Phyllonorycter melhaniae
Creators: name: Prins, Jurate De
name: Kawahara, Akito Y.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Gracillariidae
Phyllonorycter
Phyllonorycter melhaniae

description: The melhaniae species group
The melhaniae group consists of two species: P. melhaniae (Vári, 1961) and P. rongensis De Prins, n. sp. Adults belonging to this group can be distinguished from other groups by their genitalia. There are slight differences in wing pattern between both species of the melhaniae group in shape of fasciae and intensity of edging of white markings. However, wing markings should not be used as the primary diagnostic feature as differences are generally minor. Therefore, only dissections of genitalia provide the means for accurate identification of adult moths. Larvae of the melhaniae species group feed on plants in the family Malvaceae.
The male genitalia of the melhaniae species group resemble those of the rhynchosiae species group, ventral surface of valva with no valval process. Cucullus slightly enlarged, setose. The female genitalia are characterized by large cone-like sterigma, which is connected to segment VII anteriorly and loose posteriorly, forming a broad and short extension of segment VII. Ostium bursae opens on truncate apex of sterigmatic extension, at a distance from the main sternum of segment VII. Ductus bursae broad and short approximately as long as segment VII, corpus bursae elongate, of medium size, with a small elongate signum at junction of ductus and corpus bursae, caudal part of corpus bursae at about anterior margin of segment VI.
Key to the species of melhaniae group based on external characters
1. Frons white with irroration of dark, ochreous-tipped scales; first fascia equally narrow on costal and dorsal margin of forewing, edged basally and apically; second fascia more or less rectangular shaped, of more or less equal width on costal and basal margins of forewing, equally edged basally and apically (Fig. 91–93).....................................45. melhaniae
– Frons entirely white; first fascia ca. 3× broader on dorsal margin than on costal margin of forewing, edged apically with only a few scales present basally at subcostal sector; second fascia more or less triangular shaped very broad at dorsal and very narrow costal costal margin of forewing, edged basally (Fig. 94)......................................... 46. rongensis
Key to females of melhaniae group based on genitalia
1. Anterior apophyses ca. 2/3 as long as posterior apophyses; sclerotized ring absent on sterigmatic extension (Fig. 336).................................................................................................45. melhaniae
– Anterior apophyses only slightly shorter than posterior apophyses; a strongly sclerotized ring present on median part of sterigmatic extension (Fig. 337)..................................................................... 46. rongensis
description: Published as part of Prins, Jurate De & Kawahara, Akito Y., 2012, Systematics, revisionary taxonomy, and biodiversity of Afrotropical Lithocolletinae (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), pp. 1-283 in Zootaxa 3594 (1) on page 128, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3594.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/6052126