Simplimorpha Scoble, 1983 : 15

Stonis, Jonas R., Diškus, Arūnas, Remeikis, Andrius & Solis, M. Alma, 2018, A Gondwanan concept of Simplimorpha Scoble (sensu lato): a step toward clarity in the generic diagnostics of global Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera), Zootaxa 4521 (2), pp. 151-182 : 153

Simplimorpha Scoble, 1983: 15 .

( Figs. 1–64)

Roscidotoga Hoare, 2000 : 293, 294, syn. nov.

Type species: Stigmella lanceifoliella Vári, 1955: 331 , 332.

Diagnostics. In contrast to all other Nepticulidae , male genitalia with two sclerites i.e. gnathos + uncus reduced (except for a single species with a partially reduced uncus); female genitalia with a small or partially reduced corpus bursae and often broad anterior apophyses. The genus Ectoedemia Busck (including both the subgenera Ectoedemia Busck and Zimmermannia Hering ) and species from the genus Enteucha Meyrick (sensu stricto) are also characterized by a reduced uncus. However, in contrast to Simplimorpha , the male genitalia of Ectoedemia and Enteucha always possess a well-developed gnathos. Additionally, in contrast to Simplimorpha , the forewing venation of Ectoedemia is with a closed cell (without a closed cell in Simplimorpha ), and the venation in Enteucha is reduced to four veins in total ( Stonis et al. 2018).

Description. Adults with collar comprised of piliform or lamellar scales. Forewing pattern varying, from shiny without fascia ( Figs. 65, 66, 69, 74 ) to dark with one shiny fascia ( Fig. 70 ), or with distinctive, shiny scales ( Figs. 63, 64 , and the Australian species). Wing venation ( Figs. 50–57 ) principally similar to the venation in Stigmella Schrank but may vary from species to species. In the male genitalia, tegumen broadly rounded or truncate, laterally setose ( Figs. 1–5). Vinculum large, rounded or truncate ( Figs. 7–10, 12), or with large lateral lobes ( Fig. 11). Valva slender, with a variously developed basal part ( Figs. 13–19). Transtilla with a transverse bar ( Figs. 20–22, 24) or without transverse bar ( Fig. 25), or intermediate, broken medially ( Fig. 23). Phallus with a juxta-like, ventral (occasionally dorsal) process ( Figs. 26, 28–30, 34), and a spiny cathrema ( Figs. 27, 30–33, 37). In the female genitalia, anterior apophyses broad ( Figs. 43, 44, 47–49), except for the subgenus Simplimorpha ( Figs. 38, 40). Ductus spermathecae with many distinctive coils ( Figs. 39, 41, 45, 47). Corpus bursae small ( Figs. 38, 41) or greatly reduced ( Figs. 42, 46, 47), usually not preserved during slide preparation.

Larvae are leaf miners of certain Malvids (=Eurosids II) and Fabids (=Eurosids I) producing a rather long to very long linear leaf mine ( Figs. 58–61 ), with an initial part of the gallery (or more) fully filled with frass.

Currently the genus comprises ten species, which almost all, except for a single species, are known from the Southern Hemisphere (Gondwanan distribution) ( Fig. 62 ).

Figures

FIGURES 65–74. Adults of new Simplimorpha (Myrtinepticula) species. 65, S. cercaria Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., male paratype; 66, same, other male paratype; 67, same, abdomen; 68, S. nielseni Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., male paratype, abdomen; 69, same, male holotype; 70, S. kailai Stonis sp. nov, male holotype; 71–74, S. sapphirella Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., female holotype (ZMUC)

FIGURES 58–64. Simplimorpha Scoble, 1983 (sensu lato). 58–61, examples of leaf mines: 58, S. nielseni, Hua-Hum, Argentina, ZMUC; 59, S. lanceifoliella (modified after Vári 1955); 60, S. promissa, Crimea, Europe, LEU; 61, S. sapphiripes, S. callicomae and S. eucryphiae (modified after Hoare 2000); 62, distribution map; 63, 64, adult of S. promissa (Staudinger, 1870), currently the only Simplimorpha species known from the Northern Hemisphere (courtesy of Peter Buchner, Schwarzau am Steinfeld, Austria). Note: the plant taxa names follow APG IV (2016) and Stevens (2017)

FIGURES 50–57. Wing venation of Simplimorpha Scoble, 1983 (sensu lato). 50, S. nielseni, forewing, Hua-Hum, Argentina, slide RA619; 51, same, hindwing; 52, 53, S. promissa, forewing, Crimea, Europe, temporary slide, LEU; 54, lanceifoliella, forewing (modified after Scoble 1983); 55, same, hindwing; 56, S. eucryphiae, forewing (modified after Hoare 2000); 57, same, hindwing Remarks: yet although the wing venation in general is valuable it is not without its limitations: independent losses are likely; being extreme tiny moths, the venation can be rather easily got reduced even in cases of related species (Figs. 53, 54) or, occassionally, within same species (Puplesis & Robinson 2000). Note that the morphological structures are drawn in different scales.