Cameraria torridella De Prins 2012, new species
Creators: name: Prins, Jurate De
name: Kawahara, Akito Y.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Gracillariidae
Cameraria
Cameraria torridella

description: 12. Cameraria torridella De Prins, new species
(Figs 15, 37, 167–169, 303, 304, 366)
Diagnosis. Cameraria torridella resembles Phyllonorycter loxozona which also feeds on Dombeya spp. White vertex, curved second fascia, horizontal stripe of black scales between second fascia and apex differentiate this species externally from other lithocolletine species feeding on Dombeya spp. Compared to P. loxozona, the male genitalia of C. torridella are diagnostic in having much shorter, broader valva with rounded cuculli, H-shaped transtilla, sclerotized anellus, tegumen with a small protruding tuba analis and rather long saccus. Female genitalia of C. torridella with conus shaped sterigma located at median sector of segment VII. This character conspicuously differentiates C. torridella from P. loxozona, The anterior apophyses of C. torridella are ca. 2× longer than those in P. loxozona.
Holotype: ♂, [1] ‘ Kenya Rift Valley Prov.[ince] / Turi, 8000 ft / 2.xii.1998 / [leg.] D. J. L. Agassiz’; [2] ‘Gen. Prep. 3489♂ / De Prins’; [3] ‘MRAC/KMMA / 00287’, specimen ID: [4] ‘ RMCA ENT 000003121 ’, [5] ‘Holotype ♂ / Cameraria / torridella / De Prins, 2012 ’, in RMCA.
Paratypes: 5♂, 3♀ (including 5♂ and 2♀ genitalia preparations), 4 specimens (from which 2 specimens miss their abdomens). Kenya: 4♂, Rift Valley Prov.[ince], Turi, 8000 ft, l.[arva] Dombeya torrida, em.[erge] from 29.x.1998 to 07.xi.1998, leg. D. J. L. Agassiz, specimens IDs: RMCA ENT 000003122–000003124, gen. prep. De Prins 3488♂ (MRAC/KMMA 00288), 3491♂ (MRAC/KMMA 00289), 3495♂ (MRAC/KMMA 00290), 3767♂ (MRAC/KMMA 00491), wing venation prep. 3766♂ (MRAC/KMMA 00490), head prep. 3785♂ (MRAC/KMMA 00526), in RMCA, from which 1♂ in BMNH. 1♂, Rift Valley Prov.[ince], Turi, 8000 ft, 2.iii.2000, leg. D. J. L. Agassiz, gen. prep. De Prins 3496♂ (MRAC/KMMA 00379), specimen ID: RMCA ENT 000003270, in RMCA, DNA voucher in INRA. 2♀, Rift Valley Prov.[ince], Turi, 8000 ft, l.[arva] Dombeya torrida, em.[erge] 29.x.1998 and 03.xi.1998, leg. D. J. L. Agassiz. Specimen IDs: RMCA ENT 000003126—000003127, gen. prep. De Prins 3492♀ (MRAC/KMMA 00291), 3768♀ (MRAC/KMMA 00492), in RMCA. 1♀, Rift Valley Prov.[ince], Turi, 8000 ft, l.[arva] Dombeya torrida, em.[erge] 26.x.1998, leg. D. J. L. Agassiz, in BMNH. 2 specimens, same data, in NMK. 2 specimens, missing abdomens, Rift Valley Prov.[ince], Turi, 8000 ft, l.[arva] Dombeya torrida, em.[erge] 01.xi.1998 and 03.xi.1998, leg. D. J. L. Agassiz, specimen IDs: RMCA ENT 000003128–000003129, in RMCA.
Description. Adult (Fig. 37). Forewing length: 3.0–3.6 mm.
Head: Vertex tufted with white piliform scales intermixed with ochreous brown, more abundant on anterior margin of occiput; frons smooth, shiny white covered with long narrow appressed scales. Labial palpus1.5 longer than eye, light shiny ochreous dorsally and fuscous laterally from outside, directed downwards and apically pointed. Maxillary palpus very small almost imperceptible, light ochreous, proboscis rather long, curved, light beige with golden shine. Antenna slightly shorter than forewing, consisting of 43–44 flegellomeres, lightly ringed, smooth, first three flagellomeres dirty white, remaining flagellomeres gradually darkened attaining dirty white basal halves and shading ochreous-fuscous apical halves covered with ciliate tiny scales; last three flagellomeres grey; pedicel dirty white anteriorly and light fuscous-ochreous posteriorly; scape white anteriorly with white blacktipped scales, and shiny bright ochreous posteriorly, pecten white with ochreous bases, slightly shorter than half of eye.
Thorax. White anteriorly, ochreous posteriorly with white patch at caudal sector; tegulae ochreous anteriorly and white at 1/3 posterior sector. Forewing elongate, ground colour shiny ochreous with white markings consisting of basal streak, two fascia, two costal and one dorsal strigulae; basal streak short, 1/9 of forewing, slender, running parallel to costa and reaching first fascia, not edged; a narrow line of dark brown scales runs along costa starting from base of forewing and ending at first fascia; first fascia at 1/5, irregular shaped and curved distally at subcostal sector, edged with two rows of black scales apically; second fascia at 1/3 parallel to first facia, running parallel to first fascia, edged with two rows of black scales apically, and a few single scales near dorsum and costa basally, first costal strigula at 3/5 blunt triangular, not reaching midline of forewing, edged on both sides with one row of black scales, first dorsal strigula opposite first costal strigula, but larger, extending slightly beyond middle of forewing (in one paratype smaller than first costal strigula), irregular triangular shaped, in holotype constricted, in two paratypes joint with costal strigula, edged on both sides with one row of black scales; second costal strigula almost at apex, comma or irregular patch shape, not strictly edged, but many black scales are scattered around second costal strigula; broad irregular horizontal line of dispersed black scales subcostally make bridge from second fascia towards intersector between first dorsal and first costal strigulae; an irroration of black scales extends to termen of forewing; apical streak of black scales runs from tips of costal and dorsal strigulae and extends running along outer margin of forewing; fringe dirty white with golden shine, very short at apex, longer at termen and as long as width of forewing at tornus and dorsum. Hindwing light fuscous with long light ochreous shiny fringe. Fore femur dark fuscous dorsally and dirty white ventrally, fore tibia dark fuscous with dirty white apical patch in male and fuscous in females, fore tarsomere I light grey basally with dark fuscus apical sector in in both sexes, tarsomere II light shiny silver grey with dark fuscous basal ring in males and light ochreous in females, with dark ochreous apical sector in both sexes, tarsomere III dark ochreous, tarsomere IV light grey with light ochreous apical half in both sexes, tarsomere V white in both sexes; mid-femur dirty white, mid-tibia white with three elongate patches of light fuscous scales, first at 1/3, second at ½, and third at apical region, tarsomere I dirty white with dark fuscous apical half, tarsomere II white with dark fuscous apical ring, tarsomere III dark fuscous, terminal tarsomeres white, apical spurs white with ochreous patch at base; hind femur white with light fuscous irregular patch at 1/2, hind tibia light fuscous, with oppressed shiny light golden fuscous hairs, hind tarsomere I with fuscous subapical ring in males and light ochreous subbasal and subapical patches in females, tarsomeres II–V white with light golden shine, medial spurs dark fuscous with whites bases and apices, apical spurs white with a few light ochreous scales at 1/2.
Abdomen. Segments I–III light fuscous dorsally and golden ochreous ventrally in males, fuscous dorsally and golden ochreous ventrally in females, segments IV–VII dark fuscous dorsally and dirty white ventrally in males, fuscous ventrally and golden ochreous in females, caudal segments grey dorsally and golden ochreous ventrally in both sexes. Segment VIII in males twice long as broad, gently tapering and rounded caudally, covered with long setae more dense at lateral margins, caudal surface rough edged.
Male genitalia (Figs 167–169). Tegumen rather long, almost as long as valva, truncate posteriorly with tiny truncate tuba analis; light setose subapically (visible at 400×) covered with sparse longer setae and numerous short microtrichiae. Valvae symmetrical, slightly longer than sternum VIII, ca. 350 µm, narrow at base to 1/2, broaden from median surface to almost round distally; ventral valval margin with a transparent unsclerotized transitional lobe at 1/2; basal half of ventral surface of valva without setae, but distal half of ventral surface dense setose. Setae becoming shorter and thicker towards apex and along ventral distal margin of valva. Vinculum narrow laterally, significantly broader rounded at base of saccus, strongly sclerotized especially ventrad saccus; saccus slender, ca. 1/2 length of valva, blunt caudally; transtilla H-shaped, of moderate width, about 1/3 of aedoeagus, with two lateral posterior processes ca. half as long as central part of transtilla, annellus sclerotized with developed fultura. Aedoeagus slightly longer than valva, rather thick, gently tapering from coecum towards vesica; vesica with elongate strongly sclerotized rod like cornuti at about 1/3 of total length of aedoaegus (visible at 100×).
Female genitalia (Figs 303, 304). Papillae anales connected dorsally, flattened, lightly sclerotized, rounded posteriorly, covered with sparse long setae, ca. 60 µm in length, basal bar inperceptible; a slender, needle-like, weakly sclerotized projection ca. 140 µm extending from bases of anterior apophyses, reaching posterior 1/3 section of segment VIII. Posterior apophyses slightly longer than segment VIII, ca. 0.50 mm long, reaching posterior sector of segment VII, slender and narrow with gently pointed apices. Segment VIII weakly sclerotized and well connected to segment VII. Anterior apophyses ca 0.45 mm in length, reaching subanterior portion of segment VII, slender, gently pointed. Posterior margin of segment VII weakly sclerotized, without bar, tuberculate. Ostium bursae located at 1/2 of segment VII, with markedly expressed conus-shaped sterigma, ductus bursae ca. 1.5× length of segment VII, ca. 0.70 mm long, narrow, antrum narrow, melanized, followed by narrow, gradually broadening section with smoothly sclerotized wall. Corpus bursae subcircular, small, ca. 0.20 mm in diameter, ca. 0.28 mm long, bearing two sclerotized sections: one with rough sclerotizations, other a smooth ellipsoidal plate with a long (ca. 90 µm), distinctly sclerotized, rod-like signum crossing centre of elipsoidal plate.
Variation. Slight variation was observed in the costal and dorsal strigulae: the first costal and first dorsal strigulae may be joined or separate. Irroration of black scales at the termen and dorsum of the forewing varies in intensity. The background of the vertex is white, but the amount of infused ochreous piliform scales varies slightly, resulting in slightly different colours of the tufted vertex.
Etymology. The name of this species is derived from the specific name of the host plant torrida coupled with the diminutive Latin suffix –ella in feminine gender.
Habitat. The moths have been found at 2200–2500 m, where green vegetation is present for 10 months of the year (D. Agassiz pers. comm.).
Host plant(s). Malvaceae: Dombeya torrida (J.F. Gmel.) Bamps.
Mine. Underside, tentiform mine (D. Agassiz pers. comm.).
Flight period. Adults fly in early March and from late October to early December.
Gene Bank accession number. AF477550 (Lopez-Vaamonde et al. 2003: 1818 as P. loxozana [sic], which is a misidentification of C. torridella).
Distribution. (Fig. 366). Recorded only from one locality in the Rift Valley in Kenya.
description: Published as part of Prins, Jurate De & Kawahara, Akito Y., 2012, Systematics, revisionary taxonomy, and biodiversity of Afrotropical Lithocolletinae (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), pp. 1-283 in Zootaxa 3594 (1) on pages 54-56, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3594.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/6052126