Phyllonorycter obandai, De Prins & Mozuraitis. Its, 2006

Prins, Jurate De & Kawahara, Akito Y., 2012, Systematics, revisionary taxonomy, and biodiversity of Afrotropical Lithocolletinae (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), Zootaxa 3594 (1), pp. 1-283 : 135

The obandai group

The obandai group includes one species, P. obandai De Prins & Mozūraitis. Its unique wing pattern and distinct male and female genitalia has led us to treat this species in its own species group. The rounded cucullus of valva lacking appendices, strongly sclerotized transtilla with long bent proximal arms, very long saccus, long aedoeagus with long, narrow cornuti are unique to this group. Female genitalia are characteristic in having M-shaped sterigma, very long and narrow ductus bursae with sclerotized central sector, small corpus bursae that lacks signum.

DNA barcode data indicate a significant genetic difference between specimens collected in two localities that are separated by ca. 300 km. However, at the moment we did not detect any noticeable morphological difference in both habitus and male genitalia of these two populations. Moreover, the chemical compound Z8-tetradecen-1-yl acetate acts as sex attractant for males in both populations. We presume that more detailed population genetic studies of P. obandai across a larger area of East Africa might likely uncover cryptic diversity within this species group.