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

description: Scrobipalpa nomias (Meyrick, 1921)
Figs 62, 63, 132, 180
Phthorimaea nomias Meyrick, 1921: 74.
Scrobipalpa nomias (Meyrick, 1921) — Janse 1951: 212, pl. 90, fig. 2, pl. 9, fig. 6, pl. 99, fig. 8, fig. 16, pl. 88, fig. 1.
Type material examined. Holotype of nomias ♀ [South Africa] “Eshowe, 6.i.’16, A.J.T Janse ” | “ Phthorimaea nomias M., Type No. 597.” | “2160” | “g. 5485” (TMSA).
Material examined. South Africa: 2 ♂, Eshowe, 6.i.‘16 (Janse) (gen. slide 3756; gen. slide 262/12, O. Bidzilya) (all TMSA).
Diagnosis. Scrobipalpa nomias is characterized externally by a greyish-black forewing mixed with light brown in the fold and with three indistinct black spots in the cell. The species may be confused with specimens of S. portosanctana and S. asantesana sp. nov. that have a reduced black pattern. Scrobipalpa natalensis sp. nov. is smaller and has no black markings. Scrobipalpa griseata sp. nov. has a somewhat similar wing pattern, but it is much lighter, grey rather than greyish black, and with distinct folding in mid-width along the longitudinal axis. The male genitalia are easily recognizable by a basally broad saccus in combination with a short sacculus and short vincular process. For differences from S. griseata sp. nov., see the diagnosis of that species. Scrobipalpa nigristriana sp. nov. differs in the apically pointed and medially constricted uncus (parallel-sided with straight posterior margin in S. nomias), less outwardly curved vincular process, and the base of the saccus narrower. The female genitalia are easily recognizable by a broad ventromedial depression and comparatively narrow subgenital plate. Both male and female genitalia indicate a relationship of S. nomias to S. acuminatella (Sircom, 1850) and Palaearctic species related to S. acuminatella.
Re-description. Adult (Figs 62, 63). Wingspan 13.0–14.5 mm. Head, thorax and tegulae covered with greytipped, brown scales, frons slightly lighter, light brown to grey; labial palpus upcurved, palpomere 2 brown, densely mixed with grey, inner and upper surface light grey to off-white, palpomere 3 about 2/3 length and 1/2 width of palpomere 3, white with some brown scales at base and before apex; scape brown, flagellomeres brown with narrow grey apical rings; forewing greyish black, fold suffused with light brown in basal half, three indistinct black spots in cell, diffuse black patch at base in mid-width, costal area and veins in apical 1/3 weakly mottled with brown, cilia grey; hindwing and cilia grey with light brown shade along margins and at apex.
Male genitalia (Fig. 132). Uncus subrectangular, slightly longer than broad, posterior edge weakly rounded; gnathos broad, strongly curved at 3/4, sickle-shaped; tegumen moderately broad with deep rounded anterior emargination to 1/3 length; valva of uniform width, evenly curved, extending to top of uncus; sacculus short, about 1/8 length and as broad as valva, inner margin straight, outer margin evenly curved, with pointed inward-turned tip; vincular lobes short, narrow, with tapered, outwardly curved apex; vinculum slightly broader than long, posterior margin transverse, with V-shaped emargination; saccus extremely broad at base, strongly narrowed to 3/4 length, then nearly of uniform in width, apex rounded, extending far beyond top of pedunculus; distal portion of phallus broad, uniform in width, apex with apical hook, caecum weakly swollen, about 1/2 length of phallus.
Female genitalia (Fig. 180). Papillae anales elongate, ovate; apophyses posteriores approximately 3 times as long as segment VIII; segment VIII subquadrate, sternum VIII with anterior margin strongly sclerotized and weakly concave; subgenital plates narrow, strongly sclerotized anteromedially, with patches of foam-sculpturing at base of apophyses anteriores; ventromedial depression very broad, folded laterally, foam-sculpturing weakly developed, lobes of ventromedial depression broad, anteromedial emargination short, shallow, not reaching anterior margin of sternum VIII; apophyses anteriores slightly longer than segment VIII, straight, pointed apically, 1/2 as long as apophyses posteriores; ductus bursae comparatively broad, gradually broadened towards egg-shaped corpus bursae, colliculum narrow, signum on left side at entrance of corpus bursae, distal hook narrow, curved in middle at right angle, distal portion pointed.
Biology. Host plant unknown. Adults fly in January.
Distribution. South Africa.
Remarks. Phthorimaea nomias was described from the unique female holotype collected in Eshowe. My concept of this species is based on the holotype and two superficially similar males collected at the same place and date as the holotype.
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 page 31, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5070.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5712529