Athrips bruneosparsa
Creators: name: Bidzilya, Oleksiy V.
name: Aarvik, Leif
name: Agassiz, David
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Gelechiidae
Athrips
Athrips bruneosparsa

description: Athrips bruneosparsa (Janse, 1958)
Type material. 1 ♁, 1 ♀, [Namibia], Gobabeb, S.W.A., Game Reserve No. 3, 2–5.vii.1975, Pretoria University (gen. slide 220/23♁, 221/ 23♀, O. Bidzilya) (TMSA).
Notes. Parapsectris bruneosparsa Janse, 1958 was described from series of both sexes from Bullspoort (Namibia) (Janse 1958). The species was transferred to Athrips (Bidzilya 2010), and the female paratype and its genitalia were figured. Here we illustrate and re-describe the adult and the genitalia of both sexes based on our examination of two specimens from Gobabeb. We also provide corresponding additions to the species diagnosis.
Diagnosis. Athrips bruneosparsa is a comparatively large species with a wingspan 14.5–15.0 mm. Its forewings are grey with dark veins. The species resembles A. sisterina, but the forewing of the latter normally has a pale medial, longitudinal strip that is absent in A. bruneosparsa. The male genitalia are characteristic in having a weakly sinuate cucullus, a long (1/3 length of cucullus) straight sacculus and transtilla, as well as a phallus with distinctly elongated pointed apex. Athrips zetterstedtiella (Zeller, 1852) has similar straight sacculus, transtilla, and phallus with elongate apex, but differs in a distinctly broadened cucullus apically and weaker and curved gnathos (Bidzilya 2010: 382, fig. 1). Elongate lateral honey-comb sclerotized patches and a subtriangular sclerite with short teeth in the posterior part of the ductus bursae in combination with subrhomboid signum are characteric for the female genitalia. Athrips zetterstedtiella and A. pallida Bidzilya, 2010 differ in having the subtriangular sclerite in the ductus bursae longer and without teeth, as well as shorter lobes of the signum (Bidzilya 2010: 391, figs 52–54).
Additions to the original description. Adult (Figs 6, 7). Wingspan 14.0–19.0 mm. Head, thorax and tegulae covered with white scales tipped with black, labial palpus recurved, palpomere 2 white, densely mixed with black, palpomere 3 white with diffuse black medial and subapical belts, about half as long and wide as palpomere 2, antennal scape black mixed with white, flagellomeres white, black-ringed, shortly ciliate on underside in male; forewing white, evenly suffused with black, fold mixed with additional black scales in male, cilia white; hindwing and cilia light grey.
Male genitalia (Fig. 16). Uncus subrectangular, slightly longer than broad, posterior margin densely covered with strong setae; gnathos long, slender, strongly curved at base, distal 2/3 straight; tegumen weakly narrowed posteriorly, with distinct posterolateral corners, anteromedial emargination extending to 1/4 length of tegumen; cucullus moderately broad, weakly sinuate, distal half slightly widened, apex rounded, curved inwardly, extending to tips of uncus setae; sacculus straight, 1/3 of length and as broad as adjacent part of cucullus, weakly constricted in middle, with short, pointed, inwardly curved tip; vinculum broad, covered posteriorly with short spines, posteromedial emargination subtriangular, deep and broad; transtilla lobes about 3/4 length of sacculus, clavate; saccus sub-trapezoid, twice broader than long, posterior margin strongly sclerotized, with short medial emargination, anterior margin straight; phallus tube strongly inflated in basal half, distal half 1/2 width of basal half, strongly edged ventrally, apex elongate, pointed.
Female genitalia (Fig. 22). Papillae anales elongate, subovate, sparsely covered with short hairs; apophyses posteriors 3 times as long as segment VIII; segment VIII subrectangular, evenly sclerotized, sternum VIII medially membranous, subostial lobes large, subtriangular, strongly projecting anteriorly, densely covered with honey-comb sculpture, separated by narrow membranous zone, lateral honey-comb sclerotized patches elongate, projecting to 3/4 length of sternum VIII; apophyses anteriores about 1.5 times as long as segment VIII; ductus bursae broad, long, weakly broadened towards corpus bursae, distal portion with subtriangular sclerite ending anteriorly with distinct teeth, colliculum distinct, broad, band-shaped; corpus bursae large, rounded; signum plate subrhomboid with serrate margin, medial transverse ridge slender.
Distribution. Namibia (Janse 1958).
description: Published as part of Bidzilya, Oleksiy V., Aarvik, Leif & Agassiz, David, 2023, New species and new country distribution records of Athrips (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae) from the Afrotropical region, pp. 489-500 in Zootaxa 5343 (5) on pages 495-497, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5343.5.4, http://zenodo.org/record/8346160