Blastobasis taricheuta Meyrick 1909

Blastobasis taricheuta Meyrick, 1909

Blastobasis taricheuta Meyrick, 1909:372.—Janse, 1917: 192, check list.—Sinev, 2004:116.

DIAGNOSIS. Blastobasis taricheuta is similar in wing pattern to B. trachilista but can be distinguished from the latter genitalically by having a wider ostium, antrum, and posterior part of ductus bursae, and an inner surface of the corpus bursae that is not spinulate.

Relationships between Blastobasis taricheuta and B. trachilista are uncertain because the males of both species are unknown.

REDESCRIPTION.

Head: Vertex and frontoclypeus brown. Outer surface of labial palpus brown intermixed with pale brown scales on apical margin of segment II and basal area of segment III; inner surface brown intermixed with pale gray scales. Scape and flagellum of antenna brown. Proboscis brown.

Thorax: Tegula and mesonotum brown. Legs brown, with a pale brown band near middle of all segments and apices of all segments and tarsomeres. Forewing (Figure 50) length 9.6 mm (n = 1), brown intermixed with a few pale brown scales. Fringe brown. Undersurface brown. Hindwing pale brown.

Abdomen: Male genitalia: Unknown. Female genitalia (Figure 26): Eighth sternum with a darkly pigmented streak along median longitudinal axis; ostium slightly posterior to seventh segment; membrane posterolateral to ostium microtrichiate; posterior margin of seventh sternum broadly emarginated medially; ductus seminalis slightly anterior of antrum; ductus bursae longer than ovipositor, with anterior 1/3 with rows of internal, imbricate platelets; corpus bursae elliptical, with a hornlike signum on posterior end.

HOLOTYPE. ♀, “Type” [red label]; “[South Africa], Cape T[own], Lightfoot”; “Blastobasis taricheuta Meyr[ick], Type”; “Meyrick Det.”; “♀ Genitalia Slide by D. Adamski, No. 4539” [yellow label] [SAMC].