Phyllocnistis meliacella Becker, 1974

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 : 315-316

Phyllocnistis meliacella Becker, 1974

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

Phyllocnistis meliacella ; Becker 1974: 334, figs. 3A– C. Becker 1976: 84 –85, figs. 10A–C, 11E– G. Davis & Miller 1984: 27. De Prins et al. 2016: 36.

Type material. Phyllocnistis meliacella Becker, 1974 was described based on six specimens from Turrialba, Costa Rica. The male holotype figured in this review ( Fig. 3L ) is deposited at the USNM and has the following labels (separated by forward slash symbols, Fig. 4L ): / HOLOTYPE Phyllocnistis meliacella USNM 72096 / Ex leaves sp. Swietenia macrophylla / Turrialba, Costa Rica 600 m 8.V.1973 V. O. Becker col. /. According to the original description, three paratypes with no sex identification are currently deposited at the USNM and two additional paratypes with no sex identification are deposited at UCR.

Forewing length. 2.04 mm (n=1).

Diagnosis ( Figs. 3L, S 1; Tab. 2). Dorsal forewing: ground color light gray. lf pale yellow, short (restricted to region I, slightly touching distally on tf1) and entirely located on costal portion. On the inner portion of region I, a pale yellow blotch with darkned border. tf1 with the same coloration as lf, c-shaped, with blackened borders, crossing entirely the wing on the anterior portion of region II, bearing a small black dot on inner margin. tf2 faded and short, parallel to tf1, forming a small and faded blotch on the costal margin. tf3 and tf4 absent. As absent. Similarities on the forewing of this species are found compared to P. ohshimai Brito & Lopez-Vaamonde sp. nov. because both present the tf l in a c-shape, tf2 short, presence of a small blotch on the proximal region of the wing and the absence of as. However, they differs because the lf border is absent in P. ohshimai but blackened in P. meliacella , and in tf3 and tf4, which are absent in P. meliacella and present in P. ohshimai .

Geographical distribution ( Fig. 5 ). Specimens have distribution records for Turrialba, Cartago province and for Liberia city, Guanacaste province, Costa Rica, at 600 m elevation.

Natural history. According to Becker (1976), the larvae were found feeding on tissues of young leaves, bellow the epidermis of the abaxial surface. The mine is irregular, serpentine shaped and increases in size during the larval development. The cocoon, constructed by the last instar larva, is covered with silk and located in the distal portion of the mine next to the leaf border. Usually a single feeding larva is found per leaf. This species is considered multivoltine, because its larvae have a short life cycle (approximately one month), and it has been found to be active over the year.

Host plant(s). There are records of larvae from this species feeding on Cedrela odorata L., C. angustifolia Sessé & Moc. , C. tonduzzi C. de Candolle , Swietenia mahagoni (L.) Jacq., and S. macrophylla King (Meliaceae) .

Examined material. Holotype.

Remarks. According to the original description, the holotype was ruined during the shipment of part of the type material of Costa Rica to Brazil. Thus, the author designates for the original description another holotype, selected from a male paratype that is currently deposited at USNM. The author illustrated schematically the genitalia of both sexes, but due to the difficulty in drawing caused by the absence of appropriate equipment available at that time, few morphological features could be highlighted to distinguish it from other species belonging to the genus. Details regarding immature morphology were provided in an additional publication ( Becker, 1976), in which the author highlights the existence of inverted arch-shaped spines located on the abdominal terga of the pupae.

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.