Diphtheroptila djabu De Prins, Sruoga & Zwick, 2025

Prins, Jurate De, Hartley, Diana, Sruoga, Virginijus, Nicholls, James, Wallace, Jesse & Zwick, Andreas, 2025, Diversity of Australian Ornixolinae (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) with taxonomic and nomenclatural acts within the related taxa (Acrocercopinae and Gracillariinae) based on the evidence of museomics, bionomics, and mitogenomics, Zootaxa 5616 (1), pp. 1-340 : 104-105

Diphtheroptila djabu De Prins, Sruoga & Zwick , sp. nov.

( Figs 146, 164, 165, 196, 197, 241, 242, 267, 285, 638)

Type locality: Australia, Queensland, Kuranda.

Type specimens: Holotype ♀: [labels verbatim] [1] Australia QLD [Queensland]/ 16.49S 145.38E / Kuranda / em.[emerged] 8 Mar. [March]1998/ T. & M. Kumata [2] Host 5954, DNA sample NULT024708, genitalia slide ANIC 6213 , ANIC Acc. no 31 085523, in ANIC (Canberra).

Paratype 1 specimen: without abdomen, Australia, Queensland, 16.49S 145.38E, Kuranda, 5 March 1998, T. & M. Kumata, Host 5954, in ANIC (Canberra) .

Type depository. Australian National Insect Collection, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.

Diagnosis: This species belongs to the complex of Diphtheroptila species that cannot easily be diagnosed based on external characters. Internal morphology, based on genitalia morphological characters, bionomics and mitogenomics are the character sets that serve to distinguish the species within the genus Diphtheroptila . In this particular case we diagnose D. djabu sp. nov. based on female genitalia characters, mitogenomics and with supportive information from bionomics. Nevertheless, despite the similarity in external characters and observed variability in wing pattern within the Diphtheroptila species, the absence of mid fascia of forewing might helps to diagnose the D. djabu sp. nov. from the similar-looking other Diphtheroptila species. The presence of a black spot on the frons is a unique character attributed only to D. djabu sp. nov. within this complex and assists a lot to separate this species from other ones within the complex. The forewing ornamentation within this new species is concentrated on the dorsal half of the forewing, while the costal half is without clearly defined ornaments. The evidence-based diagnostic characters within this D. djabu sp. nov. should be looked in internal morphology (differences in genitalia characters), and mitogenomics (genetic distances based on analysis of longer sequences). Following internal micromorphology of females D. djabu sp. nov. is the closest to D. cairna sp. nov. Both species possess a semi-round sclerotisation connecting ductus bursae and corpus bursae. However, sterigmatic pattern of sternum VII is different and diagnostic for each of the compared species. Sterigma (lamella post-vaginalis) of D. djabu sp. nov. reminds mostly the one of D. crotonella sp. nov. Both species possess fused semi-round sclerotisations on sternum VII, however the combination of other characters of female internal morphology, as described in the present article, diagnose both species easily. Herewith we present a short diagnosis based on the female genitalia diagnosing D. djabu sp. nov., D. cairna sp. nov. and D. crotonella sp. nov. All three species have a similar-looking spot-shaped signum, situated at the anterior 1/3 of corpus bursae, crossed with a sclerotised triangular dentate projection. All three species have strongly developed colliculum. A semi-round plate is present on the connection between ductus bursae and corpus bursae in D. djabu sp. nov. and D. cairna sp. nov. Such plate is absent in D. crotonella sp. nov. Posterior margin of sterigma is indented in D. djabu sp. nov. and D. crotonella sp. nov. Posterior margin of sterigma in D. cairna sp. nov. is almost straight and covered with curled mini spicules. In D. djabu sp. nov. ostium bursae is open, without developed lamella ante-vaginalis, while in D. cairna sp. nov. lamella ante-vaginalis is triangular, funnel-shaped; in D. crotonella sp. nov. lamella ante-vaginalis is concave with several (4–5) sclerotised tiny lines.

Mitogenomic data place D. djabu sp. nov. as the sister species to D. cairna sp. nov. and micromorphology partly agree with this systematic placement.

Description: Wingspan ca. 5.9–6.0 mm; length of the forewing ca. 2.9 mm ( Fig. 146).

Head ( Figs 164, 165): vertex covered with a tuft of light beige long piliform scales directed anteriorly; occiput with two tufts of concolourous with vertex short piliform scales positioned radially. Frons of slightly lighter shading than vertex, shining with smaller (in the holotype) or larger (in the paratype) black spot; a black line, visible only from the frontal view, connecting antennae, going through scape and then continuing along the other side of head is characteristic for this complex; a brush of standing, short, slightly darker shading than frons, piliform, scales of different lengths is present at inner side of eye; labrum is of the same shading as frons. Maxillary palpus short, ca. as long as scape, directed forward with sharp apex, covered with lose short piliform scales, snowy white with light grey shading at base. Labial palpus relatively long, ca. 2× longer than the diameter of the eye, slightly curved, palpus distancing from each other, basal palpomeres dark fuscous, mid palpomere ochreous fuscous, carrying long piliform, light and dark ochreous piliform scales of different lengths, apical palpomere snowy white with sharp apex. Proboscis light beige. Antenna about ¼ longer than the forewing, light fuscous dorsally, flagellomeres with narrow golden shining apices; ventrally antenna light beige; pedicel slightly shorter and thicker than the rest of flagellomeres; scape light ochreous beige with slightly darker ochreous part, pecten not perceptible.

Thorax ( Figs 146, 197): thorax and tegula ochreous fuscous. Forewing narrowly elongated, equal in width along all its length, with a gently rounded apex, ground colour dark ochreous beige with ornamental pattern on dorsal half of forewing. First dorsal at base of forewing, oblique, reaching the midline of forewing with its tip, followed by a group of three slightly oblique strigulae strictly cut at the midline of forewing, the second group of three strigulae at mid of forewing, slightly oblique, reaching the midline of forewing with their costal ends, a small, curved, comma-shaped strigula at 3/4 of dorsal margin, the last group of longer, narrow, irregularly shaped strigulae at sub-apical part of dorsal margin, apical part is bordered by arc-shaped, fine, light ochreous white, with fuscous ochreous apical edging fascia, apical spot is curved comma shaped, with neighbouring two white strigulae at costal margin; costal half of forewing with traces of ornaments with fuscous patches in sub-apical part; apical line very thin, shining black, distinct. The fringe line not sharply defined consisting of prolonged scales with dark fuscous bases and apices. Fringe grey with silver shine, with the darkest shade at mid of forewing, shorter at tornus, the longest at sub-apical part and again shortening towards base of forewing. Hindwing narrow, elongate, sharply pointed, ground colour fuscous with dark ochreous shading, fringe long, ca. 6× longer than the width of hindwing at the base, with the longest piliform scales hanging at the base of the dorsum of the hindwing. Foreleg ochreous fuscous, having more or less concolourous colour of tibia and tarsus with slight different level of shine and shading, fore tibia with bronze shine, tarsus matte; mid tibia and tarsomere I with interchangeable noncontrastive pattern of darker and lighter grey, fuscous, tarsomeres II–V light grey with darker bases, tip of tarsus light fuscous grey, tibial spurs short, slightly shorter than tarsomere I, ochreous; hind femur ochreous grey, hind tibia fuscous ochreous with a row of long erect impressive spines along tibia; median spurs long, as long as about 2/3 of tibia length, light ochreous fuscous, apical spurs short, ochreous fuscous, tarsomeres fuscous with golden ochreous apices, tip of hind tarsus light ochreous.

Abdomen ( Figs 196, 267): Tergites I–VII ochreous fuscous, sternites white ochreous with obvious five oblique dark brown stripes on lateral sides of abdomen. Abdominal opening triangular, lateral margins of abdominal opening strongly sclerotised, double lined, ventral crossing joint with narrowly sclerotised anterior margin; sternal apodemes initiating at the corners of abdominal opening are of mid length, and mid-size, straight, entering anterior 1/3 of segment II, tergal lateral sclerotisations of the abdominal opening at a distance from each other. The initiating point of tergal apodemes is the anterior end of lateral tergal sclerotisations on tergum I, tergal apodemes have a short appendage at the base; tergal apodemes thin, straight, slightly approaching each other, rather long, reaching posterior part of segment 2; apical part of tergal apodemes sharp. Anterior margins of segments III–VI in females narrowly and finely sclerotised, anterior margin of segment VII and the joint between segment VI and VII in females with strong melanisation.

Male genitalia: No data.

Female genitalia ( Figs 241, 242): Papillae anales fused and strongly flattened, covered with long, thin, setae of different lengths; apophyses posteriores short, slightly bent at apical part, terminating at posterior margin of segment VIII, segment VIII is short, weakly sclerotised; apophyses anteriores initiate at the posterior edge of segment VII, with very broad bases and strongly sharpening towards apices; segment VII moderately sclerotised with two lobed or fused semicircular lamellae post-vaginalis that form m-shaped pattern on sub-posterior part of sternum VII; ostium bursae opens anterior part of sternum VII as gently rounded opening; antrum+ductus bursae short, thick in diameter. Ductus bursae short, broad, strongly sclerotised, of equal length along its main part, with a semi-round plate on the connection between ductus bursae and corpus bursae; corpus bursae long, sac-shaped with strongly squamous wall; a single signum is located on the anterior 1/3 of corpus bursae, signum is spot shaped with a triangular dentiform projection. Bulla seminalis rather big but about 5× smaller than corpus bursae with lightly but visibly sclerotised ductus seminalis that enters the joint between ductus and corpus bursae.

Individual variation: the species is described from two specimens. There is no variation observed, significant enough to be mentioned.

Bionomics ( Fig. 285): This species is feeding on an unidentified species of host plant ( Fig. 285), most probably belonging to the family Phyllanthaceae . Mining period probably the last week of February. Flight period starts during the first week or decade of March.

Mitogenomic data: The species is relatively closely related to D. cairna sp. nov., with very strong support for their sister relationship in all analyses ( Fig. 638).

Distribution: Known only from the type locality: Australia: Queensland, Kuranda.

Etymology: The specific name derives from the name of the tribe of Aboriginal people ‘Dja-bu-guy’ who live in the Kuranda region, the type locality of this new species. It is a noun in apposition.