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

description: Coleophora quaggaefontis Baldizzone, sp. nov.
(Figs. 13, 69–72)
Holotype ♂ (GP Bldz 15059) “ RSA, Northern Cape | Quaggafontein | 29.IX.- 5.X.2002 | leg. K. Ebert ” [S 30°11’14’’ E 17°32’58’’], in coll. MfN.
Paratype: 1♂, idem, in coll. MfN.
Diagnosis. Small species, with an overall whitish appearance, suffused with light ochre. The male genitalia do not resemble those of any known Afrotropical species, but are similar to those of the Palearctic species of the group of C. riffelensis Rebel, 1913, in particular to C. dracontea Baldizzone, 1994 in the shape of the apex of the transtilla which is upcurved and bifid. The differences are evident, because in C. quaggaefontis the transtilla has a forked dorsal expansion, the lateral edge of the sacculus is thicker and the protuberance at the dorsal corner is more robust and notched on the inner edge. The phallotheca of C. quaggaefontis differs from all those of the group of C. riffelensis in the two juxta rods dilated at the apex, each with a long curved spine, with a very characteristic shape.
Description. Wingspan 11–12 mm. Head white. Antenna: scape white with short erect scales; flagellum not ringed in proximal 1/4, ringed dirty white and brown in distal 3/4. Labial palpus light ochre outer side, dirty white inner side; second article about 0.5 times longer than third. Proboscis normal shaped. Thorax and tegula white. Forewing dirty white, with scattered brown scales, especially at apex; cilia light grey. Hindwing and cilia light grey. Abdomen white.
Abdominal structures (Fig. 72): No posterior lateral struts. Transverse strut thick and curved, more sclerotized on proximal edge. Tergal disks (3 rd tergite) length about 2,5 times their width, covered with about 35-40 small spines.
Male genitalia (Figs. 69–71): Gnathos knob globular. Tegumen medially constricted; pedunculus long and slightly dilated. Transtilla robust, triangular, expanded along dorsal edge with upturned protuberance with two sharp apical points. Valvula narrow and elongate in rounded ventral part. Cucullus short, narrow at base, ear-shaped. Sacculus very sclerotized on outer edge, rounded ventral angle, dorsal angle with long and robust, curved protuberance, round at apex, jagged on inner side. Phallotheca with two juxta rods, one thinner and slightly longer, dilated in oval shape at apex and with long curved, sharp spine, the other larger, apical part with similar but more robust spine with smaller lateral spine at base. Three small cornuti, of scalar length inserted in large irregularly oblong base.
Female genitalia: Unknown.
Bionomy. The early stages and the foodplant are unknown.
Distribution. RSA (prov. Northern Cape).
Etymology. The name derives from that of the locality Quaggafontein = the source (Latin fons -ntis) of Quagga (Equus quagga).
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 page 193, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5071.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5723470