Fulcrifera crotalariae Razowski & Brown, 2012, sp. n.
Creators: name: Razowski, Józef
name: Brown, John W.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Tortricidae
Fulcrifera
Fulcrifera crotalariae

description: Fulcrifera crotalariae, sp. n.
Figs. 12, 26, 36
Diagnosis. Fulcrifera crotalariae is superficially most similar to F. aphrospila (see Razowski and Krüger 2007: fig 128) and F. halmyris (see Razowski and Krüger 2007: fig 130), with the forewing markings somewhat longitudinally streaked, and with an ill-defined, oblique, whitish area extending from near mid-dorsum to about the distal end of the discal cell. Fulcrifera crotalariae can be distinguished superficially by the absence of the slender, dark brown dash from the forewing costa ca. 0.65 the distance from the base to the apex that is conspicuous in the holotypes of both F. aphrospila and F. halmyris. The male genitalia of F. crotalariae are most similar to those of F. aphrospila, but they can be distinguished by a straighter valva (more upcurved or bent near the middle in aphrospila), a broader base of the patch of elongate setae from the distal end of the socius (the setae originating from a concentrated circular area at the distal end of the socius in aphrospila), and a longer, distally curved phallus (shorter and nearly straight distally in aphrospila).
Description. Male. Head: Vertex and frons smooth scaled, pale beige; labial palpus short, pale beige, ca. 1.2 times horizontal diameter of compound eye; ocellus moderately large. Thorax: Notum pale beige; tegula extending to about middle of metathorax; metathorax without posterior crest; legs unmodified. Forewing length 5.7–7.5 mm (mean = 6.7; n = 5); costal fold absent; forewing ground color pale beige with parallel longitudinal streaks and lines of brown; speculum with three small black dashes bordered distally by small semicircular patch of whitish gray scales; nine pairs of beige costal strigulae, each with a narrow brown space separating the two; each pair separated from other pairs by slightly wider brown areas (fascia alternating with interfascial areas); the preterminal fascia (between pairs 8 and 9) abruptly narrowed below costa, postmedial fascia (between pairs 6 and 7) extending from costa to near mid-termen; fringe yellow ochreous with pale brown terminal edge. Hindwing uniformly brown, scaling slightly lighter, less dense along costa; fringe pale beige with basal brown line. Abdomen: Lacking modified scales. Genitalia (Fig. 26) with posterior portion of tegumen broad; socii together forming a narrow rectangular plate across posterior portion of tegumen, each socius with a patch of long, fine setae 0.5 length of valva, arising from circular spot at distal end of socius; valva broad throughout, costa slightly concave immediately before cucullus; cucullus rounded, with dense spines of variable size and length around perimeter; an oblique patch of large spines extending from ventral edge of valva to ca. 0.5 distance to costa; phallus ca. 0.9 times length of valva, slen- der, curved dorsad apically, phallobase (= caulis) with slender dorsal plate extending ca. 0.4 length of phallus, distally with a U-shaped notch.
Female. Head and thorax: Essentially as described for male; forewing length 6.5–7.0 mm (mean = 6.8; n = 3), frenulum with two or three bristles (i.e., 3&2, 3&2, and 3& 3 in three paratypes). Abdomen: Genitalia (Fig. 36) with papillae anales slender throughout; apophyses relatively stout, about equal in length, posteriores slightly clubbed distally; sterigma with membranous triangular region surrounding cone-shaped, dimpled sclerite; ductus bursae slender at ostium bursae, slightly broadened to junction with corpus bursae; ductus seminalis from near middle of ductus bursae; corpus bursae pear-shaped, faintly punctate throughout, with two moderately flattened, somewhat keel-shaped signa, one larger than the other.
Holotype (3): Kenya, Central Province, Ololua Forest, 1830 m, 1°21.84’S, 36°42.79’E, 24 Aug 2002, A&M Coll. # 2184, r.f. Crotalaria goodiiformis [Fabaceae]; GS USNM 118,730.
Paratypes (43, 3Ƥ). Same data as holotype; GS USNM 85,886 (Ƥ), 85,885 (3).
Additional specimens examined. KENYA: CENTRAL PROVINCE: Njuki-ini Forest, 1475 m, 0°31.07’S, 37°25.27’E, 26 May 2002 (13, 2Ƥ), A&M Coll. #2037, r.f. Crotalaria sp.; GS USNM 118,731.
Etymology. The species name refers to the host plant genus, Crotalaria.
Remarks. The specimens excluded from the type series are undoubtedly conspecific with the holotype, but they are in very poor condition.
description: Published as part of Razowski, Józef & Brown, John W., 2012, Descriptions of new Tortricidae (Lepidoptera) reared from native fruit in Kenya, pp. 1-27 in Zootaxa 3222 on pages 20-21, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.280255