Four new species of gracillariidae (lepidoptera) from China and Japan, and description of the pupal morphology of the genera corythoxestis, eumetriochroa, guttigera, and metriochroa

Abstract

Four new leaf mining Oecophyllembiinae (Gracillariidae) species are described from China and Japan: Metriochroa sym-plocosella sp. nov. (host plants: Symplocos anomala, S. sumuntia, Symplocaceae) from China, Guttigera schefflerella sp. nov. (host plant: Schefflera octophylla, Araliaceae), Eumetriochroa araliella sp. nov. (host plants: Dendropanax trifidus, Evodiopanax innovans, Eleutherococcus sciadophylloides and Fatsia japonica, Araliaceae) and Corythoxestis tricalysiel-la sp. nov. (host plant: Tricalysia dubia, Rubiaceae) from Japan. Corythoxestis sunosei (Kumata, 1998) is recorded from new host plants: Adina pilulifera and Mussaenda parviflora, Rubiaceae, from Japan. The female adult and pupal morphol-ogies, life history and host plant of the genus Guttigera are described for the first time. Pupae of seven species of four genera: Corythoxestis, Eumetriochroa, Guttigera, and Metriochroa, are described for the first time. We provide morpho-logical diagnostic differences between species and genera of Oecophyllembiinae and Phyllocnistis. Our preliminary data suggest that Oecophyllembiinae species have three valuable pupal diagnostic characters: 1) cocoon cutter with unique lat-eral processes or setae on the clypeus, 2) tergal spines with only a pair of dorsal setae, and 3) cremaster with more than two pairs of caudal processes, while Phyllocnistis species possess 1) cocoon cutter without lateral processes or setae on clypeus, 2) tergal spines with a pair of dorsal setae and dorsal hooks, and 3) cremaster with only a pair of caudal processes. Copyright © 2013 Magnolia Press.