New species, new country distribution records, and a new generic combination of Afrotropical Acrocercopinae (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae)

Zootaxa. 2023 May 15;5285(1):75-115. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.5285.1.3.

Abstract

Eighteen species of Acrocercopinae are newly reported from Sub-Saharan Africa, twelve of which are described as new to science: Acrocercops crena sp. nov., Cryptolectica convexa sp. nov., C. curvatum sp. nov., Dialectica falcata sp. nov., D. silvana sp. nov., Gibbovalva cingulata sp. nov., Spulerina cuneata sp. nov., S. marginata sp. nov., S. multispina sp. nov., S. patera sp. nov., S. polula sp. nov., Telamoptilia crux sp. nov. The new species are diagnosed and illustrated with photographs of the adults and genitalia. Cryptolectica terminalina (Vári, 1961), comb. nov. (formerly in the genus Acrocercops Wallengren) is proposed. New distribution records are reported for Acrocercops gossypii Vári, 1961, Cryptolectica euryphanta (Meyrick, 1911) and C. terminalina (Vári, 1961) comb. nov. from Cameroon, Dialectica columellina (Vári, 1961) from Kenya, and D. trigonidota (Vári, 1961) from Democratic Republic of the Congo.

MeSH terms

  • Animal Distribution
  • Animals
  • Genitalia
  • Lepidoptera*
  • Moths*