Phyllonorycter, Hubner, 1822, Hubner, 1822

Triberti, Paolo, Staude, Hermann, Sharp, Ian & Lopez-Vaamonde, Carlos, 2024, Exploring the diversity of Gracillariidae (Lepidoptera) in South Africa: host plants, distribution, and DNA barcoding analysis, with the description of nine new species, Zootaxa 5529 (1), pp. 1-51 : 25

Key to species of melanosparta group based on female genitalia

1. Corpus bursae drop-like, just a slight enlargement of caudal part of ductus bursae, one small sclerotized signum on corpus bursae, signa plate absent.............................................................................. 2

- Corpus bursae round or slightly oval sac-shaped, signa plate present............................................ 3

2. Antrum sclerotized, tubular, signum on corpus bursae tiny, pointed...................................... anchistea

- Antrum not sclerotized, signum on corpus bursae small, heavily sclerotized, oval-shaped, with two tiny lateral barbs... aarviki

3. Antrum and posterior part of ductus bursae sclerotized............................................ melanosparta

- Antrum and the whole ductus bursae fully membranous.................................. pseudogrewiella sp. nov.

Description of adult. Forewing length 2.5 mm. Head. Vertex ochreous, frons smooth, brown ochreous. Labial palpus whitish, darkly spotted ventrally on each segment. Antennae greyish white, each flagellomere ringed with dark; scape and pedicel clearer. Thorax. Tegulae and dorsum bright ochreous, with scattered dark scales; legs white, fore femur and tibia dark fuscous dorsally, tarsi missing; mid femur and tibia ochreous, dark spotted basally and apically, first tarsus with three spots, the rest missing; hind leg with femur and tibia grey ochreous, becoming darker at apex, both spurs dark stained, tarsal segment 1 with three dark spot, 2–3 with a dark subapical patch. Wings. Forewing ochreous in the basal half, paler in the apical half, markings formed of black irroration, very irregular; a spread of dark scales at ¼, where a basal streak is not discernible but a costal strigula is present, oblique towards base; a fascia sharply angulated towards apex at 2/4; a second fascia at 3/4 running parallel to the dorsal branch of the first which, due to some diverging dark scales, looks like an inverse Y; subapical area irrorated with blackish fuscous scales; cilia not visible ( Figs 23 , 30 ). Hindwing pale grey. Abdomen. Segment VIII slightly longer than VII, separated from the latter by a very short intersegmental membrane; anterior margin of segment VII shortly projecting. Male genitalia. Unknown. Female genitalia. Posterior apophyses very long, straight, almost touching the posterior margin of segment VII in full extension; anterior apophyses strong, short, about a quarter of the posterior ones long. Ostium bursae oval, located at anterior margin of segment VII; antrum membranous, just outlined, funnel-shaped; ductus bursae membranous, thin and long almost three times as long as segment VIII; corpus bursae small and round, with a slightly sclerotized, elliptical plate bearing a pair of cone-shaped signa in its centre ( Fig. 57 ).

Biology. Grewia flavescens ( Malvaceae ) ( Figs 81-83 ).

Distribution. South Africa (Limpopo, Gauteng, Mpumalanga).

DNA barcodes. Six barcoded specimens forming a single BIN BOLD:ADT0580.

Figures

FIGURES 19–24. Adults of South African Gracillariidae. 19, Leucocercops curatellifoliae, Limpopo, Hoedspruit, A. & I. Sharp leg. 20, Telamoptilia cordati, Limpopo, Hoedspruit, A. & I. Sharp leg. 21, Cameraria melhaniella sp. nov., Limpopo, Hoedspruit, A. & I. Sharp leg. 22, Phyllonorycter grewiella, Limpopo, Hoedspruit, A. & I. Sharp leg. 23, P. pseudogrewiella sp. nov., Limpopo, Hoedspruit, A. & I. Sharp leg. 24, Acrocercops loxias, Rajputana, Jodhpur (India), syntype.

FIGURES 25−30. Forewing pattern of South African Gracillariidae. 25, Leucocercops curatellifoliae sp. nov., Limpopo. 26, Phodoryctis tephrosiella sp. nov., Gauteng. 27, Telamoptilia cordati sp. nov., South Africa, Limpopo. 28, Telamoptilia sp., Madagascar. 29, Cameraria melhaniella sp. nov., Limpopo. 30, Phyllonorycter pseudogrewiella sp. nov., Limpopo.

FIGURES 56–57. Female genitalia of South African Gracillariidae. 56, Telamoptilia cordati sp. nov., paratype: ventral view. 57, Phyllonorycter pseudogrewiella sp. nov., holotype: lateral view. (All scale bar 190 μm).

FIGURES 78–83. Immature stages of South African Gracillariidae. 78, Phodoryctis tephrosiella, mines on Tephrosia rhodesica (Fabaceae). Gauteng, Tshwane, A. Sharp leg. 79, Conopobathra carbunculata, mines on Peltophorum africanum (Fabaceae), Limpopo, York, A. & I. Sharp leg. 80, Phyllonorycter grewiella, mine on Grewia hexamita (Malvaceae), A. & I. Sharp leg. 81, P. pseudogrewiella sp. nov., mines on Grewia flavescens (Malvaceae), Limpopo, Hoedspruit, A. & I. Sharp leg. 82, P. pseudogrewiella sp. nov., larva, ibidem. 83, P. pseudogrewiella sp. nov., mines and pupae, ibidem.