Scrobipalpa biljurshi Povolny 1980
Creators: name: Bidzilya, Oleksiy V.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Gelechiidae
Scrobipalpa
Scrobipalpa biljurshi

description: Scrobipalpa biljurshi Povolný, 1980
Figs 33–36, 109, 110, 170
Scrobipalpa biljurshi Povolný, 1980: 244, figs 1, 3, 9.
Type material examined. Holotype of biljurshi ♂, [Saudi Arabia] “SW-Arabien, Asirgebirge, 2000 m, Wadi Marah, 81 km S Biljurshi, 26./ 27.iv.1979, H.G. Amsel ” (gen. slide 177/15, O. Bidzilya) (SMNK). Paratypes: 1 ♂, 3 ♀, same data as holotype (gen. slide Am. 5757 ♀, 5758 ♀, 5781 ♂, D. Povolný; 176/ 15♀, O. Bidzilya); 1 ♀, same data, but 22.iv.1979 (gen. slide Am. 5774, D. Povolný); 1 ♂, 2 ♀, same data, but 29.iv–2.v. 979 (gen. slide Am. 5756 ♀, Am. 5772 ♀, Am. 5776 ♂, D. Povolný); 1 ♂, 2 ♀, same data, but 17–21.iv.1979 (gen. slide Am. 5773 ♀; 182/ 15♀, O. Bidzilya) (all SMNK).
Material examined. Ethiopia [„ Äthiopien “]: 1 ♂, Addis-Abeba, 19.vi.1979 | Dr. Angenstein, Mgdbg., DDR, 3799 (gen. slide 190/07, O. Bidzilya) (MfN).
Diagnosis. The species is characterized externally by a brown forewing suffused with black, the black markings along the costa and in the cell, and usually with a distinct, light brown, subapical fascia. Scrobipalpa biljurshi is superficially nearly indistinguishable from S. subroseata, but it usually can be differentiated by its darker hindwing. The male genitalia of S. biljurshi are extremely similar to those of S. subroseata but differ in having a parallel-sided, truncate (gradually tapered in S. subroseata) saccus. The female genitalia of S. biljurshi are defined by the comparatively large lobes of the ventromedial depression in combination with the distinctly narrowed distal 1/3 of the signum (weakly narrowed in S. subroseata).
Redescription. Adult (Figs 33–36). Wingspan 14–17 mm. Head, thorax and tegulae covered with brown dark tipped scales, frons uniformly brown; labial palpus upcurved, light brown, palpomere 2 with dark, greyish-black basal and medial belt, palpomere 3 mixed with dark brown, acute; scape brown, flagellomeres brown with yellowish-brown rings; forewing covered with light brown scales tipped with brown to black mainly in basal 1/3, along margins, and in apical 1/4, black diffuse spots at base, 1/3, and 2/3, diffuse brown fascia separating darker greyish black apical 1/4, distinct or hidden with grey surroundings, paired black spots in mid-wing and in corner of cell, fold and veins mottled with reddish brown in some specimens, cilia light brown tipped with dark brown; hindwing light grey, shaded with dark grey along margins and at apex, cilia grey.
Male genitalia (Figs 109, 110). Uncus comparatively wide, subrectangular to 1/2 length, then gradually narrowed towards weakly rounded apex; gnathos short, slender, weakly curved; culcitula well developed, elongated; tegumen about 2.5 times longer than wide, anterior margin with triangular emargination extending to about 1/3–1/2 length of tegumen, with gradual transition to uncus; valva slender, evenly bent, weakly narrowed in middle, widened in distal 2/3, apex rounded, not extending to top of uncus; sacculus 1/3 length of valva, with broad gap to valva, situated close to vincular process, with both margins weakly bent, apex with pointed and curved inwards tip; vincular process slender, digitate, narrowed apically, as long or slightly shorter than sacculus, separated by V-shaped incision; vinculum narrow; saccus parallel-sided, truncate, extending beyond top of pedunculus; phallus as long as valva, caecum weakly inflated, about 1/2 length of phallus, distal portion weakly narrowed towards pointed or weakly rounded apex, apical hook slender, down-curved.
Female genitalia (Fig. 170). Papillae anales ovate, densely covered with setae; apophyses posteriores about 2.5 times as long as apophyses anteriores; segment VIII twice as broad as long, both anterior and posterior margins evenly invaginated, subgenital plates broad, without modification, lobes of ventromedial depression round to ovate, densely covered with foam-sculpturing, extending to anterior margin of segment VIII, separated by triangular anteromedial incision; apophyses anteriores as long as or slightly longer than segment VIII, comparatively broad at base, acute in distal part; ductus bursae 1.5 times as long as corpus bursae, weakly narrowed towards corpus bursae, colliculum distinct, band-shaped; corpus bursae egg-shaped, basal plate of signum stout, situated near entrance of ductus bursae, distal hook long, strongly curved at base, distal 1/3 slender, pointed.
Biology. Host plant unknown. Adults have been recorded from late April to early May at altitudes of 2000–2350 m in Saudi Arabia, and in mid-April in Ethiopia.
Distribution. Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia (first record).
Remarks. Scrobipalpa biljurshi was described from the male holotype and 4 males and 7 females collected in the Asir Mountains in SE Saudi Arabia. I had an opportunity to study the type series deposited in SMNK. The species is very similar both superficially and in genitalia to S. subroseata. I found only minor differences between the two species that allow me to consider S. biljurshi as separate species for the time being. However, the relationship between the two should be investigated using DNA.
description: Published as part of Bidzilya, Oleksiy V., 2021, A review of the genus Scrobipalpa Janse, 1951 (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae) in the Afrotropical region, pp. 1-83 in Zootaxa 5070 (1) on pages 19-20, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5070.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5712529