Coleophora incomparabilis Baldizzone 2021, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Baldizzone, Giorgio
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Coleophoridae
Coleophora
Coleophora incomparabilis

description: Coleophora incomparabilis, sp. nov.
(Figs. 8, 44–50)
Holotype ♂ (GP Bldz 17152) “RSA, West Cape | Cederberg Mts. | Algeria | 18-22.X.2007 | leg. W. Mey ”; “Jamaka 3 | Automat. Falle”, [S 32°20.242’ E 19°01.473, 510 m], coll. MfN.
Paratype ♀ (GP Bldz 17153), idem, coll. MfN.
Diagnosis. Medium-large species, with brown anterior wing white streaked. The male genitalia do not resemble those of any other Afrotropical species due to the tegumen very narrow in the middle, the strongly curved sacculus, the shape of the phallotheca with one of the two juxta rods surmounted by a triangular expansion. The female genitalia resemble those of C. aarviki Baldizzone & van der Wolf, 2011 and of C. namaqua Baldizzone & van der Wolf, 2015, species with brown forewing and white costal streak. The differences are evident, particularly in the shape of the colliculum of C. incomparabilis which is not strongly sclerotized as in the other species, but transparent, finely denticulate, with a more compact area at the apex of the medial line; another obvious difference is the large corpus bursae and the anchor-like signum.
Description. Wingspan 15–16 mm. Head white. Antenna: scape white, with tuft of erect scales white on outer side, ochre on inner side; flagellum white. Labial palpus pure white, third article half as long as second. Proboscis normal shaped. Thorax white, light ochre suffused in middle. Tegula white. Forewing hazelnut colour between costal edge and medial streak, light ochre in dorsal half; large pure white strike along costa, a long white medial streak which starts 1/3 from base of wing along lower edge of cell to apex of apical cilia; a shorter white streak present in anal fold, from base of wing and not reaching dorsal edge; costal cilia white, ochre at apex, white in middle at end of medial strike, light brown dorsal cilia. Hindwing brown, cilia light brown. Abdomen brown.
Abdominal structures (Figs. 47, 50): No posterior lateral struts. Transverse strut little sclerotized on proximal edge, well sclerotized on curved distal edge. Tergal disks (3rd tergite) length about twice their width, covered with about 55 spines.
Male genitalia (Figs. 44–46): Gnathos knob globular. Tegumen constricted in middle, pedunculus short and dilated. Transtilla short, curved and pointed at apex. Valvula suboval more sclerotized on dorsal and external edge. Cucullus rather short slightly constricted at base. Sacculus with external edge curved and strong sclerotized. Phallotheca big, with two asymmetrical juxta rods more sclerotized in distal half, one of which is dorsally expanded in subtriangular form and with a blunt tip. Cornuti six of different lengths, curved, similar to pine needles gathered in a bundle.
Female genitalia (Figs. 48–49): Papillae anales oval. Apophyses posteriores about twice as long as the anteriores. Sterigma trapezoidal with distal edge slightly hollowed by sinus vaginalis. Ostium bursae broad, oval. Colliculum large, cup-shaped more sclerotized in central part at end of medial line, narrow in proximal part. Ductus bursae long, with large convolution in middle; medial line extended along entire length of distal section of ductus, inner wall covered with small spines, proximal section transparent, smooth. Corpus bursae large, spherical, with anchor-shaped signum.
Bionomy. The early stages and the foodplant are unknown.
Distribution. RSA (prov. Western Cape).
Etymology. From Latin incomparabilis [- e] = incomparable. In consideration of the habitus of the adult and the structure of the male genitalia.
description: Published as part of Baldizzone, Giorgio, 2021, On the taxonomy of Afrotropical Coleophoridae (VI). New species of the genus Coleophora Hübner, 1822 from South Africa (Lepidoptera, Coleophoridae), pp. 167-205 in Zootaxa 5071 (2) on pages 181-185, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5071.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5723470