Acrocercops syzygiena Vári, 1961

Triberti, Paolo, Staude, Hermann, Sharp, Ian & Lopez-Vaamonde, Carlos, 2024, Exploring the diversity of Gracillariidae (Lepidoptera) in South Africa: host plants, distribution, and DNA barcoding analysis, with the description of nine new species, Zootaxa 5529 (1), pp. 1-51 : 16-17

16. Acrocercops syzygiena Vári, 1961

( Figs 11 , 68–69 )

Acrocercops syzygiena, Vári, 1961: 156 .

Material. 1♀, South Africa, Gauteng, Tshwane , 25°35’13.2”S, 28°25’44.4”E, 1270 m, mn 08/iv/2014, pup 22/ iv/2014, (rearing: M1459), A. & I. Sharp leg., CLV7557 , SOURE001-19, slide TRB4366♀ .

Biology. Vári (1961) described the biology of A. syzygiena on Syzygium cordatum (Hochst.) . Here we present a new host plant record on S. guineense Wall. ( Myrtaceae ) ( Figs 68-69 ).

Distribution. South Africa (Limpopo).

DNA barcodes. One single barcode on its own BIN BOLD:AEC2932. The sequence is very divergent to any Gracillariid sequence present in BOLD with 10.56% to the nearest match ( Table S1 ).

Remarks. Male and female genitalia of syzygiena , figured by Vári (1961), are not related with any known genus. Pending further material for a detailed phylogenetic analysis, this species is left in Acrocercops .

Figures

FIGURES 7–12. Adults of South African Gracillariidae. 7, Semnocera procellaris, Limpopo, Hoedspruit, A. & I. Sharp leg. 8, Conopomorphina ochnivora, Gauteng, Magaliesburg, A. & I. Sharp leg. 9, C. aptata, Limpopo, Hoedspruit, A. & I. Sharp leg. 10, Cuphodes melanostola, Limpopo, Hoedspruit, A. & I. Sharp leg. 11, Acrocercops syzygiena, Gauteng, Tshwane, A. Sharp leg. 12, A. combreticola, Gauteng, Tshwane, A. Sharp leg.

FIGURES 67–72. Immature stages of South African Gracillariidae. 67, Conopomorphina aptata, mine on Schotia brachypetala (Fabaceae), Limpopo, Hoedspruit, A. & I. Sharp leg. 68, Acrocercops syzygiena, mine on Syzygium cordatum (Myrtaceae), Gauteng, Tshwane, A. & I. Sharp leg. 69, A. syzygiena, larva, ibidem. 70, A. combreticola, mine on Combretum zeyheri (Combretaceae) Gauteng, Tshwane, A. Sharp leg. 71, Cryptolectica capnodecta, larva on Syzygium cordatum (Myrtaceae), Limpopo, Hoedspruit, A. & I. Sharp leg. 72, C. terminalina, mine on Terminalia sericea (Combretaceae), A. & I. Sharp leg.