Gelechiid moths of the genus Mirificarma 'i Linda M. Pitkin I niviti >i . i iirvin Department of Entomology, British Museum (Natural History), Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD Contents Synopsis 1 Introduction 1 Methods 2 Abbreviations of institutions 3 Acknowledgements 3 Host-plant relationships within Mirificarma 3 The systematic position of Mirificarma 5 Classification of Mirificarma species 6 The structure of the filament of the male genitalia 12 Mirificarma Gozmany 13 Key to the species of Mirificarma 16 Males 16 Females 17 The montivaga-group 18 The maculatella-group 19 The interuptella-group 29 References 45 Index 70 Synopsis The Palaearctic genus Mirificarma is revised and three new species are described. Twenty-one species are recognized and four synonyms are newly established; seven new generic combinations are included. Keys to the species, and figures of the external features and genitalia of all the species are given. The systematic position of Mirificarma is discussed and a provisional classification of the species based on a cladistic analysis is provided, together with an account of the filament, a unique structure of the male genitalia of Mirificarma. Biological data, as far as known, are given for all the species, and the host-plant relationships within the genus are discussed. Introduction The genus Mirificarma consists of 21 species of Microlepidoptera from Europe and the Mediterranean region, with one species introduced to the U.S.A. The moths are of average size for Gelechiidae, with a wingspan usually between one and two centimetres. They vary in wing pattern; some species have the fore wing with yellowish zig-zag markings, others have spots, a median longitudinal stripe, or are almost uniform in colour. The larvae feed on Leguminosae. Mirificarma cannot be defined readily on external characters and, since early microlepi-dopterists relied on such characters, many species have been misplaced in other genera. Hitherto, no comprehensive account of the genus has been given, although a partial revision by Sattler (1960: 41-45) covered aspects of eight species. The purpose of this study is to describe three new species, to include seven previously misplaced species and to provide a key by which all the species can be identified. In addition, this study examines the host-plant relationships within Mirificarma, describes the structure of the filament, a character of the male genitalia unique to the genus, investigates the systematic position of the genus within the Gelechiidae and proposes a classification of the species within Mirificarma. This study aims to resolve the confusion over the interpretation of the filament and its Bull. Br. Mus. nat. Hist. (Ent.)48(l): 1-70 Issued 26 January 1984
BioStor
