Simplimorpha Scoble 1983
Creators: name: Stonis, Jonas R.
name: Diškus, Arūnas
name: Remeikis, Andrius
name: Solis, M. Alma
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Nepticulidae
Simplimorpha

description: Simplimorpha Scoble, 1983: 15.
(Figs. 1–64)
Roscidotoga Hoare, 2000: 293, 294, syn. nov.
Type species: Stigmella lanceifoliella Vári, 1955: 331, 332.
Diagnostics. In contrast to all other Nepticulidae, male genitalia with two sclerites i.e. gnathos + uncus reduced (except for a single species with a partially reduced uncus); female genitalia with a small or partially reduced corpus bursae and often broad anterior apophyses. The genus Ectoedemia Busck (including both the subgenera Ectoedemia Busck and Zimmermannia Hering) and species from the genus Enteucha Meyrick (sensu stricto) are also characterized by a reduced uncus. However, in contrast to Simplimorpha, the male genitalia of Ectoedemia and Enteucha always possess a well-developed gnathos. Additionally, in contrast to Simplimorpha, the forewing venation of Ectoedemia is with a closed cell (without a closed cell in Simplimorpha), and the venation in Enteucha is reduced to four veins in total (Stonis et al. 2018).
Description. Adults with collar comprised of piliform or lamellar scales. Forewing pattern varying, from shiny without fascia (Figs. 65, 66, 69, 74) to dark with one shiny fascia (Fig. 70), or with distinctive, shiny scales (Figs. 63, 64, and the Australian species). Wing venation (Figs. 50–57) principally similar to the venation in Stigmella Schrank but may vary from species to species. In the male genitalia, tegumen broadly rounded or truncate, laterally setose (Figs. 1–5). Vinculum large, rounded or truncate (Figs. 7–10, 12), or with large lateral lobes (Fig. 11). Valva slender, with a variously developed basal part (Figs. 13–19). Transtilla with a transverse bar (Figs. 20–22, 24) or without transverse bar (Fig. 25), or intermediate, broken medially (Fig. 23). Phallus with a juxta-like, ventral (occasionally dorsal) process (Figs. 26, 28–30, 34), and a spiny cathrema (Figs. 27, 30–33, 37). In the female genitalia, anterior apophyses broad (Figs. 43, 44, 47–49), except for the subgenus Simplimorpha (Figs. 38, 40). Ductus spermathecae with many distinctive coils (Figs. 39, 41, 45, 47). Corpus bursae small (Figs. 38, 41) or greatly reduced (Figs. 42, 46, 47), usually not preserved during slide preparation.
Larvae are leaf miners of certain Malvids (=Eurosids II) and Fabids (=Eurosids I) producing a rather long to very long linear leaf mine (Figs. 58–61), with an initial part of the gallery (or more) fully filled with frass.
Currently the genus comprises ten species, which almost all, except for a single species, are known from the Southern Hemisphere (Gondwanan distribution) (Fig. 62).
description: Published as part of Stonis, Jonas R., Diškus, Arūnas, Remeikis, Andrius & Solis, M. Alma, 2018, A Gondwanan concept of Simplimorpha Scoble (sensu lato): a step toward clarity in the generic diagnostics of global Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera), pp. 151-182 in Zootaxa 4521 (2) on page 153, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4521.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/2609733