Phyllonorycter ruwenzori, De Prins, 2012

Prins, Jurate De & Kawahara, Akito Y., 2012, Systematics, revisionary taxonomy, and biodiversity of Afrotropical Lithocolletinae (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), Zootaxa 3594 (1), pp. 1-283 : 152

The ruwenzori group

This group, which includes one species, Phyllonorycter ruwenzori De Prins , n. sp., is phenotypically very distinct and is thus treated in its own group. Three almost parallel white fasciae on forewing easily separate this species group from other species groups. Male genitalia are also very distinct, with short, truncate, broad tegumen and long lobe-like valva with broadly enlarged cucullus. The male genitalia is somewhat similar to the leucaspis group, but the straight saccus and highly divergent female genitalia undoubtfully distinguishes the two groups apart. Female genitalia of the ruwenzori and melhaniae species groups have a sclerotized area on corpus bursae situated close to the interception of ductus bursae. However, the sclerotized sterigma is reduced in the ruwenzori species group and developed in the melhaniae species group.