A review of the genus Scrobipalpa Janse, 1951 (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae) in the Afrotropical region Author Bidzilya, Oleksiy V. text Zootaxa 2021 2021-11-19 5070 1 1 83 journal article 2814 10.11646/zootaxa.5070.1.1 1f9abb22-5370-4d38-bcd1-5595a8ec8e59 1175-5326 5712529 C503CE0D-7175-4D9C-8FF6-85A046A872B3 Scrobipalpa aptatella ( Walker, 1864 ) Figs 87 , 149 , 194 Gelechia aptatella Walker, 1864: 636 . Gelechia heliopa Lower, 1900: 417 . Synonymized by Gaede 1937: 261–262 . Scrobipalpa heliopa Walker, 1864 — Janse 1951: 199 . Scrobipalpa ( Scrobipalpa ) heliopa Walker, 1864 — Povolný 1967: 211 . Material examined . Ethiopia : 1 ♀ , Athiopien , Addis-Abeba , 20.v.1979 | Dr. Angenstein Mgdbg. , DDR, 3461 (gen. slide 191/07, O. Bidzilya ) ( MfN ) . South Africa : 1 ♂ , Umkomaas , 24.i.1914 ( Janse ) (gen. slide 8517) ; 1 ♂ , Natal , Weenen , 2840 ft. , i.1924 ( Thomasset ) ; 1 ♀ , Pret. North , 26.ii.1917 ( Swierstra ) ; 1 ♀ , Pretoria , 3.xii.09 ( Janse ) (gen. slide 5473) ; 2 ♂ , Rustenburg TP, i.1934 (Smith) (gen. slide 143/17, O. Bidzilya); 1 ♂ , Barberton , 18.i.1911 ( Janse ) (gen. slide 4394) ; 1 ♂ , Rustenburg, TP ., i.1934 ( Smith ) (all TMSA ) . Namibia : 1 ♂ , Brandberg , Wasserfallfläche , 1940 m , 18.iii.2001 , Malaise-Falle ( Mey ) (gen. slide 34/07, O. Bidzilya ) ( MfN ) . Diagnosis. Scrobipalpa aptatella is easily distinguished superficially by its light brown forewing without distinct markings, and palpomere 3 of the labial palpus 1/2 the length of palpomere 2; in most of other Scrobipalpa species palpomere 2 is conspicuously shorter. The male genitalia are easily recognized by a vincular process that is longer than the sacculus, in combination with a long and broad saccus. Scrobipalpa ergasima is another Afrotropical species that has a sacculus shorter than the vincular process, but all other characters of the male genitalia are quite different. In the female genitalia, the combination of a long broad antrum and short apophyses anteriores are characteristic. Biology. Larvae were recorded feeding on Nicotiana tabacum (Solanaceae) in South Africa ( Prinsloo & Uys 2015: 311 ) and on Nicotiana sp. in DR Congo ( Ghesquière 1940: 50 ). Adults fly from December to March and in May. Distribution . Australian region ( Australia , New Zealand , Samoa ); introduced in the Afrotropical ( Cape Verde , DR Congo , Kenya , Ethiopia (first record), Tanzania , Malawi , Zimbabwe , Namibia , South Africa ; might be distributed broader), Oriental ( India , Sri-Lanka, Malaysia , Indonesia ) and Palaearctic (South Europe, Northern Africa, Middle East, Arabian Peninsula, China ) regions ( Ghesquière 1940 , Báez & García 2005 ; Bidzilya & Li 2010 ; Huemer & Karsholt 2010 ; De Prins & De Prins 2021 ).