Revision of African Neaspasia Diakonoff, 1989 and the related Conaspasia, n. gen. (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae).

The six species of Neaspasia Diakonoff present in mainland Africa are described and illustrated. Niphadophylax albonigra Razowski & Wojtusiak and N. sophrona Razowski & Wojtusiak are transferred to Conaspasia, new genus. Four new species are described: Neaspasia coronana Aarvik, new species, N. karischi Aarvik, new species, N. malamigambo Aarvik, new species, and Conaspasia congolana Aarvik, new species. Argyroploce orthacta Meyrick, Argyroploce brevisecta Meyrick, and Penthina brevibasana Walsingham are transferred to Neaspasia. Neaspasia rhodesiae Razowski & Brown is a junior synonym of Neaspasia orthacta (Meyrick), new combination. Genetancylis homalota Razowski and Rhopobota cornuta Razowski, both described from Oman, are transferred to Neaspasia. Genetancylis Razowski is synonymised with Neaspasia.

A taxonomic review of the Afrotropical genus Dragmatucha Meyrick, 1908 (Lepidoptera, Gelechioidea, Lecithoceridae, Torodorinae), with descriptions of eleven new species.

The genus Dragmatucha Meyrick is reviewed and 11 species of a total of 13 are described as new. The new species originate from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda. Based on morphological characters, especially the color pattern of both wings, the genus is divided into two species-groups: the proaula species-group with five species (D. proaula Meyrick, 1908; D. galbinea Park, sp. nov.; D. kabarolensis Park, sp. nov.; D. saltualis Park, sp. nov. and D. vittatella Park, sp. nov.) and the hispidula species-group with eight species (D. hispidula Park, 2018; D. goniotes Park, sp. nov.; D. cochliana Park, sp. nov.; D. pedalis Park, sp. nov.; D. ghanaensis Park, sp. nov.; D. crinifrutalis Park, sp. nov.; D. dizostera Park, sp. nov. and D. kakumensis Park, sp. nov.). Adults and male genitalia of all new species are illustrated, but female genitalia are provided only for D. ghanaensis Park, sp. nov. and D. kakumensis Park, sp. nov. When fresh material was available, the analysis of COI sequences was undertaken.

The Yponomeutidae of the Afrotropical region (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutoidea).

The Yponomeutidae of the Afrotropical region are revised. The generic name Trisophista Meyrick is restored, stat. rev. Three new synonymies are established: Trisophista pauli Viette, 1967 is a junior synonym of Yponomeuta strigillata Zeller,1852 syn. nov., Yponomeuta parvipunctus Gershenson Ulenberg, 1998 is a junior synonym of Y. sistrophora Meyrick, 1909, and Paraswammerdamia malgasella Viette, 1954 is a junior synonym of Yponomeuta subplumbella Walsingham, 1881, syn. nov. A new genus Dukeia is described. 21 new species are described: Cedestis nathani, Kessleria africana, Swammerdamia tobii, Xyrosaris louisae, X. lucae, Yponomeuta alexi, Y. atricatoa, Y. capensis, Y. dhofarensis, Y. gnophera, Y. griseomacula, Y. ioni, Y, malagasella, Y. melanephos, Y. nephella, Y. onyxella, Y. orocola, Y. oromiensis, Y. staudei, Y. superplumbella and Y. zambesica.

Deaf moths employ acoustic Müllerian mimicry against bats using wingbeat-powered tymbals.

Emitting ultrasound upon hearing an attacking bat is an effective defence strategy used by several moth taxa. Here we reveal how Yponomeuta moths acquire sophisticated acoustic protection despite being deaf themselves and hence unable to respond to bat attacks. Instead, flying Yponomeuta produce bursts of ultrasonic clicks perpetually; a striated patch in their hind wing clicks as the beating wing rotates and bends. This wing structure is strikingly similar to the thorax tymbals with which arctiine moths produce their anti-bat sounds. And indeed, Yponomeuta sounds closely mimic such arctiine signals, revealing convergence in form and function. Because both moth taxa contain noxious compounds, we conclude they are mutual Müllerian acoustic mimics. Yponomeuta's perpetual clicking would however also attract bat predators. In response, their click amplitude is reduced and affords acoustic protection just as far as required, matching the distance over which bat biosonar would pick up Yponomeuta echoes anyway - advanced acoustic defences for a deaf moth.

Description of Nemophora acaciae sp. nov. (Lepidoptera: Adelidae) from Kenya.

Nemophora acaciae sp. nov. is described from Kenya on the basis of a large series bred from flowers of Acacia seyal and A. lahai. The new species differs from all Afrotropical Nemophora species by its dark brown forewing fascia with white medial stripe near the costal margin of forewing. The key to the Afrotropical Nemophora species is provided.

Discovery of an unknown diversity of Leucinodes species damaging Solanaceae fruits in sub-Saharan Africa and moving in trade (Insecta, Lepidoptera, Pyraloidea).

The larvae of the Old World genera Leucinodes Guenée, 1854 and Sceliodes Guenée, 1854 are internal feeders in the fruits of Solanaceae, causing economic damage to cultivated plants like Solanummelongena and Solanumaethiopicum. In sub-Saharan Africa five nominal species of Leucinodes and one of Sceliodes occur. One of these species, the eggplant fruit and shoot borer Leucinodesorbonalis Guenée, 1854, is regarded as regularly intercepted from Africa and Asia in Europe, North and South America and is therefore a quarantine pest on these continents. We investigate the taxonomy of African Leucinodes and Sceliodes based on morphological characters in wing pattern, genitalia and larvae, as well as mitochondrial DNA, providing these data for identification of all life stages. The results suggest that both genera are congeneric, with Sceliodes syn. n. established as junior subjective synonym of Leucinodes. Leucinodesorbonalis is described from Asia and none of the samples investigated from Africa belong to this species. Instead, sub-Saharan Africa harbours a complex of eight endemic Leucinodes species. Among the former nominal species of Leucinodes (and Sceliodes) from Africa, only Leucinodeslaisalis (Walker, 1859), comb. n. (Sceliodes) is confirmed, with Leucinodestranslucidalis Gaede, 1917, syn. n. as a junior subjective synonym. The other African Leucinodes species were unknown to science and are described as new: Leucinodesafricensis sp. n., Leucinodesethiopica sp. n., Leucinodeskenyensis sp. n., Leucinodesmalawiensis sp. n., Leucinodespseudorbonalis sp. n., Leucinodesrimavallis sp. n. and Leucinodesugandensis sp. n. An identification key based on male genitalia is provided for the African Leucinodes species. Most imports of Leucinodes specimens from Africa into Europe refer to Leucinodesafricensis, which has been frequently imported with fruits during the last 50 years. In contrast, Leucinodeslaisalis has been much less frequently recorded, and Leucinodespseudorbonalis as well as Leucinodesrimavallis only very recently in fruit imports from Uganda. Accordingly, interceptions of Leucinodes from Africa into other continents will need to be re-investigated for their species identity and will likely require, at least in parts, revisions of the quarantine regulations. The following African taxa are excluded from Leucinodes: Hyperanalyta Strand, 1918, syn. rev. as revised synonym of Analyta Lederer, 1863; Analytaapicalis (Hampson, 1896), comb. n. (Leucinodes); Lygropiaaureomarginalis (Gaede, 1916), comb. n. (Leucinodes); Sylleptehemichionalis Mabille, 1900, comb. rev., Sylleptehemichionalisidalis Viette, 1958, comb. rev. and Sylleptevagans (Tutt, 1890), comb. n. (Aphytoceros). Deanolisiriocapna (Meyrick, 1938), comb. n. from Indonesia is originally described and misplaced in Sceliodes, and Leucinodescordalis (Doubleday, 1843), comb. n. (Margaritia) from New Zealand, Leucinodesraondry (Viette, 1981), comb. n. (Daraba) from Madagascar as well as Leucinodesgrisealis (Kenrick, 1912), comb. n. (Sceliodes) from New Guinea are transferred from Sceliodes to Leucinodes. While Leucinodes is now revised from Africa, it still needs further revision in Asia.

The small-scale spatial distribution of an invading moth.

We studied the spread of a small leaf-mining moth [Phyllonorycter leucographella (Zeller), Gracillariidae] after its accidental introduction into the British Isles. At large geographical scales, previous work had shown the spread to be well described by a travelling weve of constant velocity. Here, we report the pattern of spread at scales of 1 km2. By locating all bushes of the insect's foodplant (Pyracantha spp.) within 1-km2 quadrats, the precise pattern of colonisation at finer spatial scales could be established. Where the 1-km2 site was colonised by moths from the main advancing front, no spatial pattern in the order that bushes were infested was found. If the source of colonisation was a single or small group of infested plants within the site, there was some evidence that nearby plants were colonised first. We found no evidence of population turnover after colonisation. We interpret the results in terms of a two-stage model of invasion that produces different patterns at small and large geographical scales.

New Tortricidae (Lepidoptera) from East Africa with an account of the tortricid fauna of acacia in the Kenyan Rift Valley.

Species of Tortricidae whose larvae feed on acacia are listed, including five new species: Hystrichophora bussei Agassiz, Endotera cyaneana Agassiz, Paraeccopsis variegana Agassiz & Aarvik, Coniostola flavitinctana Agassiz & Aarvik, and C. rufitinctana Agassiz & Aarvik. Six additional species related to the aforementioned, whose life histories are not known, also are described: Paraeccopsis tanzanica Aarvik, P. addis Aarvik, P. turi Aarvik, P. botswanae Aarvik, P. pseudoinsellata Aarvik, and Coniostola laikipiana Agassiz & Aarvik. Endotera nodi Agassiz is synonymised with Endotera cyphospila (Meyrick), comb. n.; and Coniostola omistus Diakonoff is synonymised with Coniostola stereoma (Meyrick). Paraeccopsis inflicta (Meyrick) and Paraeccopsis atricapsis (Meyrick) are removed from the synonymy of Paraeccopsis insellata (Meyrick). Eucosma pharangodes Meyrick is transferred to Eucosmocydia Diakonoff. Age onychistica Diakonoff is recorded from Africa for the first time.