Homaloxestis lophophora Park & Prins 2019, stat. rev.

Homaloxestis lophophora Janse, 1954, stat. rev., valid species

(Figs. 3E, 4 D–H)

Homaloxestis lophophora Janse, 1954: 341. TL: Pretoria, South Africa. [TMSA].

Homaloxestis cholopis auct., (nec Meyrick 1932); Gozmány 1978: 67 (syn.); Park 2018: 562, misidentification.

Adult. (Fig. 3E). See Janse (1954, Pl. 170, Fig. 10). Wingspan 17 – 21 mm.

Diagnosis. Male genitalia (Fig. 4 D–G). see Janse (1954, Pl. 152, Fig. 2 - photo; Pl. 176, Fig. 1 - photo). 1) the basal lobes of uncus emarginated medially on caudal margin (Fig. 4 D-1) and the basal plate of the gnathos wider; 2) the cucullus with triangularly produced, apically pointed process at lower corner (Fig. 4 D-2) (not sharply produced in H. cholopis); 3) the outer margin of cucullus more deeply concave beyond the process at lower corner (Fig. 4 D- 3), 4) conic pegs in vesica of the aedeagus less numerous than in H. cholopis (Fig. 4 E-4).

Female genitalia (Fig. 4H). See Janse (1954, Pl. 178, Figs. 5 & 6 - photos). In the female genitalia, a slight difference can also be found in the number of conic spines in the ductus bursae which is lower in H. lophophora than in H. cholopis; corpus bursae much more elongate, as long as ductus bursae, whereas it is ovate in H. cholopis.

Material examined. [South Africa] Type no. 3353, ♂ (lectotype, designated here), [South Africa], Pretoria, 10 x 1917, C.J. Swierstra, gen. slide no. CIS-6579, deposited in TMSA, Fig. 3E. Paralectotypes: Types nos. 3354 – 3386 (gen. slide nos. CIS-5634, 6580, 6584, 6586, 6587, 6588, 6592). The species was described based on 12♂ and 22♀, collected from Barberton, Colenso, Durban, Melmoth, New Hanover, Nylstroom, Pretoria, Rietfontein, Rustenburg, Umkomaas, Umvuma, and Waterval Onder. A pair of an undetermined species placed in a separate drawer was examined, and both specimens were identified as H. lophophora: 1♂ and 1♀, Plot 12 Vaal River, Salsol Berg, 13 iii 1982, D.M. Kroon, gen. slide no. CIS-7227/ Park (♂) and CIS-7228/ Park (♀) (Fig. 4H). [Cameroon] 1♂, Efulen, H.L. Weber, Acc. C.M. 6122; Apr. 25 1916, gen. slide no. CIS-6853/Park; 1♂, same locality, H.L. Weber, Ac. 4938, May 10 1913; 1♂, same locality, H.L. Weber, Ac. 5251, Feb. 26 1914. [Gabon] 1♂, CM Acc. 4189, Nov. 9 1909, gen. slide no. CIS-6858/Park. [Kenya], 1♂, Lift Valley, Lake Elementeita, 6000 ft, 10 xii 1999, leg. D.J.L. Agassiz, gen. slide no. CIS-7126/Park; 2♂, Lift Valley, Turi 8000 ft, 20 v 1999 & 27 vi 1999, leg. D.J.L. Agassiz; 1♀, Central, Thika 6000 ft, 30 iii 1999, leg. D.J.L. Agassiz, gen. slide no. CIS-7127/Park.

Distribution. Cameroon (Park 2018), Gabon (Park 2018), Kenya (new record), South Africa (Janse 1954).

Remarks. The record of Homaloxestis cholopis (Meyrick, 1906) from South Africa (Transvaal) by Janse (1954) was due to a misidentification. H. lophophora Janse was synonymized with H. cholopis Meyrick by Gozmány (1978). However, in the present study, we carefully re-examined both species, comparing their male & female genitalia, H. cholopis Meyrick (from Taiwan, China) and H. lophophora Janse (from Cameroon, Kenya), and found that H. lophophora can be distinguished from the Oriental species by male and female genitalia. In addition, the DNA analysis using the mitochondrial COI gene for the above two species showed a remarkable genetic distance. The Afrotropical species, H. lophophora is generally larger than H. cholopis, with the forewing ground color more fuscous. Thus, H. lophophora Janse, stat. rev. is treated as a valid species, separate from the Oriental species, H. cholopis Meyrick.

Published as part of Park, Kyu-Tek & Prins, Willy De, 2019, A review of the Lecithoceridae (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea) of southern Africa, based on type specimens deposited in the Ditsong National Museum of Natural History (TMSA), with descriptions of three new species, pp. 61-89 in Zootaxa 4623 (1) on pages 69-70, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4623.1.5, http://zenodo.org/record/32…