Abstract
Four New World species of Phyllocnistis Zeller are described from serpentine mines in Persea (Family Lauraceae). Phyllocnistis hyperpersea,new species, mines the upper leaf surfaces of avocado, Persea americana Mill., and red bay, Persea borbonia (L.) Spreng. and ranges over much of the southeastern United States into Central America. Phyllocnistis subpersea,new species, mines the underside and occasionally upper sides of new leaves of Persea borbonia in southeastern United States. Phyllocnistis longipalpa, new species, known only from southern Florida also mines the undersides of new leaves of Persea borbonia. Phyllocnistis perseafolia,new species, mines both leaf surfaces and possibly fruits of Persea americana in Colombia, South America. As in all known species of Phyllocnistis, the early instars are subepidermal sapfeeders in young (not fully hardened) foliage, and the final instar is an extremely specialized, nonfeeding larval form, whose primary function is to spin the silken cocoon, at the mine terminus, prior to pupation. Early stages are illustrated and described for three of the species. The unusual morphology of the pupae, particularly the frontal process of the head, is shown to be one of the most useful morphological sources of diagnostic characters for species identification of Phyllocnistis. COI barcode sequence distances are provided for the four proposed species and a fifth, undescribed species from Costa Rica.
Highlights
The genus Phyllocnistis Zeller, 1848 is one of the more speciose genera in the Gracillariidae, its diversity is greatly underestimated in existing taxonomic literature
During 1996 – 1998, as part of the Arthropods of La Selva (ALAS) Project, the authors conducted a preliminary survey of the Gracillariidae of La Selva Biological Station, a lowland rain forest site in northwestern Costa Rica
Only four species are proposed in this report, a fifth species based on COI barcode sequences (Fig. 1) and unique pupal characters has been examined from Persea americana collected in Costa Rica
Summary
The genus Phyllocnistis Zeller, 1848 is one of the more speciose genera in the Gracillariidae, its diversity is greatly underestimated in existing taxonomic literature. Abdominal setae generally short except for greatly lengthened SD1 on A2–7; apex of SD1 on A2–7 slightly enlarged, but not spatulate; abdomen with 6 mid-dorsal pairs of spine clusters (Figs 6C–D) beginning near anterior margins of terga 2–7; each cluster with series of similar, low, strongly recurved spines arranged in 4 irregular columns of about 4–6 ranks; pair of much larger, strongly recurved spines immediately lateral to central cluster and adjacent to seta D1 on A4–7; sternum A6 with spinules evenly scattered over surface (Fig. 6F); A10 with pair of relatively large, stout, caudal projections arising laterally and directed ventrally (Figs 7A–D).
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