Phyllocnistis kawakitai Brito & Lopez-Vaamonde & Gonçalves & Becker & Mielke & Moreira 2017, sp. nov.

Phyllocnistis kawakitai Brito & Lopez-Vaamonde, sp. nov.

Figs. 3J, 4J, 5, 6F, 6K, S 1; Tab. 2

Type material. French Guiana: Nouragues Natural Reserve, 4°2’16.8” N 52°40’22.8” W, 57 m elevation. Preserved dried and pinned. A. Kawakita leg., 05.IX.2010. HOLOTYPE: #f (Sample ID: AK0105; Process ID: GRANO105–11), with genitalia on slide (GRPM 50–141), deposited at MNHN. Cluster number BOLD: AAW0506.

Diagnosis. Dorsal forewing: The tf2 is short, little distinct from the dark gray ground color, separated from tf1 and partially connected to tf3; the latter forms a non-ornamented blotch with tf4 on the distal region of the wing. This species is similar to P. norak, from which it is easily distinguished by the forewing ground color and the absence of a secondary dark blotch on fused tf3–tf4.

Description (Figs. 3J, S 1; Tab. 2). Forewing length 1.78 mm (n=1). Head: covered with light gray scales. Thorax: forewing ground color dark gray. lf light yellow with dark brown borders, slightly convex, running at the costal margin from base to median region (II). tf1 short, thin, dark brown and little distinct from background, emerging from the costal margin and connecting to distal portion of lf. tf2 short, almost restricted to costal margin, slightly distinct from ground color, completely separated from tf1 but partially connected to tf3+tf4 that together form a dark orange blotch on the distal region (III). Costal strigula a emerges from tf2 and the other two (b, c) from distal blotch of the wing. Apical strigulae (d–g) typical, emerging from as. Great density of dark brown fringes at the inner margin of the wing. Hindwing reduced, with long light brown fringes. Abdomen: covered with dark brown scales.

Male genitalia: unknown.

Female genitalia (Figs. 6F, 6K): Abdominal segment VII subrectangular, VIII subtriangular and reduced. Apophyses similar in size and shape; anterior ones reach 1/3 of the VII abdominal segment and posterior the VIII abdominal segment, ~0.6 x the size of the anal papilla, the latter covered with setae of different sizes mostly located on the distal border (Fig. 6F). Ductus bursae thin, membranous and slender, connected to corpus bursae. Corpus bursae wide, membranous and saculiform, located in between the V and VI abdominal segments. One pair of spiniform signa, having base slightly sclerotized and half-moon-shaped, located on the corpus bursae (Fig. 6K).

Geographical distribution (Fig. 5). Known only from the type locality, the Nouragues Natural Reserve, French Guiana.

Natural history. The only adult of this species was collected at light by Dr. Atsushi Kawakita.

Host plant(s). Unknown.

Etymology. The species name is a patronym in honor of Dr. Atsushi Kawakita, who collected the holotype.