Phyllonorycter achilleus, De Prins, 2012

Prins, Jurate De & Kawahara, Akito Y., 2012, Systematics, revisionary taxonomy, and biodiversity of Afrotropical Lithocolletinae (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), Zootaxa 3594 (1), pp. 1-283 : 62

The achilleus group

The achilleus group includes a single species, P. achilleus . This species is placed in its own species group because its wing pattern and male genitalia characters are like no other Phyllonorycter . Adults belonging to the achilleus species group can be distinguished by a forewing pattern unique among African Phyllonorycter : very long basal streak, slightly shorter than 1/2 of the forewing length, semiround basal dorsal patch, narrow oblique costal and dorsal strigulae and three small narrow straight costal strigulae in apical sector of forewing. Male genitalia are distinguished by a narrow valva bearing a large sharp spine at cucullus, an incomplete transtilla, a broad vinculum without an extended saccus, a very long tegumen, and a long and narrow sternum VIII. Female genitalia lack a developed sclerotized sterigma, the posterior apophyses are broad basally and slender distally, the anterior apophyses are short, originating at the anterior margin of segment VIII, the ostium bursae opens in the anterior portion of segment VII, and the corpus bursae has an oblonge, weakly sclerotized signum area bearing a signum. Larvae of the achilleus species group feed on Rosaceae .