Xyrosaris secreta Meyrick, 1912

Agassiz, David J. L., 2019, The Yponomeutidae of the Afrotropical region (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutoidea), Zootaxa 4600 (1), pp. 1-69 : 34

40. Xyrosaris secreta Meyrick, 1912

Xyrosaris secreta Meyrick, 1912: 67

Type locality: Republic of South Africa: Kwazulu Natal , Mfongosi .

Description of adult ( Plate 6 ). Wingspan 13–17 mm. Head brownish white, labial palpus segment 3 with a tuft of whitish scales, segment 2 paler brown; scape brownish white, flagellum annulate brown and whitish. Thorax and tegula brownish white with some darker scaling. Forewing pale brown with a suffusion of whitish and fuscous scales, sometimes a blackish spot near base, below costa at ⅓, and ⅔ and in apex, but often these markings are obsolete. Hindwing grey.

Male genitalia ( Plate 16 ). Socius slender with a small spine at the tip, uncus tapered to apex; valva gently rounded, spines along dorsum, sacculus distinct, saccus slender. Aedeagus weakly sclerotised, twice length of valva, a pair of weak cornuti for about ¼ of its length.

Female genitalia ( Plate 26 ). Lamella postvaginalis lobes very close together, ostium without sclerotisation, antrum short and straight, ductus bursae long with scobinate band along its length, corpus bursae ovoid, a large signum with symmetrical spines and a spatulate projection at the posterior end which is almost at right angles to the remainder of the signum.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from othe species by the dark spot on dorsum just before ½ which is preceded by a white marking.

Biology. The species has been reared from fruits of Olea europaea cuspidata and Gynosporia senegalensis , adults recorded in every month except April, May and August.

Distribution. Kenya, Rift Valley and Central provinces above 2000 m, Republic of South Africa and Madagascar.

Type material. Holotype SAMC.

Other material examined: KENYA: Rift Valley, Turi 8500 ft. 13.xii.1998, 12.ii.1999, 4.iii.1999, 9.iii.1999 (3), 10.iii.1999, 13.iii.1999, 17.iii.1999, 25.iii.1999, 13.vi.1999, 14.vi.1999, 25.vi.1999, 28.vi.1999, 1.ix.1999, 29.ii.2000, 9.iii.2000, 11.iii.2000, 7.vii.2000, 10.vii.2000; Rift Valley , Molo 8600 ft, 27.iii.1999, Rift Valley , Kaptagat 7000 ft 15.i.2000;[ KENYA] Escarpment 7500–8500 ft | Kikuyu BEA| E. Africa ix–x.1900| Doherty ( NHMUK) ; REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA: East Cape, Sneeuberg, Asante Sana 1 ♂ 1 ♀ 2–6.ix.2011, 1 ♂ 3 ♀ 22–26.i.2012, 1 ♀ 24.i.2012 Waterkloof, 5 ♀ 5–14.xi.2012, 3 ♂ 6 ♀ 28.ii–5.iii.2014 ( MfN) .

Figures

PLATE 6. The codes X1 to X6 refer to presently undescribed species, and are used to identify the specimens, and are also used in the museums where they are deposited.

PLATE 16.

PLATE 26.