Micropterigidae

Gibbs, George W., 2010, establishment of five new genera from Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand, Zootaxa 2520, pp. 1-48 : 8

Key to genera of SW Pacific Micropterigidae

1. Hindwing with R1 vein distinct in basal half ( Fig. 4 B) or ‘recurrent’ ( Fig. 4 D); antennal scape greatly swollen with distinct indentation on its mesal surface ( Fig. 3 D); antennal ascoids radial, the sensory branches radiating from a circular base ( Fig. 5 A) (‘sabatincoid’) ............................................................................................................................ 2

- Hindwing without a separate R1 vein ( Fig. 4 C); antennal scape swollen and barrel-shaped, either without or with just the barest trace of an indentation ( Fig. 3 B); antennal ascoids linear, the sensory branches arising out of a transverse groove around the circumference of the flagellomere ( Fig. 5 C) (‘Australian-group’) ................................................ 4

2. Forewing R1 simple, unforked ( Fig. 4 A); ventral part of male segment 9 sclerite shorter than sternite 6 (Fig. 8A) (north-eastern Australia) ............................................................................................ Austromartyria Gibbs, gen. nov.

- Forewing R1 forked ( Fig. 4 D); male segment 9 sclerite considerably longer than sternite 6 ( New Zealand, New Caledonia) (= Sabatinca s.str. lineage)................................................................................................................................. 3

3. Labial palps 3-segmented; male tergum 10 bilobed; female bursa usually with signa. ( New Caledonia, New Zealand) .................................................................................................................................................. Sabatinca Walker, 1863

- Labial palps 2-segmented; male tergum 10 a simple median lobe; female bursa lacking signa. ( New Zealand only) .. ................................................................................ Palaeomicra Meyrick, 1885 (syn. Micropardalis Meyrick, 1912 )

4. Forewings dark grey to black with strong purple iridescence, fasciae white ( Figs. 1 A–H); hindwing with Sc+R1 forked ( Fig. 4 C) ..............................................................................................................................................................

- Forewings pale shining ochreous, fasciae black or brown ( Figs 2 C–E); hindwing with Sc+R1 unforked .................. 6

5. Tegulae with tuft of long piliform scales; male phallus with terminal gonopore crescentic, both dorsal and ventral lips extended in mid-line to give a fish-mouthed shape ( Figs. 10 C & D); female segment 9 largely membraneous, with a narrow ring sclerite, often almost non-existant dorsally ( Fig. 10 F) (eastern Australia) ...................................... ............................................................................................................................................ Tasmantrix Gibbs, gen. nov.

- Tegulae with flat lamellar scales; male phallus with dorsal gonopore, wide, heart-shaped (Fig. 13E); female segment 9 entirely membraneous, the position of ring sclerite marked by a circle of macrosetae (Fig. 13F) (North Island, New Zealand) .................................................................................................................... Zealandopterix Gibbs , gen. nov.

6. Ocelli absent; forewing with an oblique brown or black transverse fascia at mid- length, often interrupted in the middle ( Figs. 2 D & E); male genitalia clearly visible externally, one third of abdomen length (north-eastern Australia, New Caledonia) ............................................................................................................... Aureopterix Gibbs , gen. nov.

- Ocelli present; forewing without a transverse fascia at mid length ( Fig.2 C); male genitalia not visible externally ( New Caledonia) ............................................................................................................ Nannopterix Gibbs, gen. nov.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Adult moths from life: A, Tasmantrix. calliplaca (Meyrick), male; B, T. fragilis sp. nov., male; C, T. lunaris sp. nov., male; D, T. nigrocornis sp. nov., male; E, T. phalaros sp. nov., male; F, T. tasmaniensis sp. nov., male; G, T. thula sp. nov., female; H, Zealandopterix zonodoxa (Meyrick), male. (All to scale, white scale bars = 1 mm)

FIGURE 2. Adult moths from life: A, Austromartyria porphyrodes (Turner), female; B, A. porphyrodes feeding on dehiscing spores of Blechnum cartilagineum, at The Crater, Atherton Tableland; C, Nannopterix choreutes sp. nov., male; D, Aureopterix micans sp. n., male; E, Aureopterix sterops (Turner), female; (A, C – E to scale, white scale bars = 1 mm)

FIGURE 3. Antennal bases and maxillary palps. A – D: Scape, pedicel and 9 th flagellomere of: A, Nannopterix choreutes; B, Zealandopterix zonodoxa; C, Austromartyria porphyrodes; D, Sabatinca incongruella Walker. E – H: maxillary palps of: E, Austromartyria porphyrodes; F, Zealandopterix zonodoxa; G, Aureopterix micans; H, Nannopterix choreutes. Scale lines for A = 0.2 mm; for B, C, D = 0.4 mm; for E, F = 0.2 mm; for G = 0.2 mm; for H = 0.1 mm. fl: first flagellomere; sc: scape; pe: pedicel.

FIGURE 4. Wing venation: A, Austromartyria porphyrodes, male; B, ditto female hindwing; C, Tasmantrix calliplaca; D, Sabatinca incongruella. Vein nomenclature follows Kristensen (2003). Scale lines = 1 mm.

FIGURE 5. Scanning electron micrographs of antennal flagellomeres (at approx mid-length) to show ascoid sensilla: A, Austromartyria porphyrodes male; B, Nannopterix choreutes male; C, Tasmantrix calliplaca male; D, Aureopterix sterops male, E, Tasmantrix lunaris male, F, Tasmantrix lunaris male ascoid, viewed from distal end of flagellomere after detaching remainder of antenna. as, ascoid sensilla; sc, long fluted scale; ts, trichoid sensilla. Scale: white bars = 0.01 mm.

FIGURE 10. Male and female genitalia of Tasmantrix lunaris sp. nov. A – D, male: A, dorsal view; B, lateral view; C, phallus, partially everted from phallocrypt; D, E: detail of distal apex of phallus, D, lateral; E, ventral; F, female genitalia, lateral view.