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Published June 12, 2026 | Version v1
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A new species of seed-feeding Cuphodes Meyrick, 1897 (Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae) from South Africa

Authors/Creators

  • 1. Zoology Department, Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Verona, Verona, Italy
  • 2. Department of Conservation Management, Nelson Mandela University, George, South Africa|Forest Programme, NVT, Nature's Valley, South Africa
  • 3. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa|Research and Exhibitions Department, South African Museum, Iziko Museums of South Africa, Cape Town, South Africa
  • 4. INRAE, URZF, Orléans, France|IRBI, UMR 7261, CNRS-University of Tours, Tours, France|Natural History Museum Vienna, 2nd Zoological Department, Vienna, Austria

Description

We describe a new species of Cuphodes Meyrick, 1897 (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) from South Africa, C. spermotrophus sp. nov., reared from fruits of Rhamnus prinoides L'Hér. (Rhamnaceae). This represents the first confirmed record of a seed-feeding Gracillariidae species from the African continent. The new species is distinguished from all known congeners by external morphology and male and female genitalia. Molecular data (COI barcode) confirm its distinctiveness and support its placement within Cuphodes. We provide diagnostic characters, illustrations of the adult and genitalia, and notes on its biology and host association. The discovery of this species expands the known feeding habits of Cuphodes, previously thought to include only leaf-mining species, and highlights the still largely unexplored trophic diversity of African Gracillariidae.

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Cites
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Publication: 10.5962/bhl.part.12726 (DOI)
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Has part
Figure: 10.3897/nl.49.189942.figures10-13 (DOI)
Figure: 10.3897/nl.49.189942.figure14 (DOI)
Figure: 10.3897/nl.49.189942.figure7 (DOI)
Figure: 10.3897/nl.49.189942.figure8 (DOI)
Figure: 10.3897/nl.49.189942.figures1-3 (DOI)
Figure: 10.3897/nl.49.189942.figure9 (DOI)
Figure: 10.3897/nl.49.189942.figure6 (DOI)
Figure: 10.3897/nl.49.189942.figure15 (DOI)
Figure: 10.3897/nl.49.189942.figures4-5 (DOI)
Other: 10.3897/nl.49.189942.suppl1 (DOI)

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