Systematics, revisionary taxonomy, and biodiversity of Afrotropical Lithocolletinae (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae)
Author
Prins, Jurate De
Author
Kawahara, Akito Y.
text
Zootaxa
2012
2012-12-20
3594
1
1
283
http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3594.1.1
journal article
20704
10.11646/zootaxa.3594.1.1
79af20a5-77f9-4240-ac45-e27fab775ca1
11755334
6052126
B00799F3-F397-438C-B1E1-A8440E636921
The
hibiscola
group
The only species belonging to this group,
Phyllonorycter hibiscola
De Prins
,
n. sp.
can readily be distinguished from many Afrotropical
Phyllonorycter
by the deep golden brownish ground colour and golden brownish shine of forewing that resembles
P. adderis
,
P. gato
,
P. lemarchandi
,
P. umukarus
and the European species
P. schreberella
and
P. tristrigella
that feed on
Ulmus
sp.
The above-mentioned species also have a different male and female genital morphology and fall into different informal species groups. Therefore, only dissections provide means for the designation into species groups and species identification. The discovery of a male could resolve the taxonomic position of
P. hibiscola
. At the moment, we place
P. hibiscola
into its own species group. Female genitalia are characteristic for having a long, narrow, fold-like sclerotization of cuticle, ostium bursae situated at middle of segment VII, a heavy sclerotized ring encircling the anterior margin of segment VII, short ductus bursae, corpus bursae elongate, without signum. The
hibiscola
species utilizes
Malvaceae
as its host plant.