Thaumatovalva Timm & Brown

Head: Vertex and upper frons rough scaled, scales mostly directly anterad, lower frons smooth scaled, with small appressed scales (Fig. 1); antenna ca. 0.5 length of forewing, weakly serrulate, scales in two rows per segment, sensory setae extremely short, inconspicuous in both sexes; ocellus moderately large, diameter ca. 0.5 that of base of scape; labial palpus upturned, third segment somewhat porrect, exposed, all segments combined ca. 1.2 times horizontal height of compound eye; proboscis present, presumably functional. Thorax: Tegula simple, unmodified; metathorax with upraised scale tuft [inconspicuous in worn specimens]; hindleg with slightly expanded scale tuft on tibia in male only. Forewing length 5.0–8.2 mm; forewing broad, length about 2.4 times width, slightly broaden distally, apex somewhat rounded; no costal fold or upraised scales; all veins separate, CuP well developed at margin, chorda weak, accessory cell weak; forewing dark brown, irregularly and faintly mixed with specks of charcoal, rust, and cream; inconspicuous pair of tiny cream dots ringed with orange near distal end of discal cell; narrow cream (faintly mixed with brown) irregular band extending along termen from apex to ca. 0.66 distance to tornus. Fringe pale brown. Forewing under surface nearly uniform brown, paler than uppersurface. Hindwing with all veins present, M1 and M2 widely separated, M3 and M4 short-stalked, cubital pecten weak in male, better developed in female; frenulum with one acanthus in male, three in female; male with long slender scales (ca. 30–40) along middle 0.7 of anal margin (Fig. 2) extending to narrow groove on abdominal segment V (groove not evident on dissected integumen), dissection revealing that hairs insert beneath anterior edge of dense, linear patch of black sex scales subdorsally on abdominal segment V (Fig. 3); underside of hindwing between anal angle and CuP with variously modified secondary scales in male (Figs 10–13); distally forked scales along outer edge of hindwing, most conspicuous in distal portion of anal margin (Fig. 5). Abdomen: Male with paired, parallel, thick, linear patches of black sex scales subdorsally on segments 4, 5, and 6 (easily lost during dissection) (Fig. 3); scales from anal margin of hindwing inserted into anterior edge of scale patch on segment V; dorsum of segment VIII of male with a narrow line of sclerotization and a weak stem from its middle; invaginated portion of segment VII of male with broad U-shaped sclerotized posterior edge bearing membranous lateral flaps to which a dense cluster (ca. 40–50) of highly modified, long, spindle-shaped male secondary scales are attached, and with rounded membranous mesal lobe (Fig. 4). Male genitalia (Figs 14–18) with uncus, socius, and gnathos absent. Tegumen broad, elongate-ovoid, confluent with membranous region behind it (anellus?), pedunculi not curved, vinculum small, U-shaped; valva narrow basally, broadening to middle, with (in spinai, albolineana, and deprinsorum) or without (in limbata) large, triangular expansion of valva along ventral edge just before cucullus, outer edge of cucullus evenly rounded, valva attenuate to acute, rounded apically; cucullus covered with fine hairline setae on outer surface; phallus narrow, relatively straight in basal portion, curved in distal portion, with bulbous subbasal lobe at point of articulation with phallus, with digitate subapical lobe of variable size; cornuti absent. Female genitalia (Figs 18–19) with papillae anales unmodified; apophyses long and slender, posteriores about same length anteriores; ventral portion of segment VII with a broad subrectangular sclerotized patch with V-shaped posterior edge and tiny ostium at apex of V, a short narrow trough from ostium to posterior edge of segment VIII; ductus bursae long, slender, frail, with ring-like sclerite near middle; corpus bursae pear-shaped, finely punctate (at high magnification), with two nearly equal size signa, each a long curved spine from a rounded sclerotized base.

The genus is recorded from Ethiopia, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya and the Seychelles (Map 1). Most species appear to occur in montane regions above ca. 1275 m, but Thaumatovalva limbata has been recorded from 35–1272 m; and a single specimen of Thaumatotibia spinai from Nigeria was collected at 54 m (Razowski and Wojtusiak 2012). Although the early stages are unknown, the larvae are assumed to be fruit feeders, as are most Grapholitini. Thaumatovalva limbata (cited as Grapholita limbata by Brown et al. 2014) has been reared from the fruit of Cordia somaliensis and Cordia monoica in Kenya.