenly arched. Conogethes evaxalis (Walker, 1859) has a broad brown band across the labial palps like C. sahyadriensis , but the metathorax has three dark spots dorsally, the distal tarsus of the male hindlegs comprises a distinct tuft of dark hairs, the hindwing has a large dark spot in the anal area, in the male genitalia the transtilla are enlarged and strongly sclerotised and the phallus has a short sclerotised section instead of a needle-shaped cornutus, and in the female genitalia the antrum is larger and the central ductus bursae is sclerotised. Conogethes sahyadriensis is distinguished from the sympatric C. punctiferalis ( Figs 4–5 , 8, 11 , 14, 16 , 18, 20, 22–23 ) by: second segment of labial palp always broadly tinted with black fuscous ( Fig.6 ); metathorax dorsally with two spots of black scales ( Fig.9 ) instead of three ( Fig. 11 ); hair-pencils with slender phylliform hair scales (sensu Kimura et al. 2002) (broad ovate in C. punctiferalis ); clasper with broad, rectangular base and abruptly narrowed tip, clasper oriented ventrad ( Fig. 12 ), whereas the slim clasper of C. punctiferalis points anteroventrad ( Fig. 14 ); phallus shorter and not strongly curved at the base ( Fig. 12 ); ductus bursae shorter, corpus bursae irregular ovate, smaller in size ( Fig. 15 ). The two species do not differ in morphology and chaetotaxy of the larva and the pupa, but scanning electron microscopic studies reveal differences in surface sculpturing of the chorion, with C. sahyadriensis eggs exhibiting a network of threads resembling a fishing net ( Figs 17, 19, 21 ), while the network on the egg surface of C. punctiferalis is irregular, and the surface is rather smooth ( Figs 18, 20, 22 ). Conogethes sahyadriensis is distinguished from C. parvipunctalis by the larger wing size, the larger discocellular black spots on the hind wing and in the female genitalia by the longer ovipositor, anterior apophyses, and eighth abdominal segment. Conogethes sahyadriensis is distinguished from C. pinicolalis by the pale-yellow apex on the ventral side of the forewing, which is tinted brown in C. pinicolalis , sometimes also with the area between postmedial and submarginal series tinted brown, and by the absence of a large tuft of fuscous scales on the male hindlegs distal tibia and first tarsus segment. The DNA barcode of C. sahyadriensis is not shared with other species ( Fig. 23 ), and it differs in the p—distance in average by 5.56–6.00% from its nearest neighbour C. pluto and by 6.00–6.89% from C. punctiferalis ; the lowest p—distance is to C. semifascialis (Walker, 1866) clade 1 with 5.11–6.00% (see also Supplementary Table 1).

Description. Head. Male and female colouration similar. Frons pale yellowish, vertex with dense whitish yellow scales. Antenna filiform, brownish, covered with pale yellowish scales and between each flagellomere with short cilia. Labial palp yellowish, three-segmented, upturned, second segment outside always broadly tinted with black fuscous ( Fig. 6 ). Maxillary palp short, filiform. Basal scaling of proboscis black fuscous.

Thorax. Patagium with black spot on either side. Tegula pale yellowish. Prothorax dorsum pale yellowish, with two black spots anterolaterally. Mesothorax dorsum with two black spots dorsolaterally. Mesoscutum strawyellow with large round black spot dorsally. Metathorax dorsum with two spots dorsolaterally ( Fig. 9 ). Legs yellowish-white, with few scattered dark scales; foreleg femur, tibia and proximal tarsus as well as midleg central tibia homogenous dark brown; mid- and hind-tibiae sometimes with tarsus blackish, dusted with yellowish white outwardly.

Wings ( Figs 1–2 ). Wing span male 25.66± 1.22 mm (Mean±SD; n=10), female 27.55± 1.87 mm (Mean±SD; n=10). Male with one frenulum bristle, female with two fused frenulum bristles with the apex ending in two thin free tips. Forewings ground colour light yellow to orange yellow, ventral side paler. Costal margin with black and yellow scales, apical to anal margin with pale yellow fringed scales. Five black spots at the base of forewing: one at central wing base, two close to each other on the costa, one below proximal discal cell, and another spot on the inner wing margin. Discal cell with central black spot and with black transverse dash on discocellular vein. Series of antemedial, medial, postmedial and submarginal black spots present. Antemedial series consists of three black spots situated outwardly oblique from costa to inner margin. Medial series with four black spots arising from posterior angle of cell, leading obliquely inward toward inner margin. Postmedial series with twelve spots, of which four form an convex curve between costa and M1, almost forming a continuous band, the other eight spots arranged between vein M1 and inner margin in two rows of four spots each, the inner, straight row running obliquely towards inner wing margin, the outer row forming a convex curve towards inner margin. Submarginal series with six spots which are moderately excurved between R4 and CuA2, with the third spot from the apex being significantly displaced inward between vein M1 and M2, paralleling the outer series of spots of the postmedial series. Hind wings paler than forewings. Discocellular with large black spot. Antemedial series consists of three almost coalesced spots, placed between CuA2 and 2A. Postmedial series with eight spots present between vein Rs and 1A, with the spots between M1 and M2, and CuA1 and CuA2 displaced inward. A submarginal series of six roundish spots placed between vein Rs to CuA2, of which the spot placed between M1 and M2 is displaced inward.

Ventral side of forewings with costa tinted dark brown from base to subapex; proximal half of cell tinted brown, with subcentral spot and central dash much broader than on dorsal forewing side; postmedial and submarginal series as on the dorsal forewing side, but with the spots of the postmedial series enlarged except for the four outer row spots between M1 and inner margin. Ventral side of hindwings with spots as on dorsal side, but postmedial series with spots more clearly.

Abdomen. Abdomen orange yellow dorsally, whitish yellow ventrally. First abdominal tergite whitish yellow, without any black spots. Second to fifth tergites with three black spots, one on dorsal and other the two dorsolateral. Sixth tergite with one dorsal black spot. No black spots ventrally. Male anal tuft faded black,with sparse hairs.

Male genitalia ( Figs 12 ). Anterior margin of the tegumen completely sclerotized and lateral arms narrow. Uncus narrow, slender, ventrally curved, apical third swollen, dorsally densely covered with bifurcate setae, apically sparsely with simple setae, apex with two sclerotized processes, their ventral side bearing simple setae, their dorsal side protruded into thin, broadly ovate lobes. Gnathos formed by a broad, strongly sclerotized band, mesally fused with the subscaphium. Transtillum arms somewhat elongate, mesally connected with each other via a short dorsal and a long ventral process protruding from the transtillum apex. Saccus of vinculum U-shaped with conically pointed apex. Anterior connection of tegumen and vinculum with a round sclerite densely studded with hairs, forming a corema; outer margin of coremata hair pencil formed by simple long, lanceolate hairs and a few broad, flat hairs, centre of coremata with thin brown, easily removable, felting hairs. Juxta narrow elongate, tapering dorsad. Valve broad ovate, margins and inner surface sparsely covered with long setae, distally of clasper forming a dense field. Costa broad tubular, convex, dorsal costa base forming a straight elongate, ventrally directed rod whose apex serves as the dorsal joint of the valve with the vinculum (the ventral joint is formed by the sacculus base). Sacculus elongate triangular, distal half with a protruding ridge along valva margin; a small hook-shaped process near clasper curving dorsad; distal sacculus sclerotisation broadened and fused with the sclerotized areas leading from the costa and the medial valve sclerotisation from which the clasper emerges. Clasper short, sclerotized, decurved with blunt tip, overlapping with the hook-shaped process of the distal sacculus, clasper emerges from a broad triangular base which ispart of an elongate sclerotisation on the central inner valve, parallel to the sacculus. Phallus long, slender and strongly curved near anterior end; phallus apodeme membranous apart from a narrow, sclerotized band along ventral side; vesica with a thin, needle-shaped cornutus of almost the length of the phallus, and with fine denticulate granulation. Hair-pencil situated on each side of the genital, attached anterior at the joint of tegumen and vinculum, different hair scale types present (see Kimura et al. 2002), with the outer, phylliform hair scales slender and spatulate.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 15 ). Ovipositor triangular, covered with long and short setae. Apophyses anteriores about as long as, but somewhat thicker than A. posteriores. Ostium narrow, funnel-shaped, membranous, somewhat granulose at transition onto antrum. Antrum tubular, sclerotized, almost twice as long as broad, dorsal side with broad longitudinal non-sclerotised gap. Ductus bursae long, narrow, in anterior part with granulose sclerotisations; ductus seminalis emerges anterior the antrum. Corpus bursae usually ovate, irregular in shape, about half the length of the ductus bursae,with membranous appendix bursae attached laterally. Signum absent, but posterior half of corpus bursae lightly granulose.

Immature stages. The immature stages are described in detail in Shashank (2012) as C. punctiferalis feeding on cardamom. Eggs. Eggs whitish, flattened and measuring 0.86± 0.006 mm and 0.81± 0.007 mm in length, and 0.47± 0.005 mm and 0.44± 0.008 mm in width in cohort one and two, respectively. Scanning electron microscopic studies reveal differences in the surface sculpturing on the chorion, appearing like a network of threads and resembling a fishing net ( Figs 17–22 ). Larvae. Larvae eruciform, polypod, pinkish white, 25.01± 0.155mm in length and 4.12± 0.02 mm in width. Head light brown. Body wall transparent, studded with dark grey tubercles and long setae arising from pinacula. Pupae. Pupae light brown, obtect type. Male pupae are 15.66± 0.20 mm long and 2.84± 0.05 mm broad, female pupae are 16.91± 0.22 mm long and 79± 0.02 mm broad (n=30). Head in both investigated pupae represented by vertex and frontoclypeus, with compound eyes prominent. Antennae arise from the dorsal margin of the compound eyes and proceed ventrally to the tip of wing pad. Labial palpi prominent on either side of the mid-ventral line. All three thoracic segments dorsally clear, ventrally concealed by the appendages. Dorsally ten and ventrally six abdominal segments are evident.

Distribution. Southwest India (Karnataka, Kerala), Sri Lanka.

Material studied. Type material: Holotype ♂, INDIA, Chikmagalur, Mudigere , 12°25'11"N, 75°43'48", 980 m, 18.vii.2011, cardamom, Shashank, P.R.; Paratypes (21 specimens): 1♂, 1♀ same data as holotype, 1♂ (same locality as Holotype), 13.x.2010, cardamom, Shashank, P.R., 1♂ (same locality as Holotype), 12.x.2010, cardamom, Shashank, P.R., 3♂ (same locality as Holotype), 25.x.2015, cardamom, Vasudev K., 2♂, 1♀ (same locality as Holotype), 25.x.2015, cardamom, Kumar, K.P., 7♂, 4♀ (same locality as Holotype), 11.xi.2016, cardamom, Kumar, K.P.; all type specimens are deposited in NPC. Additional material: 1♂, 1♀, CEYLON [ Sri Lanka], Kandy District, Kandy, 2100 ft, Udawattakele Sanctuary, 10–23.i.1970, Davis & Rowe, genitalia slides USNM 114050, RM1139 (USNM), 1♀, CEYLON [ Sri Lanka], Kandy District, Kandy, 28.ii.1971, Piyadasa & Somapala, genitalia slide USNM 114051 (USNM), 1♂, CEYLON [ Sri Lanka] Kandy District, Peredeniya, 2300 ft, Upper Hantane Hill, 12–16.i.1970, Davis & Rowe, genitalia slide RM1138 (USNM).

Etymology. This species is named after the Sanskrit word ' sahyadri', meaning "The Benevolent Mountains" which is another name for the western Ghats, the type locality of this species.

Biology. Conogethes sahyadriensis undergoes five larval instars and completes its life cycle in around 39 days. The detailed biology of C. sahyadriensis is given in Doddabasappa et al. (2014) under C. punctiferalis feeding on cardamom.

Phylogenetic analysis. The best-fitting model for the sequence data was the GTR+G+I model. The two parallel MrBayes runs had sufficiently converged after 5 Mio. generations. Most effective sampling size (ESS) values were well above 1000, except for pinvar with ESS=509 and alpha with ESS=981, indicating a sufficiently large sampling size from which the marginal likelihood was estimated.

In the Bayesian analysis ( Fig. 23 ), C. sahyadriensis forms a distinct clade, with C. pluto as nearest neighbour. The topology of the tree is as follows: C. tharsalea is found as sister to all other Conogethes species included in the dataset. The latter split into two groups: one comprising C. haemactalis + C. cf. haemactalis which are sister to ( C. evaxalis + Conogethes sp. 2) + Conogethes sp. 3 + Conogethes sp. 4, and the other group comprising C. ersealis + C. diminutiva which are sister to a tritomy of Conogethes sp. 1, the C. punctiferalis — C. semifascialis species complex, and C. pluto + C. sahyadriensis . The C. punctiferalis — C. semifascialis species complex comprises ( C. punctiferalis + C. semifascialis clade 1) + C. cf. semifascialis , and C. cf. punctiferalis + C. semifascialis clade 2.

COI analysis revealed that the percent of interspecific sequence variation, measured as p—distance, is 5.56– 6.00% between C. sahyadriensis and C. pluto , and 6.00–6.89% between C. sahyadriensis and C. punctiferalis . The lowest p—distance of C. sahyadriensis is that to C. semifascialis clade 1 with 5.11–6.00%; the closest p—distance of the C. semifascialis clade 1, however, is to C. punctiferalis with 2.00–3.11%. Supplementary Table 1 summarises the intra- and interspecific p—distances of all sampled species.

Figures

FIGURE 23. BAYESIAN INFERENCE TREE OF COI BARCODE SEQUENCES FOR Conogethes SPECIES, WITH C. sahyadriensis SP. NOV. MARKED IN RED; NAMES BEHIND THE BRACKETS AT THE FAR RIGHT ARE HOST PLANT RECORDS. NUMBERS AT THE BRANCHES REPRESENT POSTERIOR PROBABILITIES (PP) ≥0.90, PP <0.90 ARE OMITTED;THE SCALE REPRESENTS SUBSTITUTIONS PER SITE.

FIGURES 1–5. ADULTS OF Conogethes SPECIES.1–2. C. sahyadriensis SP. NOV., 1, MALE (HOLOTYPE); 2, FEMALE (PARATYPE);3. C. pluto, FEMALE (ABDOMEN TIP MISSING); 4–5. C. punctiferalis, 4, MALE;5, FEMALE.

FIGURES 6–11. EXTERNAL MORPHOLOGY OF ADULT Conogethes SPECIES.6–8, LABIAL PALP,6. C.sahyadriensis SP. NOV.; 7, C. pluto; 8. C. punctiferalis; 9–11. DORSAL VIEW OF METATHORAX, 9. C. sahyadriensis SP. NOV.; 10. C. pluto, ABDOMEN REMOVED; 11, C. punctiferalis.

FIGURES 12–16. GENITALIA OF Conogethes SPECIES. 12–14. MALE GENITALIA; 12, C. sahyadriensis; 13. C. pluto, RIGHT VALVA DETACHED;14.C. punctiferalis; 15–16. FEMALEGENITALIA;15, C.sahyadriensis; 16, C.punctiferalis. SCALEBARS REPRESENT 500 µM.

FIGURES 17–22. EGGS OF Conogethes sahyadriensis (ODD NUMBERS) AND C. punctiferalis (EVEN NUMBERS).17–18, FRESHLY LAID EGG; 19–20.SEM PHOTOGRAPH OF ENTIRE EGG; 21–22.SEM PHOTOGRAPH OF CHORION TEXTURE.