The Male Genitalia of the New Zealand Gelechiidae.

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 58, 1928, Page 348

The Male Genitalia of the New Zealand Gelechiidae. By ALfred PHilpott, Hon. Research Student in Lepidoptera, Cawthron Institute, Nelson, New Zealand. [Read before the Nelson Philosophical Society 31st August, 1927; received by Editor. 10th September, 1927; issued separately. 12th November, 1927. The Gelechiidae form the largest family of the Tineoidea, there being about 400 genera and more than 3,500 known specie. Meyrick, in his revision of the family (Genera Insectorum, fasc. 184 (1925)), regards the group as one of “rather modern development, which has succeeded in adapting itself to a great variety of situations.” The distribution of the family is practically world-wide, though there are few representatives in oceanic islands. Only ten genera are found in New Zealand and, so far, no endemic genus has been discovered. Of the thirty-three species now known as occurring in New Zealand, one is also found in Australia and two others are accidentally introduced widely spread forms. Of the remaining thirty, Gelechia and its ally Phthorimaea account for eighteen species, leaving twelve to be distributed among seven other genera. In view of the paucity of the New Zealand representation of the family, it is not advisable to attempt any general diagnosis of the genitalia structure therefrom; attention will therefore be at once directed to the individual genera. Oegoconia Stainton. (Fig. 1.) The European O. quadripuncta Haw. has been accidentally introduced into New Zealand. The genus exhibits certain affinities with the Oecophoridae and the male genitalia are certainly very similar to those of such Oecophorid genera as Borkhausenia and Gymnobathra. Tegumen not fused but closely attached to vinculum, moderately broad, with well developed curved narrow uncus. Gnathos united and produced as a straight prong, upcurved at apex. Aedeagus moderate, tubular, at apex a membranous extension bent backwards at an acute angle with a brush of hair at extremity. Juxta a small triangular plate. Vinculum small, narrow, saccus hardly developed. Harpes broad, entire, with a short pointed lobe (sacculus?) beyond middle within. Anisoplaca Meyrick. (Figs. 2–4.) A small genus with scattered members in South America, South Africa and Java. There are three New Zealand species. Tegumen free or imperfectly fused with vinculum, broad; uncus well developed, apically dilated. Gnathos with a strong sickle-shaped prong. Vinculum small, narrow, saccus only slightly developed. Aedeagus very small, much swollen at base, with long firm ejaculatory

duct. Juxta absent. Harpes simple, entire, moderate to broad; A. ptyoptera differs from the other two in the shape of the harpes, which are more leaf-like and have a small tuft of stiff hairs on lower apical angle. Gelechia Hubner. (Figs. 5–12.) This world-wide genus, of which there are over 400 known forms, has ten representatives in New Zealand; eight of these are here dealt with. In the New Zealand section the genitalia are remarkably alike in all the species, and are therefore of comparatively little value to the systematist. Careful comparison will, however, usually reveal small differences. The apex of the main prong of the harpes and the saccus offer the best points of comparison; the position of the gnathos (as figured) is not necessarily of value, as this organ is moveable and does not always appear in the same relative place in a preparation. The eighth segment is much modified. It is deeply cleft laterally, and the tergite and sternite are produced caudally as concave plates above and below the genitalia. These plates, or sheaths, are usually covered with short hairs and in some instances a pencil of long hairs springs from the tergite near its base, reaching to beyond its apex. Tegumen not fused with vinculum, broad, with broadly rounded short uncus. Gnathos a strong sickle-shaped prong. Aedeagus very short, pistol-shaped. Vinculum fused to base of harpes and harpes fused along ventral basal margin, thus forming a strong concavity within which lies the aedeagus. Saccus short and narrow. Harpes with long thin main prong and a pair of short basal ones. Phthorimaea Meyrick. (Figs. 13–16.) A large genus, containing upwards of 200 species, the majority of which are palaearctic though representatives are found in Africa, India, America and Australia. In addition to the introduced potatoe pest, P. operculella Z., there are eight endemic species in New Zealand. Only four species have been examined. The genitalia are of the same type as Gelechia; the aedeagus is usually slightly longer and the saccus a little more developed. Tegumen long, narrow to moderate; uncus broad, rounded. Gnathos as in Gelechia but tending to be weaker. Aedeagus small, pistol-shaped. Juxta absent. Vinculum fused with harpes as in Gelechia. Harpes as in Gelechia. P. operculella departs from the typical structure in several details. The eighth segment is more produced, or more deeply cleft; the sternite is clothed with dense long hair-scales and the tergite with short erect scales. The gnathos has an inflated round basal piece from which rises a spoon-shaped structure fitting closely within the tegumen. The aedeagus is much longer than usual, and the vinculum is correspondingly developed. Thiotricha Meyrick. (Fig. 17.) “(Characteristically Indo-Malayan, with a considerable Australian section (many Queensland) and scattered elements in Europe, Africa, South America and New Zealand.” (Meyrick.) Of the three New Zealand species only one has been available for examination.

Lettering. ae, aedeagus; at, anal tube; c, colon; de, ductus ejaculatorius; g, gnathos; h, harpes; j, Juxta; s, saccus; sg, surgonopods; teg, tegumen; t, transtilla; u, uncus; vin, vinculum; 8s, eighth sternite; 8t, eighth tergite. Fig. 1.—Oegoconia quadripuncta Stt. A, male genitalia, lateral view; B, harpe, inner view; D, aedeagus; E, vinculum. Fig. 2.—Anisoplaca ptyoptera Meyr. A, male genitalia, lateral view; B, harpe, inner view; C, uncus, dorsal view; D, aedeagus. Fig. 3.—A. achyrota Meyr. A, male genitalia, lateral view; B, harpe, inner view; C, uncus, dorsal view; D, aedeagus. Fig. 4.—A. acrodactyla Meyr. A, male genitalia, lateral view; B, harpe, inner view; C, tegumen, dorsal view; D, aedeagus. Fig. 5.—Gelechia aerobatis Meyr. A, male genitalia, lateral view; B. harpes and vinculum, from above; C, uncus, dorsal view; D, aedeagus. Fig 6.—G. lithodes Meyr. A, male genitalia, lateral view; B, harpes and vinculum, from above; C, uncus, dorsal view; D, aedeagus.

Eighth segment with sternite only produced, this being upcurved apically and cleft into a pair of processes. Tegumen not fused with vinculum; uncus a concave circular plate. Gnathos fused near base and extending between harpes as a long sickle-shaped prong. Vinculum small, saccus only slightly developed. Aedeagus short, stout, basally swollen. Juxta formed by flat expansions from lower basal angles of harpes which meet and are united on the meson. Harpes consisting of a long narrow sinuate main lobe with widely expanded apical portion and another lobe about half as long slightly attached at base; the shorter lobe is hairy and has a pair of strong curved bristles at its apex. Aristotelia Hubner. (Fig. 18.) This large genus, containing about 250 known species is practically world-wide, though but a single form has been recorded from New Zealand. Eighth segment little modified. Tegumen not fused with vinculum, moderately broad; uncus broad, slightly dilated apically. Gnathos broad, forming at apex a spatulate upturned plate. Vinculum narrow, arms incurved; saccus short, narrow. Aedeagus rather large, tapering to apex, which is truncate. Juxta a pair of membranous cone-shaped pieces lying along upper basal margin of harpes. Harpes with main prong moderately broad, lower apical angle produced to a point, a broad weakly chitinised basal plate or flap (about half as long as main prong) extending ventrally and terminating in a sharp point. Megacraspedus Zeller. (Fig. 19.) As in the case of the preceding genus, New Zealand possesses but a single example of a widely spread group. Eighth segment not much modified, sternite slightly produced and armed round caudal region with long hair. Tegumen not fused with vinculum, broad, with square process at middle of basal margin; uncus broad, rounded. Gnathos fused near base and forming a strongly chitinised curved prong. Aedeagus short, very stout, flask-shaped. Juxta absent. Vinculum very weak with narrow arms, basal portion dechiti-

Fig. 7.—G. monophragma Meyr. A, male genitalla, lateral view; C. uncus, dorsal view; D, aedeagus; E, vinculum. Fig. 8.—G. parapleura Meyr. A, male genitalla, lateral view; B, harpe and vinculum, from above; C, uncus, dorsal view; D, aedeagus. Fig. 9.—G. neglecta Philp. A, male genitalia, lateral view; B, harpes and vinculum, from above; C, uncus, dorsal view; D, aedeagus. Fig. 10.—G. lapillosa Meyr. A, male genitalia, lateral view; B, harpe and vinculum, from above; D, aedeagus. Fig. 11.—G. dividua Philp. A, male genitalia, lateral view; B, harpe and vinculum, from above; D, aedeagus. Fig. 12.—G. schematica Meyr. A, male genitalia, lateral view; B, harpes and vinculum, from above; C, uncus, dorsal view; D, aedeagus. Fig. 13.—Phthorimaea cheradias Meyr. A, male genitalia, lateral view; B, harpe and vinculum, from above; C, uncus, dorsal view; D, aedeagus.

nised so that arms are only membranously united. Harpes narrow, triangularly expanded at apex, a weak pointed inner lobe and lower basal angle extended beneath aedeagus, thus acting as a juxta. Lecithocera Herrich-Schaffer. (Fig. 20.) A large Indo-Malayan genus with some extension to Africa and Australia. The single New Zealand species is found in Australia also. Eighth, segment divided along median ventral line. Tegumen not fused with vinculum, broad. The anal opening seems to be through the back of the tegumen, but this apparent abnormality is owing to the broad gnathos forming a fused ring directed almost in a line with the tegumen. Gnathos hatchet-shaped, broad. Aedeagus short, stout, curved. Juxta a concave plate with lateral lobes embracing aedeagus. Harpes large, broad entire, curved upwards Sitotroga Heinemann. (Fig. 21.) Monotypic. The almost cosmopolitan pest of stored grain, S. cerealella Ol., has been accidentally introduced into New Zealand. Tegumen moderately broad with narrower uncus which is slightly indented apically, not fused, but closely attached to vinculum. Gnathos sickle-shaped, weak. Aedeagus moderate, spindle-shaped. Vinculum narrow, with short saccus. Juxta absent. Harpes rounded, entire, but with long apical prong bent rectangularly downwards, clothed with dense hair on apical half. Stomopteryx Heinemann. (Fig. 23.) A considerable genus of worldwide distribution though chiefly characteristic of the Palaearctic region. The only New Zealand representative is a new species described elsewhere in this volume. By an unfortunate transposition of drawings the male genitalia of Gelechia neglecta Philp. are figured (under the name of Stomopteryx simplicella Walk.) for those of the present species in Trans. N.Z. Inst., 55, 666. Tegumen not fused with vinculum, broad; uncus narrow, apex slightly bifid. Gnathos strong, sickle-shaped. Vinculum with very narrow arms which are closely attached to bases of harpes; saccus broad, apex almost truncate. Juxta absent, but between the arms of the vinculum is an irregular membranous process, through an aper-

Fig. 14.—P. operculclla Z. A, male genitalia, lateral view; B, harpe, inner view; C, tegumen and vinculum, lateral view; D, aedeagus; F, gnathos and uncus, from beneath. Fig. 15.—P. glaucoterma Meyr. A, male genitalia, dorsal view; B, harpe and vinculum, from above; D, aedeagus. Fig. 16.—P. brontophora Meyr. A, male genitalia, lateral view; B, harpe and vinculum, from above; D, aedeagus. Fig. 17.—Thiotricha tetraphala Meyr. A, male genitalia, lateral view; B, harpe, inner view; C, uncus, dorsal view; D, aedeagus; E, vinculum; G, apex of eighth sternite. Fig. 18.—Aristotelia paradesma. Meyr. A, male genitalia, lateral view; B, harpe, inner view; C, uncus, dorsal view; D, aedeagus; E, vinculum; F, gnathos, from beneath.

ture at the base of which the aedeagus passes. Aedeagus moderately long, sinuate, base much swollen and with a thin long arched process rising from it, curving upwards and then downwards back to aedeagus near apex. Harpes entire, rather narrow and rectangularly bent upwards at middle. Apatetris Staudinger. (Fig. 22.) A comparatively small genus (about 40 species) with head-quarters in Australia and outlying species in Africa, Europe and India. One species is found in New Zealand. Genitalia small. Tegumen and vinculum closely attached, but not fused, to what appears to be the greatly modified transtilla; the tegumen is small and cleft into two lobes apically. Uncus not developed, but a pair of large surgonopods is present; these being deeply concave form a shelter within which lies the anal tube. Aedeagus very small, beaked at apex and much swollen basally, it is placed unusually ventrad of the harpes. Vinculum narrow, lateral arms with a small prong midway on caudal margin; saccus small. Harpes short, entire, with a prominent inner fold on basal portion; closely attached to base is a pear-shaped plate (transtilla?) which here functions as a brace or stay between the tegumen and vinculum.

Fig. 19.—Megacraspedus calamogona Meyr. A, male genitalia, lateral view; B. harpe, inner view; D, aedeagus; F, gnathos, from beneath. Fig. 20.—Lecithocera micromela Low. A, male genitalia, lateral view; B, harpe, inner view; C, tegumen, dorsal view; D, aedeagus; H, juxta. Fig. 21.—Sitotroga cerealella Ol. A, male genitalia, lateral view; B, harpe, inner view; C, uncus, dorsal view; D, aedeagus. Fig. 22.—Apatetris melanombra Meyr. A, male genitalia, lateral view; B, harpe and transtilla, inner view; C. uncus, dorsal view; D, aedeagus; E, vinculum. Fig. 23.—Stomopteryx n. sp. A, male genitalia, lateral view; B, harpe, inner view; C, uncus, dorsal view; D, aedeagus; E, vinculum.