Phyllonorycter

Afrotropical Phyllonorycter are generally small moths with forewing length 2.7±0.5 mm. Head: vertex tufted with erected long piliform scales, bicoloured at tips, varying in shading and length from frons to occiput; frons covered with appressed smooth scales, frequently white, sometimes with golden sheen or strong metallic gloss, or mottled with brownish scales. Antenna simple, about as long as forewing, not clearly ringed; scape short, thickened, bearing pecten of different length. Thorax: forewing with black or blackish brown scales arranged in row(s) edging fasciate or strigulate whitish markings basally or mixed (except melanosparta group where white markings absent); fringe long, particularly near tornus and dorsum, reaching width of wing in forewing; hindwing greyish, dirty white, lustrous, silvery, lanceolate, maximum width 0.11 that of length, venation reduced, Sc very short, Rs very long running almost to apex, Cu1 strong. Hindtibia thickened, with long fine loose hairs and medial and apical spurs; hindtarsus smooth, slender, ca. 1.5× as long as tibia. Abdomen: tegumen simple, conical, without apical setae; valvae symmetrical, mostly bar-shaped with filament-like setae; saccus slender, straight, of medium length, projecting anteriad; aedoeagus usually straight or slightly curved, slender, cylindrical, slightly enlarged at coecum. Papillae anales slightly compressed laterally, attached to each other laterally, usually as long as wide, covered with long sparsely set setae.

Literature