Phyllonorycter alniella ( Zeller, 1846 )

Prins, Jurate De & Kawahara, Akito Y., 2012, Systematics, revisionary taxonomy, and biodiversity of Afrotropical Lithocolletinae (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), Zootaxa 3594 (1), pp. 1-283 : 60

Species examined. Phyllonorycter alniella ( Zeller, 1846)

[synonym of P. rajella ( Linnaeus, 1758) ].

Lectotype ♂, designated here, [1] (round label ringed with red colour) ‘Type’; [2] (handwritten in black Indian ink on a beige label) ‘ Alniella’; [3] (handwritten in black Indian ink) ‘ Zeller Coll. / (printed) Walsingham / Collection / 1910-427’; [4] (handwritten in black Indian ink) ‘Type’; [5] (printed) ‘Type’; [6] (printed) ‘B.M. ♂ / Genitalia Slide / No (handwritten in black Indian ink) 19072’, in BMNH: drawer Mi 10011.

Note: In De Prins & De Prins (2005: 340) type material was mentioned as “not stated”. A specimen labelled “Type” was found in the BMNH: drawer Mi 10011.

The male specimen in BMNH: drawer Mi 10011, ‘ alnifoliella Dp = rajella Zell. = alniella Zell. = neapolitana Rbl.’ bearing the following labels: [1] (round label ringed with red colour) ‘Type’; [2] (handwritten in black Indian ink on a beige label) ‘ Rajella / Tosc R661 ’; [3] (handwritten in black Indian ink) ‘ Zeller Coll. / (printed) Walsingham / Collection / 1910-427’; [4] (handwritten in black Indian ink) ‘Type’; [5] (printed) ‘Type’; [6] (printed) ‘B.M. ♂ / Genitalia Slide / No (handwritten in black Indian ink) 19073’ is not a type specimen. It is a misidentification of Phyllonorycter vulturella ( Deschka, 1968) . This was notified by G. Deschka on genitalia slide no. 19073 which bears the following labels: [1] (handwritten in black Indian ink) ‘ Phyllonorycter ♂ / rajella (Zeller) / vulturella Deschka / Rajell a, Tosc R 661 / Zeller Coll. / Walsingham Coll. / 1910-427 Type’; [2] ‘19073 ♂ / 1974 GD / (printed) EUPARAL’.