Neotelphusa Janse, 1958

Lee, Sangmi & Brown, Richard L., 2008, Revision of Holarctic Teleiodini (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), Zootaxa 1818, pp. 1-55 : 35-36

Neotelphusa Janse

Neotelphusa Janse, 1958: 77 .

Type species: Telphusa castrigera Meyrick, 1913 , by original designation.

Description. Imago (Fig. 63). Labial palpus with third segment as long as second, stout. Clypeus with ventral margin mesially sinuate ( Fig. 5 ). Antenna longer than half forewing length. Ocellus present. Posterior area of sitophore with four campaniform sensilla in symmetrical trapezoid; anterior area with six campaniform sensilla. Forewing (length/width ratio 4.1) with raised scales; M1, M2, and M3 separate, CuA1 and CuA2 present; median fascia transverse or directed from base of costa toward posterior margin. Hindwing (length/width ratio 3.5) with R5 and M1 stalked, M2, M3, and CuA1 separate. Male abdominal tergum VIII forming a large lobe with anterolateral hair pencil; sternum VIII forming a broad flap. Female with abdominal sternum VII broad and well sclerotized, strongest posteriorly and forming two rounded lobes ventrally, tergum VII reduced to two sclerotized patches.

Male genitalia: uncus tapered apically; gnathos well developed, lingulate, as long as uncus; tegumen width/length ratio 1.4–1.7; costal part of valva symmetrical, base bulbous, saccular part reduced; tegumen basal width/length ratio 0.8; phallus not narrowed beyond base, moderately sclerotized, without cornuti.

Female genitalia: apophyses posteriores weakly sclerotized, elongate, 5 x length of apophyses anteriores; apophyses anteriores about 2 x length of abdominal segment VIII; ostium enclosed by sternum VII; ductus bursae membranous; corpus bursa shortly oval, large; signum irregularly rhomboid with serrate margins.

Larva. Head and prothoracic shield brown, plate with small posterolateral darker spots; pinacula gray, small; thoracic legs annulate ( Emmet 2002).

Pupa. 7th abdominal segment completely edged posteriorly by a row of small setae; antennae reaching apices of forewings and separating them from metathoracic legs ( Patoèka and Turcáni 2005).

Diagnosis. Neotelphusa is similar to Teleiodes in the forewing pattern and some male genital structures. Neotelphusa species differ from Teleiodes by having an apically tapered uncus and a lingulate gnathos that is as long as the uncus.

Hosts. Ericaceae : Vaccinium pallidum Sm. ( N. praefixa ). Fagaceae : Quercus spp. ( N. querciella ). ( Huemer and Karsholt 1999; Prentice 1966; Robinson et al. 2002).

Diversity and distribution. The six species of Neotelphusa occur in Europe, North America, and South Africa ( Hodges 1983; Huemer and Karsholt 1999; Janse 1958).

Notes. The following species are transferred here from Teleiodes to Neotelphusa : Recurvaria sequax Haworth (1828) , Teleiodes huemeri Nel (1998) , and Gelechia cisti Stainton (1869) .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Characters of the head and thorax. 1, Lateral ocellus (arrow) of Exoteleia anomala. 2, Forewing of Telphusa sedulitella with scale tufts. 3, Male hindwing of Coleotechnites florae with hair pencil on anal area. 4 – 5, Clypeus. 4, Istrianis myricariella. 5, Neotelphusa querciella. 6, Posterior area of sitophore with four campaniform sensilla (arrows) in Stenolechiodes macrolepiellus.