Phyllonorycter pseudogrewiella Triberti & Lopez-Vaamonde, 2024

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 : 24-25

27. Phyllonorycter pseudogrewiella Triberti & Lopez-Vaamonde sp. nov.

( Fig. 23 , 30 , 57 , 81–83 )

Holotype: ♀, South Africa, Limpopo, Hoedspruit, Casketts , farm, mn 14/x/2013, em 25/x/2013, Grewia flavescens , (rearing M487b), A. & I. Sharp leg., CLV7569 , slide TRB4444♀.

Paratypes: 2♀, the same data of holotype, CLV7571 , M487b, slides TRB4445 ♀, TRB4446 ♀ .

Additional material. South Africa: two adults, Gauteng, Pretoria National Botanical Gardens , 05/iv/2022, leg. Philip Mokau, (Malaise trap), BIOUG87529 -G10, BIOUG87529 -G09 ; one adult, Mpumalanga, Kruger National Park, Crocodile Bridge , Lufund Chantal Muthelu leg., 09/vi/20, BIOUG43524 -E07 .

Etymology. The name of the new species is formed from that of the previous species, P. grewiella , with the addition of the Greek prefix pseudo - which means false, to remind that both species can be found on the same hostplant, Grewia flavescens .

Diagnosis. Wing pattern is similar to the melanosparta group because of the presence of dark markings on the forewings, without any white traces. This similarity makes it challenging to distinguish this species from the melanosparta group (see figs 23, 30). However, this pattern clearly sets it apart from P. grewiella , which is an oligophagous species that feeds on Grewia sp. and also Grewia flavescens . P. grewiella has white strigulae on its wings (see Fig. 22 ). Furthermore, the female genitalia of this species are also characteristic of the melanosparta group. However, they exhibit distinct features that allow for accurate identification as described below:

Figures

FIGURES 19–24. Adults of South African Gracillariidae. 19, Leucocercops curatellifoliae, Limpopo, Hoedspruit, A. & I. Sharp leg. 20, Telamoptilia cordati, Limpopo, Hoedspruit, A. & I. Sharp leg. 21, Cameraria melhaniella sp. nov., Limpopo, Hoedspruit, A. & I. Sharp leg. 22, Phyllonorycter grewiella, Limpopo, Hoedspruit, A. & I. Sharp leg. 23, P. pseudogrewiella sp. nov., Limpopo, Hoedspruit, A. & I. Sharp leg. 24, Acrocercops loxias, Rajputana, Jodhpur (India), syntype.

FIGURES 25−30. Forewing pattern of South African Gracillariidae. 25, Leucocercops curatellifoliae sp. nov., Limpopo. 26, Phodoryctis tephrosiella sp. nov., Gauteng. 27, Telamoptilia cordati sp. nov., South Africa, Limpopo. 28, Telamoptilia sp., Madagascar. 29, Cameraria melhaniella sp. nov., Limpopo. 30, Phyllonorycter pseudogrewiella sp. nov., Limpopo.

FIGURES 56–57. Female genitalia of South African Gracillariidae. 56, Telamoptilia cordati sp. nov., paratype: ventral view. 57, Phyllonorycter pseudogrewiella sp. nov., holotype: lateral view. (All scale bar 190 μm).

FIGURES 78–83. Immature stages of South African Gracillariidae. 78, Phodoryctis tephrosiella, mines on Tephrosia rhodesica (Fabaceae). Gauteng, Tshwane, A. Sharp leg. 79, Conopobathra carbunculata, mines on Peltophorum africanum (Fabaceae), Limpopo, York, A. & I. Sharp leg. 80, Phyllonorycter grewiella, mine on Grewia hexamita (Malvaceae), A. & I. Sharp leg. 81, P. pseudogrewiella sp. nov., mines on Grewia flavescens (Malvaceae), Limpopo, Hoedspruit, A. & I. Sharp leg. 82, P. pseudogrewiella sp. nov., larva, ibidem. 83, P. pseudogrewiella sp. nov., mines and pupae, ibidem.