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

description: Coleophora intricata Baldizzone, sp. nov.
(Figs. 15, 77–83)
Holotype ♂ (GP Bldz 17132) “ RSA, 50 km NE Bitterfontein | Drai-Hoek, 25.XI.2008 | leg. Ebert, Kühne & W. Mey, LF”, [30°42’S 18°25’E], in coll. MfN.
Paratype ♀ (GP Bldz 17131), idem, coll. MfN.
Diagnosis. Small-sized species with a white overall appearance and forewing scattered with brown scales. The genitalia resemble those of C. meyi Baldizzone & van der Wolf, 2004, a small Namibian species with striated forewing. In male genitalia the main differences concern the shape of the sacculus, which in C. meyi has a small triangular expansion at the ventral angle and an elongate, sharp triangular dorsal tip at the dorsal angle, whereas C. intricata has a long, horn-like protuberance. The phallotheca of C. meyi differs mainly in the shape of the apical expansion of the larger juxta rod. The cornuti are numerous, gathered in a curved and long braid, whereas in C. intricata there is a single awl-like cornutus. In female genitalia, C. meyi has a narrower sterigma, the colliculum is more robust and much more sclerotized, and the spinulate part of the ductus bursae is much shorter and wider in comparison with C. intricata.
Description. Wingspan 9 mm. Head white. Antenna: scape white, with tuft of short erect scales; flagellum white and brown ringed. Labial palpus, white, almost completely suffused brown on outer side, lighter suffused on inner side; third article as long as second. Proboscis short, normal shaped. Thorax an tegula white. Forewing white, scattered of brown scales, more concentrated under costal edge and at apex; cilia light grey. Hindwing and cilia light grey. Abdomen dirty white.
Abdominal structures (Figs. 80, 83): No posterior lateral strut. Transverse strut slender, thin and regular proximal edge, in female distal edge with small expansion in middle. Tergal disks (3 rd tergite) length about 5 times their width, covered with about 22 small conical spines.
Male genitalia (Figs. 77–79): Gnathos knob globular. Tegumen slender, medially constricted, pedunculus slightly dilated on outer side. Transtilla short, dilated in oval shape in distal part. Valvula rather small, subtrapezoidal with a fold on external edge. Cucullus robust, slightly larger in middle part. Sacculus rounded ventrally, dorsal angle with long, curved, horn-shaped protuberance with triangular expansion at base on internal side and small subapical tooth. Phallotheca with two very different juxta rods: bigger and longer rod well sclerotized, with upcurved distal half, apex with complex recurved flange itself bearing smaller dorsal protrusion; other rod shorter, thinner and pointed, less sclerotized in median part. One long, sturdy cornutus, slightly curved and pointed, with wide base
Female genitalia (Figs. 81–82): Papillae anales elongate oval. Apophyses posteriores twice as long as anteriores. Sterigma about twice as wide as high, slightly curved distal edge with thin and long setae, deeply hollowed by sinus vaginalis. Ostium bursae broad, oval. Colliculum cup-shaped, slightly narrower in distal part, wider and asymmetrical proximally and more expanded on one side, transition into ductus bursae very oblique. Ductus bursae internally covered with small spines in distal half, medial section around ductus seminalis unspined, curved, wider, ampulla-shaped, proximal section thinner and more transparent, very finely spinulate. Corpus bursae oval with leafshaped signum.
Bionomy. The early stages and the foodplant are unknown.
Distribution. RSA (prov. Northern Cape).
Etymology. From Latin intricatus [-a, -um] = intricate. Due to the shape of the phallotheca.
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 196-197, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5071.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5723470