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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Systematic Entomology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #303531
Title: A new genus of Grapholitini from Africa related to Thaumatotibia (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

Author
item TIMM, A. - Rhodes University
item Brown, John

Submitted to: ZooKeys
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/8/2014
Publication Date: 9/1/2014
Publication URL: http://zookeys.pensoft.net/articles.php?id=4024
Citation: Timm, A.E., Brown, J.W. 2014. A new genus of Grapholitini from Africa related to Thaumatotibia (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). ZooKeys. 438:113-128.

Interpretive Summary: Caterpillars of the moth family known as leaf-rollers cause millions of damage annually to crops, forest trees, and ornamental plants. The false codling moth is an African species in this family that is a notorious pest of citrus, eggplant, and several other crops, and is intercepted frequently at U.S. ports-of-entry. We describe a new genus and its new species that are closely related to this pest. This information will be valuable to those studying and identifying pests (including potential invasive species) and those interested in the diversity of the Afrotropical region.

Technical Abstract: Thaumatovalva, new genus, is described and illustrated from the Afrotropical region. As currently defined the genus includes four species: T. deprinsorum, new species, from the Democratic Republic of Congo; T. albolineana, new species (type species), from the Democratic Republic of Congo; T. spinai (Razowski & Trematerra), new combination, from Ethiopia and Nigeria; and T. minutana, new species, from Kenya. Although the male and female genitalia of the first three are nearly identical, conspicuous male secondary scales on the underside of the hindwing allow easy separation of the species.