Conopomorpha oceanica Bradley, 1986

Prins, Jurate De, Hartley, Diana, Sruoga, Virginijus, Nicholls, James, Wallace, Jesse & Zwick, Andreas, 2025, Diversity of Australian Ornixolinae (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) with taxonomic and nomenclatural acts within the related taxa (Acrocercopinae and Gracillariinae) based on the evidence of museomics, bionomics, and mitogenomics, Zootaxa 5616 (1), pp. 1-340 : 32-40

Conopomorpha oceanica Bradley, 1986

( Figs 17, 18, 25, 29, 30, 33)

“ Conopomorpha oceanica sp. n. ”—Bradley, J.D., 1986. Bulletin of Entomological Research 76 (1): 44–47, figs 3–4, 11–13, 18. Conopomorpha oceanica — De Prins & De Prins 2005: 158–159; Evenhuis 2007: 19.

Type locality: New Hebrides [ Vanuatu], Aneityum [Anatum], Red Crest, 1200 ft. 3m [miles] NE of Anelgauhat.

Type specimens: Holotype ♂, gen. slide 21153 ♂, in NHMUK (London) ; Paratypes 9♀, in NHMUK (London) .

Specimens examined: Holotype ♂: [1] New Hebrides / Aneityum / Red Crest, 1200 ft / 3m [iles] NE of Anelgauhat / March 1955; [2] L.E. Cheesman / B.M. 1955-217; [3] Type; [4] B.M. ♂ / Genitalia slide/ No. 21153 [not examined]; [5] Conopomorpha / oceanica sp. nov. /det. J.D. Bradley, 1984; [6] BMNH(E) 1412184, in NHMUK (London).

Paratype 1(♀): [1] Fiji/Viti Levu/Suva/ October 1974; [2] H.S. Robinson/B.M. 1975-4; [3] Paratype; [4] B.M. ♀ / Genitalia slide/No. 22334, NHMUK 015359541; [5] Conopomorpha / oceanica sp. nov. /det. J.D. Bradley, 1984; [6] BMNH(E) 1412157. Paratype 2(♀), with abdomen: [1] New Hebrides/Aneityum/Red Crest, 1200 ft / 3m [iles] NE of Anelgauhat/ April 1955; [2] L.E. Cheesman/B.M. 1955-217; [3] Paratype; [4] Conopomorpha / oceanica sp. nov. /det. J.D. Bradley, 1984; [5] BMNH(E) 1412165, in NHMUK (London). Paratype 3(♀): female genitalia slide: [1] ‘ Conopomorpha / oceanica /Bradley/ NEW HEBRIDES /PARATYPE’; [2] ‘ ♀ 22338/VI.84 JDB EUPARAL’; [3] ‘ NHMUK 015359542, in NHMUK (London).

Morphological diagnostic characterisation: Externally very similar to C. litchiella and C. cramerella . Externally, C. oceanica is slightly lighter that the latter two species; two broad bright subapical oblique strigulae in pre tornal sector can serve as a diagnostic external character. In C. oceanica the second reversed V ornament on the apical 1/3 of the forewing, and two broad, white, oblique parallel stripes directed towards the apex might assist species diagnosis based on external characters. Sexual dimorphism in external characters, differently from C. litchiella , is not expressed in C. oceanica . Based on bionomical data there are no differences in host plant use between C. oceanica and C. cramerella , while C. litchiella and C. cramerella share many species of host plants, including the ones of economic importance such as cacao and litchi. Conopomorpha oceanica and C. cramerella feed on the same host plant Theobroma cacao L. ( Malvaceae ). Three species C. cramerella , C. litchiella and C. oceanica form a closely related species group. The undoubtful diagnostic differences between these three species are found in genitalia morphological characters of male and female genitalia. Length of forewing ca. 5.3 mm. Wing span ca. 11.5 mm ( Figs 17, 18).

Head: covered with beige erect piliform scales with a shade of brown basally, occiput with two thick bunches of brown with beige apical parts, short, thick, piliform scales directed posteriorly. Labial palpus, long, directed anteriorly, with straight apices, white, terminal palpomere with brown base and dark brown apex. Antenna long, slightly longer than forewing, thin, composed of beige unicoloured flagellomeres, shading to white towards apex, no annulation; pedicel short, thicker than the rest of the flagellomeres, brown; scape enlarged, brown, lighter dorsally. Thorax: patched beige; tegula concolourous with thorax, lighter posteriorly. Forewing long, narrow, equally wide along its entire length, with gently rounded apex, with dark brown, dark beige, beige and whitish irregular patches, with clear geometrical pattern of two reversed V-shaped ornaments, surrounded by irregular small spots; the first reversed V ornament on the basal 1/3 of the forewing, the second reversed V ornament on the apical 1/3 of forewing, two broad, white, oblique parallel stripes directed towards apex are present on subapical part of dorsal margin of forewing; costal margin without special markings, mottled, except subapical oblique strigula, and four comma-shaped apical stripes; apical part of forewing very decorative with two oval, very big, brightly yellow patches; apical spot small, but very clear, black, round; fringe line dark brown, gently running around termen to tornus; fringe dense, brownish beige; hindwing very narrow, about ¼ shorter in length than the forewing, dark beige; fringe slightly lighter in shading than forewing, dense, long with the longest piliform scales at the base of hindwing. Mid femur beige, mid tibia beige at basal half and brown at apical half, tibial spurs very long, reaching subapical part of tarsomere I, mid tarsomeres dark brown with beige apical parts; hind tibia with a row of long hanging beige, filiform scales, apical spurs white, hind tarsomeres brown, lighter shading than mid tarsus, with white apical parts.

Abdomen ( Fig. 33): mottled dark beige, anterior genital segment white with yellowish shading. Abdominal opening arc-shaped with strongly sclerotised lateral margins, ventral crossing joint doubled by the anterior margin of sternal plate, strongly sclerotised, complete, slightly concave; the function of sternal apodemes is taken by the lateral margins of sternal plate that are strongly sclerotised; tergal apodemes slender, slightly bent, running until mid of sternum II, a small appendix is present on the basal part of tergal apodemes; no other sclerotisations on the cuticle of female abdomen; cuticle with tiny dots; intersegmental joints are well distinguishable.

Male genitalia (following Bradley 1986: 45, Figs 11, 12) ( Fig. 25): tegumen narrow, rectangular, truncate at apex, subscaphium long, following the shape of tegumen, covered with tiny spicules; valva slightly longer than tegumen, broad, equally broad along its length, more or less rectangular at apical part, with tiny protrusion at the ventral apical part; the inner ventral surface of valva complex, rich of characters with strongly developed sacculus; subcostal sector of valva covered with long dense setae, mid part of inner surface of valva with a strong sclerotisation that ends with a bulb-shaped protrusion, a prolonged weaker sclerotised island is present in the central part of valval sclerotisation; saccular part broadly edged, prolonged, strongly setose band; anellus developed, conical; transtilla absent; vinculum very broad, trapezoid, with a clearly visible net of 7–8 sutures; saccus short, broadly rounded anteriorly. Aedeagus long, curved, with a blunt vesica that carries long, curved cornutus that stretches along the entire body of the aedeagus.

Female genitalia (following Bradley 1986: 49, Fig. 18 and preparations NHMUK 015359541 and NHMUK 015359542, London) ( Figs 29, 30): papillae anales fused with their anterior parts, densely setose; apophyses posteriores long, entering the posterior part of segment VII, slightly bent, narrowing at apices; apophyses anteriores short, hardly visible sterigma a small bow as lamella post-vaginalis; segment VII, melanised, more or less cylindrical; ostium bursae opens at subposterior sector of segment VII, antrum strongly sclerotised; colliculum very well developed, with complex pattern of sclerotisation and bulbed side appendage; ductus bursae broad, long, ca. 2.5× longer than segment VII, the wall of ductus bursae finely wrinkled; corpus bursae small, just pear-shaped enlargement with squamous, and roughly wrinkled basal part that can be considered as signal area. Ductus seminalis enters ductus bursae just prior the joint of ductus with corpus bursae.

BOLD data: No data.

GenBank data: No data.

Mitogenomic data: No data.

Bionomics in Australian region: Malvaceae : Theobroma cacao L. ( Robinson et al. 2023).

Distribution in Australian region: Fiji, Vanuatu: Anatum ( Bradley 1986: 47).

08. Conopomorphina Vári, 1961

“ Conopomorphina gen. nov. ”—Vári, L., 1961. Transvaal Museum Memoir 12: xvii (key), 106.

Type species: Conopomorphina ochnivora Vári, 1961 . Transvaal Museum Memoir 12: 107–108, by original designation.

BOLD data: https://www.boldsystems.org/index.php/Taxbrowser_Taxonpage?taxon= Conopomorphina &searchTax =Search+Taxonomy

GenBank data: No data.

Mitogenomic data: No data.

Bionomics: Ochnaceae : Ochna pulchra Hook. ( Conopomorphina ochnivora Vári, 1961 ).

Rubiaceae : Coddia rudis (E.Mey.ex Harv.) Verdc. ( C. aptata ( Meyrick, 1914a)) .

Distribution: Afrotropical Region: South Africa: Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal; Zimbabwe.

Species richness: World: 3 species; Australian Region: 0 species.

Type species: Conopomorphina ochnivora Vári, 1961

“ Conopomorphina ochnivora spec. nov. ”—Vári, L., 1961. Transvaal Museum Memoir 12: 107–108, pl. 12, fig. 4; pl. 32, fig. 1; pl. 57, fig. 8; pl. 91, fig. 2; pl. 108, fig. 11; pl. 112, fig. 1.

Conopomorphina ochnivora — Dall’Asta et al. 2001: 22; Vári et al. 2002: 25; De Prins & De Prins 2005: 159–160; Gumovsky 2007: 1–16.

Type locality and collecting data: South Africa, Transvaal [Gauteng], Pretoria , 10.xii.1948, leg. L. Vári.

Type specimens: Holotype ♂, genitalia slide G7151, in TMSA (Pretoria) ; Allotype [recte Paratype] ♀, genitalia slide G7152, in TMSA (Pretoria) ; Paratypes 5♂ and 6♀, genitalia slides G6745, G6746, in TMSA ( Pretoria ), ZMHB (Berlin) .

BOLD data: https://www.boldsystems.org/index.php/Taxbrowser_Taxonpage?taxon= Conopomorphina+ochnivora &searchTax=Search+Taxonomy

GenBank data: No data.

Mitogenomic data: No data.

Bionomics: Ochnaceae : Ochna pulchra Hook. ( Vári 1961: 108) .

Distribution: Afrotropical Region: South Africa: Gauteng ( Vári 1961: 108).

09. Crotona De Prins, Sruoga & Zwick , gen. n.

“ Crotona De Prins, Sruoga & Zwick , gen. n. ”—original citation.

Type species: Crotona kakadu De Prins, Sruoga & Zwick , sp. nov., by present designation and monotypy.

Diagnosis: This new genus is sister to the genus Stomphastis , described by Meyrick in 1912, with its Oriental type species Stomphastis thraustica Author that is distributed in South America, Africa, China, South East Asia and recently imported as a biocontrol agent to Australia ( De Prins et al. 2023). Species of both sister genera feed on Euphorbiaceae plants. The wing pattern of both genera is rather complex, dorsum more ornamented with white stripes and spots than the costal margin. This character is more or less common to many genera of Ornixolinae . With both bionomic and external morphology characters their similarities end. Wing pattern of Crotona gen. n. with dorsal white irregular non-edged stripes, while the costal margin is marked with dirty white and brown stripes not extending beyond the midline of the forewing. In Stomphastis the wing pattern especially the costal margin is more unicoloured, less ornamented. Abdomen of males is very characteristic of the new genus by carrying two short androconial brushes of coremata on sternum VII, consisting of short, broad, lamellar, dark brown scales. The easily recognisable character of this genus is the sickle-shaped concave thin, but strongly sclerotised joint connecting the sublateral parts of tergum I, an initiating point of tergal apodemes. In male genitalia, the shape of valvae is strongly diagnostic. In Stomphastis they are broad, sacculus is extremely enlarged, while in Crotona gen. n. they are narrow, slightly lifted and the saccular area is even lightly folded.Aedeagus of both genera is strongly diagnostic: in Stomphastis it carries a fold at the base of vesica, while in Crotona gen. n. this fold is absent, but the vesica is much longer and narrower. Interestingly, in Crotona gen. n. the coecum is two-forked and has prolonged sclerotisations. Description: Wingspan less than 6 mm; length of the forewing less than 3 mm ( Fig. 34).

Head: vertex smooth, occiput white covered by with two small lateral tufts of short piliform scales projecting posteriorly. Maxillary palpus short ca. as long as basal labial palpomere, proboscis glabrous, rolled. Labial palpus relatively long, ca. 2× longer than the diameter of the eye, slightly curved and porrect; terminal palpomere without hanging piliform scales. Antenna with thin intermedial lines between flagellomeres, scape with a few short pecten. Thorax: Forewing narrowly elongated, equal in width along all its length, with a gently rounded apex, ground colour is ochreous-fuscous at basal 2/3 of forewing, with complex speckled ornamentation consisting of white stripes, dashes and spots on a fuscous and ochreous background; apical line very fine and narrow. The fringe line consists of bright with, black-tipped prolonged scales, gently following the apical margin of forewing; fringe long, light grey, with light golden shine, shorter at distal part, the longest at median part of dorsum. Hindwing narrow, elongate, sharply pointed, ground colour light ochreous-fuscous, fringe long, ca. 6× longer than the width of hindwing at the base. Hind tibia with a row of relatively long, sharp pointed spines along the tibia, apical spurs short.

Abdomen: light ochreous on terga II–IV with fuscous shading on top of tergites on T5-T6, creamy white with light ochreous shading on anterior tergites, lateral sides of abdomen creamy white (tergites and sternites) with four oblique dark brown stripes. Abdomen of males with two short androconial brushes of coremata on sternum VII, consisting of short, broad, lamellar, dark brown scales. Abdominal opening rather small, shaped as an triangle with semi-round sclerotised joint connecting the bases of tergal apodemes; ventral crossing joint is narrowly sclerotised, and very slightly convex anteriorly; sternal apodemes initiating at the corners of abdominal opening are weakly developed, hardly distinguishable from the lateral sides of sclerotised plate on sternum II, short, just reaching the mid of sternum II, slightly angled, with sharp apices; tergal apodemes initiate at sub-anterior part of abdominal opening at the corners of concave tergal joint, with a short, angulated appendage at the base; tergal apodemes rather long, terminating subposterior part of segment II, slightly bent at apical part. No sclerotisations on the anterior margin of other segments, except segment VII in males. Segment VII in males with two strongly sclerotised narrow semi-rings, opposite each other and connecting two androconial brushes of coremata.

Male genitalia: Tegumen very narrowly triangular, valvae narrow, setose, slightly lifted, with a gently rounded apex; costal margin of valvae folded with a very clearly visible, rather broad longitudinal suture, sacculus part slightly folded; transtilla incomplete, juxta reversed U shaped, with narrow but very strongly sclerotised arms; vinculum with mid suture, saccus rudimental. Aedeagus with narrow arrow-tipped vesica with strongly sclerotised broad cornuti; coecum carries two prolonged and forked sclerotisations.

Female genitalia: No data.

Bionomics: Croton arnhemicus Müll.Arg. ( Euphorbiaceae ) ( Fig. 42) ( C. kakadu sp. nov.).

Distribution: Australian Region: Australia: Northern Territory.

BOLD data: No data.

GenBank data: No data.

Mitogenomic data: Crotona gen. n. is very strongly to maximally supported as sister to Stomphastis ( Figs 636–639) in all analyses, with a remarkably long shared branch leading up to the two genetically very distinct genera.

Etymology. The genus name derives from the generic name of the host plant Croton . It is a noun in apposition. Gender feminine.

Species richness: World: 1 species; Australian Region: 1 species.

Type species: Crotona kakadu De Prins, Sruoga & Zwick , sp. nov.

( Figs 34–42, 638)

Type locality: Australia: Northern Territory, Kakadu National Park.

Type specimen: Holotype (♂): [labels verbatim] [1] Australia N. T. [Northern Territory]/ 12.35S 132.54E / 10 km N of Jabiru/Kakadu NP [National Park] em.[erged]/15 Feb.[February] 1998/T. & M. Kumata [2] Host 5871/ Croton / arnhemicus, DNA sample NULT025512, genitalia slide ANIC 6200, ANIC Acc. no 31 085520, in ANIC (Canberra).

Type depository: Australian National Insect Collection, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.

Diagnosis:From general appearance this species slightly resembles Stomphastis thraustica feeding on Euphorbiaceae but both species can be separated just from the external morphology. The ground colour of Crotona kakadu sp. nov. is brighter, costal strigulae are margined from both sides, it possesses more white ornamental spots than S. thraustica . In S. thraustica costal basal half of forewing is without ornamentation, while in Crotona kakadu sp. nov. both dorsal and costal margins, including the basal part are richly decorated with numerous shining white spots and stripes. The micromorphology of internal genital characters in males is also very clearly diagnostic, especially in the shape of valvae, tegumen and aedeagus. Bionomics is also a good diagnostic indicator: S. thraustica feeds mainly on Jatropha curcas (L.) and J. gossypiifolia (L.) ( De Prins et al. 2023), while C. kakadu sp. nov. feeds on Croton arnhemicus Müll.Arg. Both species mentioned above feed on host plants belonging to the family Euphorbiaceae . Mitogenomics that includes analyses of longer DNA sequences diagnoses this new species without any doubt. Despite the fact that this C. kakadu sp. nov. is described from the holotype only, all three independent datasets indicate the novelty: morphology, bionomics and mitogenomics.

Description: Wingspan of the holotype 5.5 mm; length of the forewing 2.7 mm ( Figs 34–38).

Head ( Figs 35, 36): vertex smooth, white at lateral sides with dark ochreous narrow stripe stretching along central part of vertex surrounded by light ochreous, occiput white covered by with two small lateral tufts of short piliform scales projecting posteriorly. Frons shining white with slightly darker shading at the intermedial area between vertex and frons as well as at the bases of antennae. Maxillary palpus short ca. as long as basal labial palpomere, dirty white, basal palpomere with light ochreous basis; proboscis glabrous, rolled, light beige. Labial palpus relatively long, ca. 2× longer than the diameter of the eye, slightly curved and porrect, white from inner side and with a dark ochreous-white pattern from outer side; labial palpomere I white with dark ochreous basis, palpomere II dark ochreous with white apex, and with a tuft of long as long as labial palpomere II, hanging white piliform scales intermixed with white tipped dark ochreous piliform scales, terminal palpomere without hanging piliform scales, but decorative with smaller dark ochreous patch at sub-basis and bigger irregular dark ochreous patch at sub-apex, apex sharp, white tipped. Antenna dark fuscous with silvery shining thin intermedial lines between flagellomeres, flagellomeres with thin fuscous longitudinal lines, ventrally uniformly ochreous beige, pedicel slightly shorter and thicker than the second flagellomere, with dark almost black spot dorsally and white posteriorly, scape dirty white at basal half and dark ochreous at apical half, ventrally dirty white, scape with a few short dirty white pecten.

Thorax ( Figs 34, 38): dirty white, tegula light fuscous ochreous with apices of lighter shading. Forewing narrowly elongated, equal in width along all its length, with a gently rounded apex, ground colour is ochreous-fuscous at basal 2/3 of forewing, with complex speckled ornamentation consisting of white stripes, dashes and spots on fuscous and ochreous background; costal margin ornamentation consists of two white round spots at base, a group of four irregular white spots at 1/3 of costa, single white oblique stripe at 1/2 of costa, another oblique white stripe at apical 1/3, white spot edged with black at sub-apex, apical spot is bicoloured—smaller white spot from costal side bigger clear black dot from the dorsal side of forewing; basal part of the dorsal margin carries two short straight thick white stripes, followed by two oblique irregular stripes, not reaching the mid of forewing, white prolonged stripe on dorsal margin at 1/2 of forewing, comma-shaped oblique stripe meeting with its tip the costal oblique stripe at apical 1/3, followed by bright white unedged white spot at sub-tornus; apical line very fine and narrow. The fringe line consists of bright white with black apical parts prolonged scales, gently following the apical margin of forewing; fringe long, light grey, with light golden shine, shorter at distal part, the longest at median part of dorsum. Hindwing narrow, elongate, sharply pointed, ground colour light ochreous-fuscous, fringe long, ca. 6× longer than the width of hindwing at the base, with the longest piliform scales hanging at the base of the dorsum of the hindwing. The fore femur fuscous, fore tibia fuscous with four dirty white spots, fore tarsomeres fuscous with dirty white apices, the tip of fore tarsus dark grey; mid femur light grey with darker shading at apical 1/3 with two dark grey spots at the base and at median part, mid tibia is light grey with two oblique irregular dark grey stripes at sub-basal and sub-apical parts, tibial spurs short dark grey, tarsomeres light grey, concolourous with tibia, with dark grey apices, tip of mid tarsus light grey; hind femur grey ochreous, hind tibia light grey, darker at apical part, with a row of relatively long, sharp-pointed spines along of tibia, apical spurs short shiny white, tarsomeres fuscous with dirty white apices, tip of hind tarsus dirty white.

Abdomen ( Figs 37, 41): light ochreous on terga II–IV, with fuscous shading on top of tergites on T5–T6, creamy white with light ochreous shading on anterior tergites, lateral sides of abdomen creamy white (tergites and sternites) with four oblique dark brown stripes, internal surface of genital segments bright yellow. Abdomen of the male holotype with two short androconial brushes of coremata on sternum VII, consisting of short, broad, lamellar, dark brown scales. Abdominal opening rather small, shaped as an triangle with semi-round sclerotised joint connecting the bases of tergal apodemes; ventral crossing joint is narrowly sclerotised, very slightly convex anteriorly; sternal apodemes initiating at the corners of abdominal opening are weakly developed, hardly distinguishable from the lateral sides of sclerotised plate on sternum II, short, just reaching the mid of sternum II, slightly angled, with sharp apices; tergal apodemes initiate at sub-anterior part of abdominal opening at the corners of concave tergal joint, with a short, angulated appendage at the base; tergal apodemes rather long, terminating sub posterior part of sternum II, slightly bent at apical part. No sclerotisations on anterior margin of other segments, except segment VII. Segment VII with two strongly sclerotised narrow semi-rings, situated opposite each other and connecting two androconial brushes of coremata with sclerotised lines.

Male genitalia ( Figs 39, 40): Tegumen very narrow triangular, ca. twice shorter than valva, tuba analis significantly, ca. 1/2 length of tegumen, protrudes the tegumen, teguminal arms narrow, but strongly sclerotised; valvae narrow, setose, angled at midden at about 45°, slightly lifted, with gently rounded apex; costal margin of valvae folded with very clearly visible rather broad longitudinal suture, sacculus part slightly folded with basal parts enringing the arms of juxta; transtilla incomplete, vinculum folded into the genital cavity, fusing with its edges to the reversed U shaped juxta, with narrow, strongly sclerotised arms; vinculum broadly U-shaped, strongly sclerotised, with suture in the middle, clearly dividing vinculum into the right and left parts, saccus rudimental, just tiny semi-round appendage at the anterior part of vinculum. Aedeagus broad and short with long, ca. twice as long as the main part of aedeagus, narrow arrow-tipped vesica with strongly sclerotised, broad cornuti; coecum carries two prolonged sclerotisations forked at their tips.

Female genitalia: No data.

Individual variation: The species is described from the holotype only.

Bionomics: The primary type specimen was reared from Croton arnhemicus Müll.Arg. ( Euphorbiaceae ) ( Fig. 42). Mining period in early February. Adults are active from mid of February.

Mitogenomic data: Only the holotype was successfully sequenced. This sequence is strongly to maximally supported as a sister to the genus Stomphastis ( Fig. 638).

Distribution: Known only from the type locality: Australia, Northern Territory, Kakadu National Park.

Etymology: The species epithet derives from the name of the type locality—Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory, Australia. A noun in nominative case in apposition.

10. Cuphodes Meyrick, 1897

“ Cuphodes , n. g. ”—Meyrick, E., 1897. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 22: 299 (key), 314. https://www. biodiversitylibrary.org/page/3344951

Type species: Cuphodes thysanota Meyrick, 1897 . Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 22: 314, by monotypy.