Menurella scotodes (Hoare ex Hoare & van Nieukerken 2013) van Nieukerken et al. 2016

Pectinivalva scotodes is a moth of the family Nepticulidae. It is found in New South Wales and southern Queensland.

The wingspan is 5.2–5.7 mm for males and 5.0–5.2 mm for females. In males, the thorax and forewings are entirely blackish brown with a row of long blackish androconial scales projecting from the dorsum. The hindwings are rather broad, dark brown and have a small narrow androconial pocket basally. Females have a paler thorax and forewings. These are yellowish, overlain more or less extensively with brownish fuscous scales. The hindwings are grey and narrower than in males.

Mine

The larvae feed on Eucalyptus pilularis, Eucalyptus carnea, Eucalyptus acmenoides and probably Eucalyptus saligna. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine starts as a tight spiral around the egg, causing a raised red-brown spot on the leaf. It later broadens into a more or less contorted linear gallery with black frass, leaving narrow clear margins. The exit-hole is located on the leaf underside and has the form of a crescentic hole. Several mines may be found in a single leaf. Pupation takes place in a reddish-brown cocoon.

Male (Fig. 10). Wingspan 5.2–5.7 mm. Head capsule (Figs 21, 22): labial palpi distinctly shorter than galeae; maxillary palpi with ratio of segments from base approximately 0.4: 0.3: 0.4: 1.4: 1.0; interocular index 0.69; scape slightly expanded posteriorly into a setose ‘bump’; 1st 2 flagellar segments of antenna fused and narrower than remaining segments so that base of flagellum appears slightly invaginated posteriorly. Frontal tuft black, collar white; eyecaps white, black-bordered posteriorly beneath; antennae shining grey, ca. 42 segments. Thorax and forewing entirely blackish brown; a row of long blackish androconial scales projecting from dorsum; cilia shining dark brown, cilia-line indistinct. Hindwing rather broad, dark brown, with a small narrow androconial pocket basally; cilia shining blackish. Underside: forewing dark brown, costa black with a knob of black granular scales at base forming retinaculum; hindwing dark brown with blackish lamellate scales along basal ½ of costa. Wing venation as in Fig. 35. Legs: fore-tibia thickened above with blackish scales. Abdomen shining blackish. Female (Fig. 11). Wingspan 5.0–5.2 mm. Head: frontal tuft brownish, collar white; eyecaps shining white, unmodified, antennae shining grey, ca. 24 segments, basal flagellar segments unmodified. Thorax and forewing paler than in male, yellowish overlain more or less extensively with brownish fuscous scales, leaving following markings yellow: a diffuse streak just beneath costa reaching ½ way along wing and diffuse opposite spots on costa and tornus at 2/3, cilia grey with moderately distinct cilia-line. Hindwing narrower than in male, grey; cilia grey. Underside: forewing shining dark brown; hindwing shining grey. Wing venation as in Fig. 34. Legs unmodified. Abdomen shining dark grey, paler beneath. Male genitalia (Figs 49–51, 64, 65). Capsule ca. 370 μm long. Vinculum with slight anterior excavation; lateral arms inconspicuously forked apically, the caudal bifurcations from each side uniting to form straight bar along base of tegumen. Tegumen narrow, lateral corners produced anteriorly into distinct ‘shoulders’. Uncus small, boat-shaped. Gnathos central element long, spatulate. Valva (Fig. 50) ca. 245 μm long, reaching well beyond tegumen, strongly curved; medial edge smoothly excavated and ending in triangular projection; pectinifer consisting of 12 broad, blunt elements; dorsal surface towards apex with long setae. Juxta consisting of paired plate-like sclerites. Aedeagus (Fig. 51, 65) ca. 455 μm long; a spine-like process projecting from apex on right in ventral view; vesica with ca. 20 rather large cornuti, the 2 apical ones with very broad bases; sclerotized tube supporting cathrema very long, 2/3 length of aedeagus. Female genitalia (Fig. 76, 89–91). Total length ca. 640 μm. T9 with ca. 10–11 setae on each side. Apophyses posteriores slightly longer than anteriores; apophyses anteriores curved inwards. Segment 7 produced laterally into 2 small evaginations either side of apophyses anteriores. Lateral sclerites of vestibulum broad, their apices associated with a pair of roughened irregular sclerotizations in centre of vestibulum. Ductus bursae strongly folded. Ductus spermathecae with ca. 3–4 poorly defined convolutions. Corpus bursae rounded; a field of concentrically arranged pectinations in posterior ½ on one side; signum a pair of concentric ovals of fence-like spines. Larva. Appearing translucent whitish or yellowish in mine, becoming dull purplish white on vacating. Head as in Fig. 107; length of head ca. 345 μm; width ca. 270 μm. Thorax: prothoracic sternite (Fig. 112) narrow, I-shaped. Chaetotaxy and spinosity: T2 with 10 pairs of setae (L3 absent); otherwise as described for subgenus Casanovula. Anal rods slightly forked posteriorly.

N.S.W, Southern Queensland.