New taxa, including three new genera show uniqueness of Neotropical Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera)

Publication Type:Journal Article
Year of Publication:2016
Authors:E. J. van Nieukerken, Doorenweerd, C., Nishida, K., Snyers, C.
Journal:ZooKeys
Volume:628
Pagination:1–63
Date Published:2016-10-31
Keywords:Acalyptris janzeni, Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Conostegia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Fomoria diskusi, galls, Hesperolyra, Hesperolyra diskusi, Hesperolyra molybditis, Hesperolyra repanda, Hesperolyra saopaulensis, Melastomataceae, Neotrifurcula, Neotrifurcula EvN4504, Neotrifurcula gielisorum, Neotrifurcula specimen RH2, Neotropical region, New genus, New species, Ozadelpha, Ozadelpha conostegiae, Ozadelpha EvN4680, Ozadelpha guajavae, Ozadelpha ovata, South America, Stigmella costaricensis, Stigmella gallicola, Stigmella intronia, Stigmella molinensis, Stigmella schinivora
Abstract:

After finding distinct clades in a molecular phylogeny for Nepticulidae that could not be placed in any known genera and discovering clear apomorphic characters that define these clades, as well as a number of Neotropical species that could be placed in known genera but were undescribed, three new genera and nine new species are here described from the Neotropics: Stigmella gallicola van Nieukerken & Nishida sp. n. reared from galls on Hampea appendiculata (Malvaceae) in Costa Rica, representing the first example of a gall making Stigmella; S. schinivora van Nieukerken sp. n. reared from leafmines on Schinus terebinthifolia (Anacardiaceae) in Argentina, Misiones; S. costaricensis van Nieukerken & Nishida sp. n. and S. intronia van Nieukerken & Nishida sp. n. each from a single specimen collected the same night in Costa Rica, Parque Nacional Chirripó; S. molinensis van Nieukerken & Snyers sp. n. reared from leafmines on Salix humboldtiana, Peru, Lima, the first Neotropical species of the Stigmella salicis group sensu stricto; Ozadelpha van Nieukerken gen. n. with type species O. conostegiae van Nieukerken & Nishida sp. n., reared from leafmines on Conostegia oerstediana (Melastomataceae) from Costa Rica; Neotrifurcula van Nieukerken gen. n. with type species N. gielisorum van Nieukerken sp. n. from Chile; Hesperolyra van Nieukerken gen. n.. with type species Fomoria diskusi Puplesis & Robinson, 2000; Hesperolyra saopaulensis van Nieukerken sp. n., reared from an unidentified Myrtaceae, Sao Paulo, Brasil; and Acalyptris janzeni van Nieukerken & Nishida sp. n. from Costa Rica, Guanacaste. Five new combinations are made: Ozadelpha ovata (Puplesis & Robinson, 2000) comb. n. and Ozadelpha guajavae (Puplesis & Diškus, 2002) comb. n., Hesperolyra diskusi (Puplesis & Robinson, 2000) comb. n., Hesperolyra molybditis (Zeller, 1877) comb. n. and Hesperolyra repanda (Puplesis & Diškus, 2002) comb. n. Three specimens are briefly described, but left unnamed: Ozadelpha specimen EvN4680, Neotrifurcula specimen EvN4504 and Neotrifurcula specimen RH2.

DOI:10.3897/zookeys.628.9805
Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith