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

description: Scrobipalpa ochracea sp. nov.
Figs 65, 66, 135, 136
Type material. Holotype ♂, [South Africa] RSA, Eastern Cape, Graaff Reinet distr., Petersburg, Waterkloof, 10.xi. 2012, 1313 m, light, O. Bidzilya (gen. slide 25/13, O. Bidzilya) (MfN). Paratypes: South Africa: 1 ♂, same data, but Glen Haven, 8.xi.2012 (gen. slide 60/13, O. Bidzilya) (ZMKU); 1 ex. (abdomen missing), East Cape, Asante-Sana, Glen Haven, LF, 3.iii.2014, 1300 m (Mey) (MfN); 1 ♂, Knysna, CP., Sourflats, 22–24.xi.1954 (Vari) (gen. slide 111/17, O. Bidzilya) (TMSA).
Diagnosis. Scrobipalpa ochracea sp. nov. is recognizable externally by its greyish-brown forewing distinctly mottled with ochreous-brown scales along the veins. Externally it resembles S. natalensis sp. nov., but the latter is uniformly dark brown without an ochreous pattern. The male genitalia of S. ochracea are easily distinguished by a very short vincular processes; a sacculus that is separated from the valva by a deep, broad gap; and a broad saccus.
Description. Adult (Figs 65, 66). Wingspan 10.2–11.0 mm. Head, thorax and tegula light grey with dense brown-tipped scales; labial palpus upcurved, light grey, strongly mottled with brown, inner surface dirty white, palpomere 2 with brush of moderately long scales at lower surface, palpomere 3 pointed, 1/2 as wide and about 1/3 as long as palpomere 2; scape light brown mixed with grey, flagellum brown with narrow grey rings; forewing covered with light grey and black-tipped scales, dense ochreous-brown or dark yellow irroration along veins, in fold, and in posterior area, cilia grey, brown-tipped; hindwing and cilia white.
Male genitalia (Figs 135, 136). Uncus slightly longer than broad, subrectangular, with rounded posterior margin; gnathos hook short, narrow, weakly curved; tegumen equilateral triangular with deep rounded anteromedial emargination to 1/3; valva weakly curved, moderately broad in basal 1/2, slightly narrowed in distal portion, apex rounded, extending to top of uncus; sacculus about 1/4 length of valva, inner margin weakly concave, outer margin evenly curved, top distinctly pointed and turned inwards, separated from valva by broad triangular gap; vincular processes narrow, short, with pointed tip, outwardly turned towards top of sacculus, separated from sacculus by short, narrow gap; vinculum moderately broad with rounded medial emargination; saccus broad, weakly or distinctly narrowed towards rounded apex, extending beyond top of pedunculus; distal portion of phallus slender, parallel-sided, apex pointed with distinct hook, caecum elongate, weakly swollen, slightly shorter than 1/2 length of phallus.
Female genitalia. Unknown.
Biology. Host plant unknown. Adults have been observed in November in plains and wooded valleys (Fig. 202).
Distribution. South Africa.
Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin “ ochre ”—ochreous, and refers to the dense ochre suffusion of the forewing.
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 33, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5070.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5712529