Phyllonorycter jabalshamsi, 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 : 100

E. The jabalshamsi group

The group includes one species: P. jabalshamsi De Prins , n. sp. The male genitalia of P. jabalshamsi resembles those of P. aarviki since both species possess a long process on sacculus. The female genitalia of P. jabalshamsi is strikingly different from that of the melanosparta species group which excludes P. jabalshamsi in the latter group or any other Phyllonorycter species groups. All the specimens we examined are worn, and the wing pattern could not be thoroughly examined. Male genitalia of P. jabalshamsi resemble that of European P. coryli , the latter which has larvae that make blotch upperside mines on Betulaceae . The male genitalia of the jabalshamsi group is similar to that of the melanosparta group because the sacculus bears a long sharp spine. However, it differs from the melanosparta group in that the saccus in jabalshamsi species group is broad, U-shaped with rounded apex. Female genitalia possess long sharp apophyses anteriores with bases located at the anterior margin of segment VIII. Lack of data on the biology of P. jabalshamsi , unknown wing pattern and recorded differences in male and female genitalia restrain us to group it with melanosparta , and we thus place P. jabalshamsi in its own species group.