Cryptolectica terminalina (Vari, 1961) Sruoga & Prins, 2023
- Dataset
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy
- Rank
- SPECIES
- Published in
- Sruoga, Virginijus, Prins, Jurate De (2023): New species, new country distribution records, and a new generic combination of Afrotropical Acrocercopinae (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae). Zootaxa 5285 (1): 75-115, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5285.1.3, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5285.1.3
Classification
- kingdom
- Animalia
- phylum
- Arthropoda
- class
- Insecta
- order
- Lepidoptera
- family
- Gracillariidae
- genus
- Acrocercops
- species
- Acrocercops terminalina
biology_ecology
Host plant (s). Terminalia silozensis Gibbs, Combretaceae (Vári 1961). Flight period. Adults fly in early February – March and in May (Vári 1961).
description
(Figs 9 A – I, 10 A – D)
diagnosis
Diagnosis. This species is most similar to Cryptolectica curvatum sp. nov. from the same locality and C. convexa sp. nov., known from DRC. The shape of valva, with strongly convex sacculus and almost straight costa are the main diagnostic characters in male genitalia. The female genitalia of this species can be separated from other Afrotropical Cryptolectica species by two signa comprised of numerous long, stout unequal spines arising from sclerotized oval base and increasing in sized proximally.
discussion
Remarks. According to the detailed redescription of Acrocercops Wallengren and Cryptolectica Vári by Kumata et al. (1988 a), this species better fits in the genus Cryptolectica. We transfer this species to Cryptolectica based on combination of characters, defined by Kumata et al. (1988 a), i. e. simple valva, without any comb and male abdominal segment VIII with a median sclerotization of dorsocephalic apodeme not extending onto the tergum. Besides, antennal scape in C. terminalina with a flap of scales, while according to Kumata et al. (1988 a) scape in Acrocercops is simple, without any pecten or tuft. In the wing venation of C. terminalina, R 4 and R 5 are entirely fused unlike in the species currently assigned to Cryptolectica with known wing venation. Long R 1, arising from basal 1 / 3 – 2 / 5 of cell and ending on costa at apical 1 / 3 – 2 / 5 of wing (Kumata et al. 2008 a) or R 1 1.2 – 2 × longer than width of the forewing (Noreika 1997) also can be used as helpful trait for Cryptolectica, however, at least in the type species C. monodecta (Meyrick, 1912), R 1 is much shorter, similarly as in C. terminalina. It seems that wing venation can be rather different among the species of Cryptolectica (Kumata et al. 1988 a; Triberti 2004) and is not always reliable for separating this genus. In the original description of C. terminalina, Vári (1961) didn’t mentioned a scale tuft on the ventral surface of the abdomen between segments VI and VII (Fig. 9 I). Probably it can be overlooked because this tuft is easily lost during maceration in KOH. Besides, the attachment place of the tuft can be hardly visible in some specimens as shown in Fig. 9 G.
distribution
Distribution. South Africa; Namibia; Zimbabwe (Vári 1961); Cameroon (new record).
materials_examined
Material examined. 11 ♁, 2 ♀, Cameroon, North Province, Faro River Camp, 275 m, 08 ° 23 ’ N 012 ° 49 ’ E, 01. v. 2005, leg. J. & W. De Prins. Gen. preps. VS 512, VS 539, VS 540, VS 541, VS 517, VS 566. Wing venation prep. VS 527. 18 ♁, same locality, 09. v. 2005, leg. J. & W. De Prins. Gen. prep. VS 547.1 ♁, Cameroon, North Province, Faro River Camp, 275 m, 08 ° 22 ’ N 012 ° 51 ’ E, 06. v. 2005, leg. J. & W. De Prins; 2 ♁, Cameroon, North Province, Faro River Camp, 275 m, 08 ° 25 ’ N 012 ° 47 ’ E, 04. v. 2005, leg. J. & W. De Prins, in coll. RBINS.