Athrips sisterina
Creators: name: Bidzilya, Oleksiy V.
name: Aarvik, Leif
name: Agassiz, David
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Gelechiidae
Athrips
Athrips sisterina

description: Athrips sisterina (Povolný, 1989)
Material examined. 1 ♁, Kenya, Rift valley, Mpala Res., C 1720 m, 0°17’N, 36°54’E, 15.xi.2009 (D. Agassiz) (gen. slide 1451, O. Bidzilya); 3 ♀, same data as for preceding but 14.xi.2009 (gen. slide 264/23, O. Bidzilya); 1 ♁, Kenya, Rift Valley, Lake Bogoria, 3000 ft, 3.vii.1999 (D. Agassiz) (gen. slide 265/23, O. Bidzilya) (all DA).
Notes. Pseudathrips sisterina was described from a single female from mountains of Saudi Arabia: “Al Dalhan, 2180 m, nr Ash Sharayi, 19/20,9,1980” (Povolný 1989). The holotype and additional specimens of both sexes were examined (Bidzilya 2010), resulting in the transfer of the species to Athrips. The specimens from Kenya match those from Saudia Arabia in all details in the male genitalia, but differ slightly in the shorter lobes of the signum in the female genitalia. Adults from Saudi Arabia have an indistinct pale medial longitudinal strip, but it is not very noticeable compared to whose from Kenya. Below we provide the improved diagnosis and additions to the original description of the species, and illustrate adults and genitalia of both sexes based on specimens from Kenya.
Diagnosis. The species is characteristic in having grey forewing with distinct brown irroration along veins, and pale medial longitudinal strip in cell. Athrips bruneosparsa has somewhat similar forewing with distinct dark veins, but this species lacks the pale medial longitudinal strip in the cell. The weakly curved sacculus in combination with the short lateral vincular process and broad clavate transtilla lobes are characteristic for the male genitalia and unique for Afrotropical Athrips. The female genitalia of A. sisterina are characterized by short apophyses posteriores (twice as long as segment VIII), comparatively broad sternum VIII densely covered with microspines, broad and long ductus bursae and strongly serrated signum. All other species of Athrips have apophyses posteriores at least 3 times as long as segment VIII.
Additions to original description. Adult (Figs 8–10). Wingspan 13.5–15.8 mm. Head, off-white to light pale grey, smooth; vertex with tufts of scales; labial palpus slender, recurved, palpomere 2 grey with wide brown basal and medial belts, inner surface light grey, palpomere 3 grey with two brown rings; antennal scape brown, flagellomeres brown with very narrow grey rings, shortly ciliated underside in male; thorax and tegulae covered with brown scales tipped with grey; forewing brown with light grey irroration along costal margin, veins, and in fold, pale medial longitudinal strip from 1/5–1/4 to 1/2–2/3, cilia light grey; hindwing and cilia grey.
Variation. The light grey suffusion varies considerably from an indistinct narrow line on the costal margin to well-developed irroration along veins and on dorsum.
Male genitalia (Figs 17–19). Uncus subrectangular, elongate, twice as long as broad, densely covered with strong setae in distal part; gnathos long, slender, strongly curved at base, distal 2/3–3/4 straight with pointed tip; tegumen gradually narrowed posteriorly, with distinct posterolateral corners, anteromedial emargination extending to 1/3 length of tegumen; cucullus moderately broad, weakly convex, distal part gently broadened and covered with dense hairs, apex rounded, slightly exceeding tips of uncus setae; sacculus straight to gradually bent, base broadened, then of even width, about 1/4 length and 2/3 width of adjacent part of cucullus, with short pointed tip; vinculum broad, covered posteriorly with short spines, posterior margin with short lateral humps close to base of sacculus, posteromedial emargination subtriangular, deep and broad; transtilla lobes about 2/3 length of sacculus, clavate; saccus short, broadly rounded, 3 times broader than long, posterior margin with shallow medial emargination; phallus tube strongly inflated in basal part, distal part half the width and about as long as basal half, apex elongate, rounded.
Female genitalia (Fig. 23). Papillae anales subtriangular, sparsely covered with short hairs; apophyses posteriores about twice the length of segment VIII; segment VIII subrectangular, slightly broader than long, sternum VIII medially membranous, covered posteriorly with microspines, subostial lobes very large, rounded, moderately projecting anteriorly, densely covered with microspines, strongly edged laterally and posteriorly, lateral honey-comb sclerotized patches small, elongated; apophyses anteriores slightly longer than segment VIII and half the length of apophyses posteriores; ductus bursae long and broad, coiled anteriorly, distal portion with funnel-shaped sclerite; colliculum narrow, ring-shaped; corpus bursae small, rounded; signum plate subrhomboid with distinctly serrate margin, posterior lobe slightly broader than anterior lobe, medial transverse ridge narrow.
Distribution. Saudi Arabia (Povolný 1989), Kenya (new record).
description: Published as part of Bidzilya, Oleksiy V., Aarvik, Leif & Agassiz, David, 2023, New species and new country distribution records of Athrips (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae) from the Afrotropical region, pp. 489-500 in Zootaxa 5343 (5) on pages 497-499, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5343.5.4, http://zenodo.org/record/8346160