Istrianis inquilinus Bidzilya 2021, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Bidzilya, Oleksiy
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Gelechiidae
Istrianis
Istrianis inquilinus

description: Istrianis inquilinus sp. nov.
Figs 23–25, 29, 30, 33, 34, 36, 37
Type material. Holotype ♂, South Africa, Tvl., Saartjiesnek SE, 26°46’27°54’, 2.iii.1982 (Scholts) | Bred from Aecidium flower galls on Acacia karoo (gen. slide 39/15, O. Bidzilya) (TMSA). Paratypes: 1♂, 2♀, same data as for holotype but 1, 3.iii.1982 (gen. slide 43/ 15♀, 152/ 19♀, 163/ 19♂, O. Bidzilya) (TMSA).
Diagnosis. A narrow-winged, dark, predominantly blackish-brown species with small tufts of raised black scales surrounded with light brown on the forewing. Neotelphusa anisogrisea Janse, 1958 and N. flavinotata Janse, 1958 have a similar wing pattern but the ground colour of the forewing is lighter, greyish brown rather than blackish brown, and the light brown surrounding of the tufts of black raised scales is more extensive. The male genitalia can easily be recognized by the broad uncus and gnathos which are unique for species of Istrianis Meyrick, 1918. Wide drop-shaped subostial anterior sclerites, distinct subostial folds, lack of posterior sclerite in combination with large signum are characteristic for the female genitalia.
Description. Adult (Figs 23–25). Wingspan 11.4–13.0 mm. Head covered with grey, apically brown scales with grey tips, frons lighter, white to light grey laterally mixed with black, labial palpus upcurved, palpomere 2 covered with black white-tipped scales with very narrow diffuse white medial ring on outer surface, inner and upper surface slightly lighter, black to brown densely mottled with white, palpomere 3 white with broad black medial and subapical rings, scape black mottled with white especially underside, flagellomeres black with narrowly brownringed at base, densely white ciliate ventrally in male. Thorax and tegula colored as head, forewing covered with blackish-brown white-tipped scales, costal margin suffused with black to 1/ 3 in male, diffuse tufts of black scales at basal 1/ 6 in mid width and at 1/ 5 in fold, black touch edged dorsally with light brown at end of fold near dorsal margin, four small tufts of black raised scales surrounded with light brown at 1/3 under costal margin, in mid width at 1/2 length, and at 2/3 near dorsum and in mid width, cilia black, grey-tipped, hindwing and cilia light grey. Male with subcostal pocket with pencil of light brown hairs from base to 1/3. Abdomen grey, terga VIII in male (Figs 33, 34) sub-triangular, rounded posteriorly, posterior portion from triangular to tongue-shaped, anteromedial emargination reverse V-shaped, extending to 1/2 length of sternum VIII; basal coremata composed of long dense tuft of hairlike scales, extending to about 2/3 length of terga; sternum VIII (Fig. 34) about 2.5 times as broad as long, posterior margin weakly rounded, covered with dense hairs, posteriolateral corners extending in short rounded projections covered apically with short hairs. Male genitalia (Figs 29, 30) with uncus roughly parallel-sided in distal half, twice as long as broad, posterior margin broadly rounded and strongly edged, posterolateral corners distinct; gnathos slightly shorter than uncus, broad at base, gradually constricted to mid length, posterior margin and posterolateral corners strongly sclerotized; tegumen twice as broad as long, lateral lobes broad, rounded anteriorly, anteromedial emargination shallow, sub-triangular; valva narrow, about 1/3 length of phallus; vinculum narrow, band-shaped; phallus twice as long as broad, distal 1/3 triangular, tapered apically into pointed tip, ductus ejaculatorius very long with coiled lamina. Female genitalia (Figs 36, 37). Papillae anales subovate, covered with short setae; apophyses posteriores 2.5-3 times as long as apophyses anteriores; segment VII about as long as broad, antrum bowl-shaped, posterior sclerite absent, anterior sclerites drop-shaped, subostial folds distinct, strongly sclerotized; ductus bursae slightly longer than apophyses posteriores, weakly broadened towards corpus bursae; corpus bursae egg-shaped, about twice as long as broad; signum a subrhomboid plate with serrated margins and narrow medial ridge, anterior lobe broader than posterior lobe, about as broad as width of corpus bursae.
Biology. The larvae were bred from flower galls produced by the fungus Aecidium (Puccinalis) on Vachellia karroo (Fabaceae). Adults emerged in early March.
Distribution. South Africa: North West province.
Etymology. The specific name refers to the larvae living inside galls produced by another organism.
Remarks. The genus Istrianis Meyrick, 1918 comprises 22 species (Bidzilya & Karsholt 2015; Bidzilya & Nupponen 2018) of which one is known from South Africa. However, many South African species of Neotelphusa Janse, 1958 belongs in fact to Istrianis (Bidzilya in prep.).
description: Published as part of Bidzilya, Oleksiy, 2021, New host-plants records of Afrotropical Gelechiidae (Lepidoptera), with description of three new species, pp. 495-522 in Zootaxa 4952 (3) on pages 510-511, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4952.3.4, http://zenodo.org/record/4690573