SYSTEMATICS OF NEARCTIC SCYTHRIDIDAE (LEPIDOPTERA: GELECHIOIDEA): PHYLOGENY AND CLASSIFICATION OF SUPRASPECIFIC TAXA, WITH A REVIEW OF DESCRIBED SPECIES
Authors: Landry Jean-François 
Published: April 2011

Genera and previously described species of Nearctic Scythrididae are revised for the first time, based on the study of adult structures. About 90 percent of the Nearctic fauna known in collections consists of undescribed species. The supraspecific taxa treated in this work encompass less than half of the Nearctic species diversity. Only six new species are described, all within the largest and structurally most diverse genus. The status of all nominal species is revised. Valid species are redescribed and their features illustrated. General problems in the systematics of the Scythrididae are discussed. A description of adult features of the family Scythrididae is providad. Extra-limital genera are briefly reviewed. A key to the Nearctic genera and informal supraspecific lineages is provided.Six genera, including three new, are treated:AreniscythrisPowell, 1976,ArotruraWalsingham, 1888,Asymmetruragen. nov.,Neoscythrisgen. nov.,Rhamphuragen. nov., andScythriss. str. Hübner, [1825].Areniscythrisincludes a single described species,Areniscythris brachypterisPowell, but is defined more broadly to account for a number of undescribed species.Arotrurais divided into nine informal species groups with the following included species:Arotrura atascosasp. nov.,Arotrura ballisp. nov.,Arotrura divaricata(Braun) comb, nov.,Arotrura eburneaWalsingham,Arotrura formidabilissp. nov.,Arotrura hymenatasp. nov.,Arotrura longissimasp. nov.,Arotrura oxyplecta(Meyrick) comb, nov.,Arotrura powellisp. nov., andArotrura sponsella(Busck) comb. nov.Asymmetruraincludes:Asymmetrura albilineata(Walsingham) comb. nov.,Asymmetrura graminivorella(Braun) comb. nov.,Asymmetrura impositella(Zeller) comb. nov. and type species,Asymmetrura matutella(Clemens) comb, nov.,Asymmetrura reducta(Braun) comb, nov., andAsymmetrura scintillifera(Braun) comb. nov.Neoscythrisincludes:Neoscythris confinis(Braun) comb, nov.,Neoscythris euthia(Walsingham) comb. nov.,Neoscythris fissirostris(Meyrick) comb. nov. and type species, andNeoscythris planipenella(Chambers) comb. nov.Rhamphuraincludes:Rhamphura altisierrae(Keifer) comb, nov.,Rhamphura ochristriata(Walsingham) comb. nov. and type species,Rhamphura perspicillella(Walsingham) comb. nov.,Rhamphura suffusa(Walsingham) comb. nov., and the extra-limitalRhamphura immunis(Meyrick) comb. nov. from Peru.Scythriss. str. includes:Scythris immaculatella(Chambers) rev. stat.,Scythris limbella(Fabricius),Scythris mixaulaMeyrick,Scythris trivinctella(Zeller), andScythris ypsilonBraun. A further eight species are phylogenetically distinct fromScythriss. str. but provisionally are only assigned to five informal monophyletic lineages until their cladistic relationships are more firmly established. These are: theScythris basilarislineage includingScythris basilaris(Zeller),Scythris eboracensis(Zeller), andScythris fuscicomella(Clemens); theScythris interruptalineage includingScythris interruptaBraun; theScythris inspersellalineage includingScythris inspersella(Hübner) andScythris noricella(Zeller); theScythris anthracinalineage includingScythris anthracinaBraun; and theScythris charonlineage includingScythris charonMeyrick. Three species are incertae sedis:Scythris inornatella(Chambers) comb, nov.,Scythrispilosella(Zeller), andScythris piraticaMeyrick.Coleophora albacostellaChambers andColeophora inornatellaChambers are transferred from the Coleophoridae.Scythris arizoniella(Kearfott) is transferred to the Coleophoridae [Coleophora arizoniella(Kearfott) comb. nov.].The following new synonymy is proposed:ColinitaBusck, 1907 = ArotruraWalsingham, 1888;Gelechia aterrimellaWalker, 1864 andScythris epilobiellaMcDunnough, 1942 = Scythris inspersella[Hübner, (1817)];Scythris magnatellaBusck, 1904 = Scythris noricella(Zeller, 1843);Scythris pacificaMcDunnough, 1927 = Scythris immaculatella(Chambers, 1875);Coleophora albacostellaChambers, 1875 andScythris hemidictyasMeyrick, 1928 = Neoscythris planipenella(Chambers, 1875).A cladistic definition of the family is presented for the first time. The monophyly of the Scythrididae is supported by the following synapomorphies: very narrow ductus bursae, broad ductus seminalis anastomosed with the oviduct and the corpus bursae, lack of signum, unique shape of the apophyses of the metathoracic furca, tarsomeres 1–4 with two subapical spurs, aedeagus ankylosed, and origin of forewing veins R4 and R5 on a common stalk with R4 extended to the costa and R5 to the termen. Relationships of the Scythrididae within the Gelechioidea are discussed. Based on the cladistic analysis of 52 structural characters, phylogenetic relationships of supraspecific taxa are inferred. Two cladograms, one for the genera and one for the species groups ofArotrura, are presented and used in deriving the classification.