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

description: Scrobipalpa asantesana sp. nov.
Figs 67, 68, 137, 138, 182, 183
Type material. Holotype [South Africa] 1 ♂, RSA, Eastern Cape, Graaf Reinet distr., Petersburg, Waterkloof, 10.xi. 2012, 1313 m, light, O. Bidzilya (gen. slide 28/13, O. Bidzilya) (MfN). Paratypes: 1 ♂, 3 ♀, same data but Farm Cottage, 13.xi. 2012, 1016 m (Bidzilya); 2 ♀, same data, but Sourkloof, 7.xi.2012 (Bidzilya) (gen. slide 271/12, O. Bidzilya); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, same data, but 8–13.xi.2012 (Mey); 6 ♂, 4 ♀, same data, but cottage, 1016 m, aut. light trap, 5–6.xi.2012 (Mey); 1 ♂, same data, but 10.xi.2012, Waterkloof, 1500 m, open slope (Mey) (gen. slide 320/20, O. Bidzilya); 1 ♂, 2 ♀, same data, but 11.xi.2012, light trap (Mey); 3 ♀, same data, but 5–14.xi.2012 (Mey); 1 ♀, same data, but 22–26.i.2012, LF (Mey) (gen. slide 616/14, O. Bidzilya); 1 ♂, same data, but Glen Haven, 3.iii.2014, LF, 1300 m (Mey); 2 ♂, same data, but 22–26.xi.2013 (Mey); ♂, RSA, East Cape, Sneeuberg, Asante- Sana, 2-6.iv.2011 (Mey) (gen. slide 185/12, O. Bidzilya) (all MfN); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Cathedral Peak, Nat. Forestry, 1090, 15.iii.1976 (Endrödy-Yonga) (gen. slide 93/ 17♂; 94/ 17♀, O. Bidzilya); 1 ♀, P.K. le ROUX DAM, van der Kloof, C.P., 8–11.ix.1969 (Potgieter) (gen. slide 325/20, O. Bidzilya) (all TMSA).
Diagnosis. Scrobipalpa asantesana sp. nov. is characterized by a uniformly greyish-brown forewing. For the differences from S. griseata sp. nov., see the diagnosis for that species. The male genitalia are unmistakable, characterized by an elongated uncus, long valva (extending well beyond the top of the uncus), and a slender, acute vincular process. The female genitalia are easily distinguished by the short segment VIII with anteriorly folded postgenital plates, distinctly triangular subostial sclerites, and a long, narrow, strongly curved signum.
Description. Adult (Figs 67, 68). Wingspan 9.2–11.0 mm. Head, thorax and tegulae covered with brown-tipped scales, frons light grey to white; labial palpus upcurved, brown, densely mottled with light grey, inner and upper surface paler, off-white, palpomere 2 with brush of scales at lower surface, palpomere 3 approximately 1/2 length and 1/2 width of palpomere 2, acute; antennae dark brown with indistinct grey rings; forewing evenly covered with grey, black-tipped scales, diffuse white irroration under costal margin from base to 2/3 length, black diffuse spot in middle of cell, small indistinct black spot in corner of cell, apical 1/4 mottled with white, cilia grey, black-tipped; hindwing light grey.
Variation. Some specimens are light grey to nearly white with poorly developed brown pattern, or with diffuse subcostal white irroration.
Male genitalia (Figs 137, 138). Uncus twice as long as broad, weakly constricted before middle; gnathos short, weakly curved, culcitula well developed; tegumen elongate with deep rounded anterior emargination extending to 1/3 length; valva slender, almost uniform in width, curved at 1/3 length, extending far beyond top of uncus; sacculus slender, as broad as valva at base and about 1/3 length of valva, narrowed distally, of uniform width, apex with pointed, inward-curved tips, separated from valva by deep, very narrow gap; vincular processes about 1/2 length of sacculus, broad at base, distally very narrow, outwardly curved, separated from sacculus by broad gap; vinculum slightly broader than long, medial incision deep, triangular; saccus nearly uniform in width, truncate, extending slightly beyond top of pedunculus; distal portion of phallus straight, apex with pointed top and distinct, weakly curved hook, caecum moderately swollen, about 1.5 times shorter than distal portion of the phallus.
Female genitalia (Figs 182, 183). Papillae anales elongate, weakly tapered apically, covered with setae; apophyses posteriores about as long as ductus and corpus bursae combined; segment VIII twice as broad as long, sternum VIII with broad, shallow, posteromedial emargination, anterior margin strongly sclerotized, two anterior-elongated, medially-narrowed, triangular sclerites from base of apophyses anteriores, two narrow folds extending posteriorly from base of apophyses anteriores to 3/4 width of sternum, subgenital plates rounded, unmodified, with distinctly thickened and folded anterior margins, extending anteriorly to 1/2 width of sternum VIII; ventromedial depression unmodified, except for indistinct, narrow, medial weakly sclerotized patch; apophyses anteriores thick, three times as long as segment VIII, straight, pointed apically, 1/2 length of apophyses posteriores; ductus bursae gradually broadened towards short, rounded corpus bursae, colliculum narrow, signum with long, narrow, distal hook, curved in middle at right angle, distal portion pointed, reaching to mid-width of corpus bursae.
Biology. Host plant unknown. Adults fly in January, March, April, September and November. In Asante-Sana adults have been observed in November in plains and wooded valleys (Figs 198–201).
Distribution. South Africa.
Etymology. The species is named for the Asante-Sana locality in the Graaf Reinet district of South Africa, the type locality of the new species.
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 pages 33-34, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5070.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5712529