title: New taxa, including three new genera show uniqueness of Neotropical Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera).
abstract: After finding distinct clades in a molecular phylogeny for Nepticulidae that could not be placed in any known genera and discovering clear apomorphic characters that define these clades, as well as a number of Neotropical species that could be placed in known genera but were undescribed, three new genera and nine new species are here described from the Neotropics:Stigmella gallicolavan Nieukerken & Nishida,sp. n.reared from galls onHampea appendiculata(Malvaceae) in Costa Rica, representing the first example of a gall makingStigmella;Stigmella schinivoravan Nieukerken,sp. n.reared from leafmines onSchinus terebinthifolia(Anacardiaceae) in Argentina, Misiones;Stigmella costaricensisvan Nieukerken & Nishida,sp. n.andStigmella introniavan Nieukerken & Nishida,sp. n.each from a single specimen collected the same night in Costa Rica, Parque Nacional Chirripó;Stigmella molinensisvan Nieukerken & Snyers,sp. n.reared from leafmines onSalix humboldtiana, Peru, Lima, the first Neotropical species of theStigmella salicisgroup sensu stricto;Ozadelphavan Nieukerken,gen. n.with type speciesOzadelpha conostegiaevan Nieukerken & Nishida,sp. n., reared from leafmines onConostegia oerstediana(Melastomataceae) from Costa Rica;Neotrifurculavan Nieukerken,gen. n.with type speciesNeotrifurcula gielisorumvan Nieukerken,sp. n.from Chile;Hesperolyravan Nieukerken,gen. n.. with type speciesFomoria diskusiPuplesis & Robinson, 2000;Hesperolyra saopaulensisvan Nieukerken,sp. n., reared from an unidentified Myrtaceae, Sao Paulo, Brasil; andAcalyptris janzenivan Nieukerken & Nishida,sp. n.from Costa Rica, Guanacaste. Five new combinations are made:Ozadelpha ovata(Puplesis & Robinson, 2000),comb. n.andOzadelpha guajavae(Puplesis & Diškus, 2002),comb. n.,Hesperolyra diskusi(Puplesis & Robinson, 2000),comb. n.,Hesperolyra molybditis(Zeller, 1877),comb. n.andHesperolyra repanda(Puplesis & Diškus, 2002),comb. n.Three specimens are briefly described, but left unnamed:Ozadelphaspecimen EvN4680,Neotrifurculaspecimen EvN4504 andNeotrifurculaspecimen RH2.
authors.affiliation: Naturalis Biodiversity Center, PO Box 9517, NL-2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Erik J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: van Nieukerken
authors.affiliation: Naturalis Biodiversity Center, PO Box 9517, NL-2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Camiel
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Doorenweerd
authors.affiliation: Estación Biológica Monteverde, Apdo. 22-5655, Monteverde, Costa Rica.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.affiliation: Rendierstraat 14/2, BE-2610 Wilrijk, Antwerpen, Belgium.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Snyers
keywords: New species; gall; leafmines; molecular phylogeny; new genus; taxonomy