Brachmia cirrhopa Bidzilya & Rajaei 2024, comb. nov.
Creators: name: Bidzilya, Oleksiy V.
name: Rajaei, Hossein
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Gelechiidae
Brachmia
Brachmia cirrhopa

description: Brachmia cirrhopa (Meyrick, 1938), comb. nov.
(Figs 2a–d; 3a–c)
Proteodoxa cirrhopa Meyrick, 1938 — Institut des Parcs Nationaux du Congo belge, 14, 15–16.
Type material. Lectotype (here designated in order to stabilize nomenclature according to ICZN (1999: article 74.1)) ♂ [DR Congo] Musée du Congo, Kibati (1900), 10–20.i.1934, G.F. de Witte, Parc Nat. Albert | Type, Pr. cirrhopa M. | R. Det. 4080 F | Congo belge: Kivu, Kibati, 1900 m, 10/20.i. 1934, G.F. de Witte: 160 | E. Meyrick det., 1937: Proteodoxa cirrhopa Meyr. | gen. slide 249/24, O. Bidzilya (RMCA). Paralectotypes: 1 ♂, same data as for holotype; 1 ♀, same data as for holotype, gen. slide 250/24, O. Bidzilya; 1 ♂ (abdomen missing), same data as for holotype; 1 ♀ (abdomen missing), Musée du Congo, Burunga (2000), W. Kamatembe, 9–20.iii.1934, de Witte, Parc Nat. Albert | Type, Pr. cirrhopa M. | R. Det. 4080 F | Congo belge: Kivu, Burunga (Mokoto), 2000 m, 9–20.iii.1934, de Witte: 283 | E. Meyrick det., 1937: Proteodoxa cirrhopa Meyr.; 1 ♂ (abdomen missing) Musée du Congo, Kamatembe (2100), Bishakishaki, 11-22.iv.1934, de Witte, Parc Nat. Albert | Type, P. cirrhopa M. | R. Det. 4080 F | Congo belge: Kivu, Riv. Bishakishaki (Kamatembe), 2100 m, 11-22.iv.1934, de Witte: 345 | E. Meyrick det., 1937: Proteodoxa cirrhopa Meyr. (all RMCA).
Remarks. The species was described based on 12 specimens collected in Kibati, Burunga, River Bishakishaki (Kamatembe) and Tsumugussa (Bweza). Six syntypes (four males and two females) are deposited in RMCA. Six other specimens should have been deposited in NHMUK but they are not found there (De Prins & De Prins 2024). To stabilize nomenclature (ICZN 1999: article 74.1) a well-preserved male from Kibati (Fig. 2a) is designated as lectotype.
Proteodoxa cirrhopa is the type species of the monotypic genus Proteodoxa Meyrick, 1938. However, both external characters and male genitalia of the lectotype and female genitalia of the paralectotype fully match those of the type species of the genus Brachmia Hübner, 1825 (Tinea dimidiella Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775). Hence the following synonymy is proposed: Proteodoxa Meyrick, 1938, syn. nov. of Brachmia Hübner, 1825. The species superficially resembles B. infixa Meyrick, 1938, except that segment 3 of the labial palpus is without a brown subapical ring (with the brown apical ring in B. infixa), and that the spots in the cell are diffuse (distinct in B. infixa). The male genitalia are distinguished in having a long stout gnathos and a long (equal in length to tegumen) ovate phallus with two distinct cornuti. In female genitalia, the sclerotized folds in the anterior part of the ductus bursae are characteristic.
Male genitalia (described here for the first time, Figs 2 c-d). Uncus long (2–2.5 times longer than wide), constricted at middle, apex rounded; gnathos stout, gradually curved, apex strongly sclerotized, extending to 2/3– 3/4 length of tegumen; tegumen long, almost parallel-sided, anterior margin with very slender medial emargination to 1/4 length of tegumen; valva straight, narrow at base, then strongly broadened, of nearly uniform width, apex rounded, extending well beyond top of uncus; juxta lobes subtriangular, with outwardly curved tips, vinculum narrow, band-shaped, saccus subrectangular, rather broad, anterior margin weakly invaginated; phallus equal in length to tegumen, 2–2.5 times as long as wide, subovate, broadest at middle, apex weakly rounded, vesica armed with one long (1/2 length of phallus) and one short (1/3 length of phallus) subtriangular sclerite.
Female genitalia (described here for the first time, Fig. 3c). Papillae anales broadly ovate, sparsely covered with short setae; apophyses posteriores equal in length to papillae anales, straight; sternum VIII subrectagular, approximately 1.5 times as wide as long, evenly sclerotized, posteromedial emargination deep, 1/4 width of sternum VIII, subrectangular; apophyses anteriores thin, slightly shorter than sternum VIII and approximately 1/4 of apophyses posteriores; ductus bursae 2/3 of corpus bursae, narrowest at middle, strongly broadened posteriorly forming funnel-shaped antrum densely equipped with microspines, anterior 1/3 broadened, with distinct sclerotized longitudinal folds; corpus bursae ovate, densely covered with very small needle-shaped cornuti; signum absent.
Distribution. DR Congo: North Kivu Province.
description: Published as part of Bidzilya, Oleksiy V. & Rajaei, Hossein, 2024, An illustrated and annotated catalogue of type specimens of Gelechiidae (Lepidoptera) in the Royal Museum for Central Africa (Tervuren, Belgium), with taxonomic changes, pp. 191-213 in Zootaxa 5496 (2) on page 194, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5496.2.3, http://zenodo.org/record/13346593