Coleophora tabulensis Baldizzone 2021, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Baldizzone, Giorgio
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Coleophoridae
Coleophora
Coleophora tabulensis

description: Coleophora tabulensis Baldizzone, sp. nov.
(Figs. 14, 73–76)
Holotype ♂ (GP Bldz 16263) “ RSA, West Cape CP, Table Mt. NP| 22.- 26.X.2007 | leg. Mey & Richter”, [S 34°14.254’ E 18°25 056 ’, 48 m], in coll. MfN.
Diagnosis. Small species with a general white appearance, belonging to the group of C orphnoceros Meyrick, 1937. The male genitalia resemble those of C. sneeubergensis Baldizzone, 2019. The main differences are the following: in C. tabulensis the tegumen is wider with the pedunculus less expanded, the transtilla is longer and thinner in the basal half, the cucullus is wider, and the protuberance in the dorsal corner of the sacculus is wider at the base; in the phallotheca of C. sneuubergensis only one juxta rod is present with two apical protuberances; in C. tabulensis a second robust juxta rod is also present with a medio-ventral triangular protuberance, the cornuti are more numerous and grouped in a slightly longer formation.
Description. Wingspan 12 mm. Head white. Antenna completely white, scape without erect scales. Labial palpus ochre on outer side, white on inner side; third article about half length of second. Proboscis very short, normal shaped. Thorax and tegula white. Forewing white, with pale brown streak between costal streak and anal fold starting from base and ending at about 2/3; some brown scales at base of apical cilia; costal cilia white, dorsal cilia pale brown. Hindwing grey, cilia pale brown. Abdomen pale brown.
Abdominal structures (Fig. 76): No posterior lateral struts. Transverse strut curved, with proximal edge strongly sclerotized in middle. Tergal disks (3 rd tergite) length about 10 times their width, covered with about 25–30 small spines.
Male genitalia (Figs. 73–75): Gnathos knob oval. Tegumen stocky, medially constricted, pedunculus slightly dilated. Transtilla thin at base, dilated in oval shape in distal part. Valvula with rounded ventral edge. Cucullus robust, slightly narrower at base. Sacculus curved, more sclerotized on ventral edge, with triangular rounded expansion at ventral angle and horn-shaped, curved, rounded dorsal apex. Phallotheca with two juxta rods, one of which more robust, almost longitudinally divided in middle of distal half, with two small rounded teeth at apex; the other rod less sclerotized, pointed at apex, with blunt triangular ventral tooth at about 2/3. Five thorn-like cornuti of different length joined together in shape of a claw.
Female genitalia: Unknown.
Bionomy. The early stages and the foodplant are unknown.
Distribution. RSA (prov. Western Cape).
Etymology. From Latin tabula = table. The name derives from the biotope where the species was collected, the Table Mountain National Park.
description: Published as part of Baldizzone, Giorgio, 2021, On the taxonomy of Afrotropical Coleophoridae (VI). New species of the genus Coleophora Hübner, 1822 from South Africa (Lepidoptera, Coleophoridae), pp. 167-205 in Zootaxa 5071 (2) on pages 193-196, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5071.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5723470