Dracontogena continentalis Karisch 2005
Creators: name: Aarvik, Leif
name: Karisch, Timm
name: Marthinsen, Gunnhild
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Tortricidae
Dracontogena
Dracontogena continentalis

description: Dracontogena continentalis Karisch, 2005 stat. n.
(Figs. 2–5, 23, 34, 55–59)
Dracontogena niphadonta continentalis Karisch, 2005: 460, text fig. 8, pl. 1, fig. 4.
Dracontogena hoppei Karisch, 2005: 460. text figs. 6, 11, pl. 1, figs. 5,7. syn. n.
Material examined. Holotype of Dracontogena niphadonta continentalis, Ƥ, ZAMBIA, Mbala, 24–27.xii.1974, Locust Contr Ctr., genitalia slide BMNH 30597 (BMNH); Holotype of Dracontogena hoppei, 3, EQUATORIAL GUINEA, Isla de Bioco, Moca Malabo, 1400 m., Pflanzen am Bergregenwaldrand, 3o21’66’’N 8o39’73’’E, LF 18–22.ii.2002, H. Hoppe, genitalia slide T. Karisch 1675 (MNVD); Paratypes of D. hoppei, 13, 1Ƥ same data as holotype, but 15–21.ii.2004, Henri & Tim Hoppe, genitalia slide T. Karisch 1771Ƥ (MNVD), 3 (coll. Hoppe); CAMEROON: 13 North Province, Faro River Camp 0 8o 23’N 0 12o 49’E, 275 m., 9.v.2005, J. & W. De Prins, genitalia slide L. Aarvik 2010.03 (RMCA); DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: 13 Ht. Katanga, Tshinkolobwe, 15.x.1931, J. Romieux, genitalia slide L. Aarvik 2010.005 (MHNG); KENYA: 1Ƥ Taita Hills, Mbololo Forest, 25.vi.1998, U. Dall’Asta, genitalia slide L. Aarvik 2010.008 (RMCA); 13 Taita Hills, Mbololo plantation, 9.iii.1999, U. Dall’Asta, genitalia slide L. Aarvik 2010.007 (RMCA); 13 Kakamega Forest 0 0o 20’N 0 34o 51’E, 1590 m., 15.x.2001, J. De Prins, genitalia slide L. Aarvik 2007.012 (RMCA); 1Ƥ Central Province, Castle Forest Lodge 0o22’51’’S 0 36o 18’35’’E, 2060 m., 20.xi.2009, genitalia slide L. Aarvik 2011.002 (DA); 13 Marsabit Mountain, 2°9.26' N 37°58.20' E, 1530 m, 29.viii.2004, R.S. Copeland, genitalia slide USNM 84923 (USNM); 233 Mt. Kenya forest 0°14.256' S 37°33.924' E, 2040 m., 7.xi.2001, R.S. Copeland, genitalia slide T. Karisch 2247 (USNM); MALAWI: 1Ƥ Mulanje Mts. Likabula, 800 m., 19.x.1996, Brachystegia forest, W. Mey & M. Nuss, genitalia slide L. Aarvik 2007.011 (ZMHU); 13 Central Region, Lilongwe District: Dzalanyama Forest Lodge 14o15’257’’S 0 33o26’633’’E, 1270 m., 14–15.ii.2004, A.J. Kingston (AJK); 233, 1Ƥ same locality and date, L. Aarvik, genitalia slides L. Aarvik 3 2735, Ƥ 2736 (LA); SIERRA LEONE: 333 Tingi Hills Forest Reserve, Singi Singi Mountain near village Bandaperai, 8°57.083'N 10°44.751' W, 800 m, 15.iv.2010, T. Karisch, genitalia slide T. Karisch 2724 (coll. Karisch); TANZANIA: 13, 1Ƥ Lushoto Distr. Mazumbai Forest Reserve, 1700 m., 27.vi. –8.vii.1995, S. McKamey et al., genitalia slides L. Aarvik 32007.008, Ƥ2007.009 (ZMUC); 333, 2Ƥ Amani, xi.1955, G. Pringle, genitalia slide BMNH 332543 (BMNH); 1Ƥ Kibondo District: Malagarasi River, 1100 m., 18.i.1991, A. Bjørnstad, genitalia slide L. Aarvik 2732 (LA); 13 Iringa Reg., Mufindi Distr. Kigogo Forest, 1900 m., 23–25.xi.2005, L. Aarvik, M. Fibiger, A. Kingston, genitalia slide L. Aarvik 2748 (LA); ZIMBABWE: 13 Bvumba, 1.i.1994, D.J.L. Agassiz, genitalia slide BMNH 32541 (BMNH).
Redescription. Adult. Male (Figs. 2–4). Head: Blackish brown. Antenna dark grey, scape white. Labial palpus 1.5 times diameter of eye, blackish brown, extreme tip paler; third segment short, drooping. Thorax: Blackish brown, white band before middle and with white posterior scale tuft. Fore and mid-legs dark grey, all tarsi with paler rings, mid-tibia with basal and medial ring, hind leg beige with large scale tuft. Wingspan 17.0–21.0 mm. Forewing upperside black, costal strigulae marked as light dots, two white triangular maculae on dorsum interconnected by white band; cilia dark grey, large white patch below apex and two smaller white patches at termen. Some specimens have reddish brown suffusion in terminal area, and this suffusion is sometimes pale and extended to the whole terminal third of the wing. The white band connecting the two dorsal maculae vary in width, and the outer macula may have small black dots along dorsum. Hindwing grey; veins, particularly cubital vein below cell and Rs and M1, darkened; basal scales modified, narrow; termen strongly notched before anal corner; no fringes present along termen from apex to notch.
Female (Fig. 5). Head: Labial palpus 2.5 times diameter of eye. Thorax: Wingspan 21.0–25.0 mm. Forewing with distinct costal strigulae, the two dorsal maculae only narrowly interconnected. Hindwing dark brownish grey, without modifications.
Male genitalia (Fig. 34). Valva relatively narrow, ventral edge straight or very slightly concave; phallus long, 829–938 μm., slender, with 13–30 small cornuti in vesica. D. bjornstadi n. sp. and D. angolensis n. sp. also have a long phallus, but they have many more small cornuti, 112 and 89 respectively, and they have broader valva. Tergite 8 (Fig. 23) long, with broad triangular lateral excavation.
Female genitalia (Figs. 55–59). Sternite 7 with broad V-shaped excavation, sterigma more or less rounded, edges sclerotised, lower edge weak in some specimens, the paired oval sclerites posterior of sterigma weak or absent.
Diagnosis. D. continentalis can be confused with D. rubondoensis n. sp., D. angolensis n. sp. and D. bjornstadi n. sp., but it differs from them in the male genitalia by the narrower valva and by the presence of fewer deciduous cornuti in phallus.
Distribution. Based on present knowledge, this is the most widespread Dracontogena species; Sierra Leone, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Biology. Habitats are borders of rain forests (Bioko, Kenya, Tanzania), Brachystegia -forests (Malawi), and woodland mountain savanna (Sierra Leone). The specimens from Mt. Kenya Forest were reared from Rubus apetalus Poir. (Rosaceae) resp. Agelaea pentagyna (Lam.) Baill. (Connaraceae), the specimen from Marsabit mountain from Chionanthus battiscombei (Hutch.) Stearn (Oleaceae). The species seems to be polyphagous.
Remarks. Dracontogena continentalis was originally described as a continental subspecies of the Madagascan D. niphadonta Diakonoff, 1970 based on a female from Zambia. However, the discovery of additional material of both males and females shows that the taxon should be treated as a distinct species. Males of continentalis lack the conspicuous black scale patch on the hindwing upperside which is present in niphadonta. D. hoppei falls within the variation of continentalis.
description: Published as part of Aarvik, Leif, Karisch, Timm & Marthinsen, Gunnhild, 2012, Review of the Afrotropical genus Dracontogena Diakonoff, 1970 (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae) with descriptions of eight new species, pp. 345-372 in Zootaxa 3478 on pages 349-351, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3478.1.32, http://zenodo.org/record/282268