Phyllocnistis dorcas Meyrick, 1915

Brito, Rosângela, Lopez-Vaamonde, Carlos, Gonçalves, Gislene L., Becker, Vitor O., Mielke, Olaf H. H. & Moreira, Gilson R. P., 2017, Taxonomic revision of Neotropical Phyllocnistis Zeller, 1848 (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), with descriptions of seven new species and host plant associations, Zootaxa 4341 (3), pp. 301-352 : 311

Phyllocnistis dorcas Meyrick, 1915

Figs. 3F , 4F , 5 , S1; Tab. 2

Phyllocnistis dorcas ; Meyrick 1915b: 241. Davis & Miller 1984: 27. De Prins et al. 2016: 36.

Type material. Phyllocnistis dorcas Meyrick, 1915 was described based on a single specimen from Mallali, British Guiana. The specimen, identified as female, is deposited at NHMUK. The holotype ( Fig. 3F ) has the following labels (separated by forward slash symbols, Fig. 4F ): / Holotype / Mallali, Brit. Guiana. Parish. 3.13 [III.1913] / Meyrick Coll. B. M. 1938-290 / dorcas Meyr. / Phyllocnistis dorcas 1/1 Meyr. E. Meyrick det. in Meyrick Coll. / BMNH(E) 1412349 /.

Forewing length. 2.86 mm (n=1).

Diagnosis ( Figs. 3F, S 1; Tab. 2). Dorsal forewing: ground color silver. lf absent. tf l thin and faded, with scales that varies from light gray to dark brown, emerging from the costal margin and crossing inclined posteriorly towards the center of the wing, where it ends. tf2 with same coloration and thickness, obliquely to tf1, crossing to the inner margin close to the border between regions II and III. tf3 and tf4 are united forming a yellowish blotch on the distal region. The tf4 is distally followed by light gray band, preceding as. As previously mentioned, P. dorcas is similar to P. citrella , differentiated from this species by the absence of lf.

Geographical distribution ( Fig. 5 ). There is only one record of this species, for Mallali, Upper Demerara- Berbice region, British Guiana.

Natural history. Information not available.

Host plant(s). Unknown.

Examined material. Holotype.

Remarks. Meyrick did not describe the genitalia morphology of this species. Since there was a single specimen available from this species at the NHMUK, no genitalia were dissected for this review. Due to the loss of many setae and scales from the forewing, we were unable to analyze the strigulae of the single specimen.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Forewings of Neotropical Phyllocnistis. (A) P. abatiae holotype (left forewing reversed); (B) P. aurilinea lectotype (left, reversed); (C) P. baccharidis holotype (left, reversed); (D) P. bourquini holotype (right); (E) P. citrella lectotype (left, reversed); (F) P. dorcas holotype (right); (G) P. drimiphaga holotype (right); (H) P. helios holotype (right); (I) P. jupiter paratype (left, reversed); (J) P. kawakitai holotype (left, reversed); (K) P. maxberryi holotype (right); (L) P. meliacella holotype (right); (M) P. norak holotype (right); (N) P. ohshimai holotype (right); (O) P. ourea paratype (right); (P) P. perseafolia holotype (left, reversed); (Q) P. petronellii paratype (right); (R) P. phoebus paratype (left, reversed); (S) P. puyehuensis holotype (right); (T) P. rotans lectotype (right); (U) P. sciophanta holotype (left, reversed); (V) P. selene specimen (left, reversed); (W) P. sexangula lectotype (left, reversed); (X) P. tethys specimen (right); (Y) P. tropaeolicola holotype (right); (Z) P. wygodzinskyi holotype (left, reversed); (AA) P. xylopiella holotype (right). Scale bars: 1 (A – H, K, L, O, P, R – Z), 0.5 mm (I, J, M, N, Q, AA).

FIGURE 4. Labels of Neotropical Phyllocnistis types found in museums. (A) P. abatiae; (B) P. aurilinea; (C) P. baccharidis; (D) P. bourquini; (E) P. citrella; (F) P. dorcas; (G) P. drimiphaga; (H) P. helios; (I) P. jupiter; (J) P. kawakitai; (K) P. maxberryi; (L) P. meliacella; (M) P. norak; (N) P. ohshimai; (O) P. ourea; (P) P. perseafolia; (Q) P. petronellii; (R) P. phoebus; (S) P. puyehuensis; (T) P. rotans; (U) P. sciophanta; (V) P. selene; (W) P. sexangula; (X) P. tethys; (Y) P. tropaeolicola; (Z) P. wygodzinskyi; (AA) P. xylopiella.

FIGURE 5. Geographical distribution of Phyllocnistis species endemic to the Neotropical region.