Odd species of Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera) from the American rainforest and southern Andes

Abstract

In addition to numerous new species that can be placed to genera, our recent study of a large collection sample of Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera) from Central and South America revealed a few odd-looking new species, the taxonomic position of which seems rather problematic and, therefore, preliminary. Here we describe three new species of pygmy moths (Nepticulidae) from the Amazonian rainforest (Venezuela) and southern Andes (Chile and Argentina) possessing uncommon morphology. We also provide the first photographic documentation of the Central American Acalyptris argentosa (Puplesis & Robinson, 2000) with rather odd and hitherto unknown hindwing scaling. All species treated in the paper are extensively illustrated with drawings and (or) photographs of the adults and genitalia.