Gargela xanthocasis
Creators: name: Léger, Théo
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Crambidae
Gargela
Gargela xanthocasis

description: Gargela xanthocasis (Meyrick, 1897)
Figs. 31, 90, 148.
Mixophyla xanthocasis Meyrick, 1897, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond. 1897: 81, pl. A. 8. Type locality: Indonesia, Sangir Island. Hampson, 1897, Trans. ent. Soc. Lond. 1897: 135; Hampson, 1899, Jour. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc.12: 700, fig.1: 8.
Gargela xanthocasis Inoue, 1982, Moths of Japan II: 332, pl.38: 68 (♂); Song et al., 2009, p. 42, figs. 1,13.
MATERIAL
1 ♂, 1 ♀ (detailed information in Table S1; https://doi.org/ 10.5061/dryad.b8gtht7mh).
SIMILAR SPECIES
Gargela distigma Song et al., 2009.
DIAGNOSIS
This species can be recognized by the two marginal spots of the forewing that are not found in other Gargela species of the Philippines. In male genitalia, the costal process is projected dorsally into a conspicuous tip abutted basally with a small bump, and the vesica bears three to five characteristic spines of decreasing length. In female genitalia (Fig. 148), the antrum exhibits a broad sclerotized plate; the enlarged basal 1/4 of ductus bursae is covered with scattered, long spines; the ductus bursae is regularly curved, enlarging towards corpus opening; and the corpus bursae is globular with two lanceolate signa abutting each other.
REDESCRIPTION
HABITUS (FIG. 31)
Forewing length 5 mm (n = 1); ground color snow white. Median line broadly arched towards margin. Postmedian area with vein ochreous. Subterminal line curved towards margin in costal half, then slightly bent inwardly by the two subterminal spots, ocher, medially dark brown. Subterminal area medially ocher with two conspicuous dark brown blotches at M3 and CuA1 cells. Margin slightly incurved at R5-M1; apically dark brown. Fringe white, medially copper. Hindwing white, tornus bearing tuft of thin brown iridescent scales in males.
MALE GENITALIA (FIG. 90)
Uncus about half of tegumen arm length, basally projected into two conspicuous ventral lobes, dorsally with scattered setae, ventrally covered with thick setae, apex slightly bent downwards, pointed. Gnathos projection short, pointed posterad. Costal arm fused to valva, medially projecting into a dorsal conspicuous tip doubled by a small anterior bump; costa apex pointed, not extending beyond valva apex. Valva abruptly narrowed on distal 1/4, apex pointed. Juxta elongate, conspicuously narrowed at basal 1/4, from there enlarging into two incurved arms forming rounded setose apex. Phallus straight with lightly sclerotized apex. Vesica with five conspicuous cornuti with decreasing length as well as 200+ tiny spines.
FEMALE GENITALIA (FIG. 148)
Papillae anales posterior margin regularly rounded. Posterior apophyses ca 1.75 X length of tergite VIII. Intersegmental membrane VIII-IX ca 1/3 X length of tergite VIII. Anterior apophyses ca 4 X length of tergite VIII. Antrum forming broad orbicular sclerotization. Colliculum with sclerotized patches. Ductus bursae at base forming a pouch covered with small spines; ductus kinked at half length, enlarged in distal 1/4. Ductus seminalis branching at 1/4 of ductus length. Corpus bursae globular, reticulate, with two small oblong signa.
DISTRIBUTION
CHINA: South China; INDONESIA: Sulawesi Utara, New Guinea; JAPAN; PAKISTAN; PHILIPPINES: Luzon (Quezon, Camarines Sur); TAIWAN. Reported at between 100 and 1200 m (this study; Song et al., 2009).
DNA BARCODING
The highest intraspecific divergence observed is of 1.5% between samples MFNLEP-PYRALPHIL09-D05 from Luzon (Quezon) and MFNLEP-PYRALPHIL09-E05 from South Luzon (Camarines Sur: Mt Isarog).
REMARKS
This is the first record of this species from the Philippines. The specimen illustrated in Song et al. (2009) has three marginal spots on the forewing. However, the type specimen in the NHMUK only has two spots. Male genitalia strongly resemble those illustrated in Song et al. (2009). However, they count only three cornuti, while the specimen investigated here shows an additional two cornuti, much smaller. Distribution records from the literature are doubtful (Song et al., 2009).
description: Published as part of Léger, Théo, 2024, Half of the Diversity Undescribed: Integrative Taxonomy Reveals 32 New Species and a High Cryptic Diversity in the Scopariinae and Crambinae of the Philippines (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), pp. 1-93 in Bulletin of the Society of Systematic Biologists 3 (2) on pages 42-43, DOI: 10.18061/bssb.v3i2.9527, http://zenodo.org/record/15116964