Although showing congeneric affinity, Palaeomystella fernandesi has morphological features that in conjunction distinguish it from all known Palaeomystella species, as follows: 1) male genitalia with upper section of valve narrowing distally, forming a single process that bends medially; 2) pupa with cremaster short and apically rounded, with four pairs of setae; 3) galls of fusiform type, external surface without conspicuous ornament, bearing a few longitudinal carinae, induced on stem of Tibouchina sellowiana apical branches.

Adult (Figs 1A–B). Sexes similar in size and color; Forewing length 4.68 to 6.11 mm (n = 7). Head (Fig. 1B): Frons and vertex creamy white; labial palpus mostly dark brown, basal segments angled laterally, terminal segment slightly angled upward; antennae dark brown; proboscis yellowish brown. Thorax: Tegula and mesonotum whitish creamy white with pale-brown scales; legs dark brown. Forewing (Figs 1A, 2A): lanceolate, with 13 veins; L/W index ~ 5.1; dorsally covered mostly by dark-brown scales; with three interconnected white areas that form a longitudinal S-like band; one proximal, rounded, in the anal area, made of pale-creamy white scales, followed by a short stripe aligned in the cubital area, made of creamy white scales, and a third, also rounded and faint, in the cell, made of pale-creamy white scales; a tenuous, U-shaped band of pale-gray scales following the contours of the tornus; three raised tufts of pale-gray scales, located posteriorly to cubitus, in anal area, in line with mid-cell, and near tornal area respectively; fringes dark brown; ventrally mostly covered by dark-brown scales; retinaculum subcostal; discal cell closed, ~ 0.8× length of forewing, ending near 1/5 of wing margin; Sc ending ca. middle of anterior margin; R 5-branched; R₁ ending near 1/3 of wing margin; R₄ and R₅ stalked ca. 1/2 distance from the cell apex; M 3-branched; CuA 2-branched; CuP weak proximally and not stalked, with well-developed 1A+2A extending more than 1/2 posterior margin. Hindwing (Figs 1A, 2A): strongly lanceolate, with nine veins; L/W index ~ 7.2, ~ 0.8 forewing in length; scales dark brown on both sides; fringes dark brown; frenulum a single acanthus in male, with two distally directed acanthi in female; Sc+R₁ ending ca. 1/2 anterior margin; Rs ending ca. 1/5 anterior margin; M 3-branched, M₁ and M₂ stalked from remnant chorda of cell, from point beyond base of Rs; CuA 2-branched, with CuA₁ stalked to M3; CuP weakly sclerotized, ending 1/3 posterior margin; 1A+2A well developed, ending near basis of posterior margin. Abdomen (not illustrated): pale brown, intermixed with gray scales, with transverse irregular rows of spiniform setae on terga 2–7 in both sexes; eighth sternum (Fig. 2C) anteriorly expanded medially into a short lobe, associated with a subtriangular sternite.

Male genitalia (Figs 2B, D–H). Uncus narrow, separated from tegumen by a narrow membranous area, distally roof like and laterally setose (Figs 2F, H); tegumen narrow; vinculum widened ventrally; transtilla a flat, rounded fig; aedeagus cylindrical, moderately long, slightly wider basally (Fig. 2G); vesica bearing a few short stout cornuti; juxta (Fig. 2D) attached to distal portion of aedeagus (Fig. 2G), longer than wide, with two small, parallel pointed projections mid-anteriorly and deeply concave distally; valva (Figs 2B, F, H) covered with several long setae, divided near 1/3 from the basis, with a long, finger-like sacculus and a wide spatulate costa, bearing a thin ventral finger-like projection near apex, and several stout, medium-sized spines meso-ventrally (Fig. 2E).

Female genitalia (Figs 2I–J). Papillae anales connected dorsally, narrowed distally, setose; anterior apophyses with arms slightly curved, similar in length to posterior apophyses; sterigma divided into a bandlike tergum and a distally bilobed sternum, shallowly and widely emarginate medially; ostium bursae small, wider than long; ductus bursae membranous, shorter than corpus bursae; ductus seminalis inserted distally; corpus bursae an elongate sac, with no sclerotizations on inner wall.

Holotype ♂ Brazil: Centro de Pesquisas e Conservação da Natureza Pró-Mata (CPCN Pró-Mata; 29°29'16"S, 50°10'60"W; 925 m), São Francisco de Paula, RS, Brazil. Dry preserved pinned adults, reared from galls induced on Tibouchina sellowiana (Cham.) Cogn. (Melastomataceae), LMCI 210-56, 7–9.III.2013, by G.R.P. Moreira, F.A. Luz and L.T. Pereira, donated to DZUP (29.409). Paratypes: same data, 26.III.2012, by G.R.P. Moreira, F.A. Luz and P. Pollo; 2♀ (LMCI 174-161 and 162), donated to DZUP (29.410 and 29.411); 1♂ (LMCI 174-157) with genitalia in glycerin (GRPM 50-51) and 1♀ (LMCI 174-158), donated to MCTP (36.225 and 36.226, respectively).

With the same collection data, deposited in LMCI. Adults, dried and pinned: 2♂ (LMCI 174-159 and 210-49), 1♀ (LMCI 174-160), 1♀ (LMCI 174-163) with genitalia in glycerin (GRPM 50-52). Adults, fixed in Kahle-Dietrich’s fluid and preserved in 70% EtOH: 1♂ (LMCI 174-165), 3♀ (LMCI 174-164, 166 and 167). Slide preparations, mounted in Canada balsam: genitalia, 3♂ (GRPM 50-29, 47 and 48), 1♀ (GRPM 50-28); wings, 2 ♂ (GRPM 50-45 and 50), 1♀ (GRPM 50-46); larvae, 2 last instars (GRPM 50-49). Immature stages, fixed in Kahle-Dietrich’s fluid and preserved in 70% EtOH: 8 last-instar larvae (LCMI 174-52); 7 pupae (LMCI 174-168, 169 and 223; and 210-16); 10 galls (LMCI 174-47 to 49, 174-217 to 222, and 210-15). In tissue collection, 9 larvae (LMCI 174-50 and 56) fixed and preserved in 100% EtOH, at -20°C.

Last instar larva (Figs 3A–D), 3.51 to 7.01 mm (n = 6). Cecidogenous, endophyllous, semiprognathous, and tissue-feeder. Body with setae well developed. Head (Figs 3A, C–D): brown, with two paler mid-dorsal areas; smooth, with shallow ridges; labrum shallowly notched; frons higher than wide, extending ca. 3/4 epicranial notch; six stemmata arranged in C-shape. Chaetotaxy (Fig. 3A): A-group trisetose; L-group unisetose; P-group bisetose; MD trisetose; C-group bisetose; F-group unisetose; AF-group bisetose; S-group trisetose; SS-group trisetose. A1, A3, P1 and S2 about equal in length, longest setae on head; C1, C2, F1, A2, AF2, L1 intermediate in length; AF1 shorter; MD1–3 very reduced and aligned with each other. Antenna two-segmented. Mandibles broad with four teeth, and one seta on outer surface; labium broad, with two-segmented palpus and spinneret parallel-sided; maxilla prominent. Thorax and abdomen (Figs 3B–D): Prothoracic shield light brown, divided longitudinally by indistinctly marked, unpigmented area; anal fig brown. Thoracic legs slightly pigmented. Prolegs on A3–A6 and A10 of equal size; crochets in a circle, uniserial and uniordinal. Thorax chaetotaxy: T1 with D-group bisetose, both located on the dorsal shield, D1 shorter than D2; XD-group bisetose, setae similar in length and both on the dorsal shield; SD bisetose, laterally on the dorsal shield; L-group bisetose, L1 longer than L2; SV-group bisetose, posteroventral to L2, SV1 slightly longer than SV2; V-group unisetose. T2 and T3 with D- and SD-groups bisetose, median-transversely aligned; D2 and SD1 similar in length, and longer than D1 and SD2 respectively; L trisetose, L3 posterior to L1–L2, similar in length to L1; SV unisetose; V unisetose. Abdomen chaetotaxy: D-group bisetose; A1–9 with D2 slightly longer than D1, and A10 with D1 longer than D2; SD-group bisetose, A1–7 with SD1 slightly longer than SD2 and A10 with SD2 longer than SD1, SD2 absent in A9; A1–8 with L-group bisetose, L1 longer than L2, L2 absent in A9; A1–8 with SV-group bisetose, SV1 slightly shorter than SV2, SV1 absent in A9; V-group unisetose.

Pupa (Figs 4A–C, 11A–C), 4.42 to 6.11 mm long (n = 5). Body elongate-oval in dorsal and ventral views, widest and dorsally raised in mesothoracic region. Integument weakly melanized, mostly smooth, with a few scattered microsetae dorsally. Frontoclypeal suture not evident. Labrum U-shaped. Labial palpi long; antennae arched anteriorly and separate, approximate and parallel posteriorly to distal margins of maxillae, surpassing apical margin of forewings; maxillae extending distally between sclerites of mid-legs; femora of midleg not fused distally; femora of foreleg extending beyond widest part of labial palpi. Cremaster (Figs 11A–C) short and apically rounded, with four pairs of setae; one latero-basally, another latero-dorsally and two latero-distally.

Known only from the type locality, in the Dense Umbrophilous Forest (= Brazilian Atlantic Rain Forest sensu stricto) portions of the CPCN Pró-Mata, São Francisco de Paula, RS, Brazil.

Tibouchina sellowiana (Cham.) Cogn. (Melastomataceae). A small tree (3 to 6 m), endemic to the coastal montane forests of southern Brazil, ranging from Minas Gerais to Rio Grande do Sul, usually flowering in April–May (Souza 1986, Guimarães 2014).

(Figs 12A–C). Galls induced by Palaeomystella fernandesi are common on Tibouchina sellowiana at the type locality, during spring (October) and summer (February). They are prosoplasmatic histioid (Küster, in Meyer 1987); fusiform, 6.0 to 18 mm long (n = 12); induced on stem apex (Fig. 12A); without conspicuous projections, bearing a few longitudinal carinae on surface and changing gradually from green to violet as ages; fleshy, without uniformly defined internal chamber; unilocular, unilarval. Most of them house a specialized kleptoparasitic gelechiid moth, whose complex natural history is described in detail elsewhere (Luz et al. 2014). Those that are free from the kleptoparasite fall to the ground in late larval ontogeny and larva complete development on the ground. Pupation occurs inside the gall, within a cylindrical, longitudinally arranged cocoon made of woven white silk (Fig. 12C). The adult emerges presumably after the winter (September), through a circular operculum (with plant epidermis and penellipse white silk frill) on upper half of gall wall (Fig. 12B) constructed by the last instar larva prior to its pupation.

Named in honor of Prof. Dr. Geraldo Wilson Fernandes, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, for his great contributions to the development of cecidology in the Neotropics.

Closest to Palaeomystella tavaresi, sharing with this species a valve with a pronounced palmate costa and bladelike signa. These characters distinguish them from all other species of Palaeomystella except Palaeomystella oligophaga. This, however, has the forewings with R₄-R₅ fused and the hindwing with M₁ and M₂ stalked from the remnant chorda of the cell (Becker and Adamski 2008). Palaeomystella rosaemariae differs from Palaeomystella tavaresi by having: 1) adults, body covered with pale-brown scales interspersed with pale-brown scales tipped with dark brown; 2) males with latero-anterior margin of eighth sternite deeply concave; upper distal section of valva narrower; juxta as long as wide, slightly concave anteriorly; 3) females with signa with inward projection long, thin and curved; 4) pupa with cremaster tubular, dorsally directed, bearing latero-apically a pair of anteriorly curved spines; 5) galls globose, with external surface covered with short spine-like projections, induced on terminal buds of Tibouchina asperior.

Adult (Figs 1C–D). Sexes similar, forewing length 4.81 to 5.59 mm (n = 5). Head (Fig. 1D): Frons pale brown; vertex and labial palpus and antenna with pale-brown scales tipped with dark brown; labial palpus with basal segments angled laterally, terminal segment slightly angled upward; proboscis yellowish brown. Thorax: Tegula and mesonotum with pale-brown scales tipped with dark brown, posterior scales having more pale brown; fore and midlegs dark brown; hindlegs pale brown, tibia and tarsus with intermixed dark-brown scales. Forewing (Figs 1C, 5A): lanceolate, with 13 veins; L/W index ~ 4.5; dorsally covered by pale-brown scales intermixed with scattered, pale-brown scales tipped with dark brown, and with longitudinally aligned groups of brown scales; a narrow, ill-defined, dark-brown streak bisecting the wing longitudinally from base to tornus; 3 raised scale tufts located posterior to cubitus, including 1 wider tuft in anal area, 1 in line with midcell, and 1 near tornal area; fringes pale brown, interspersed with a few pale-brown scales tipped with dark brown; tornal area with two bands of pale-brown scales tipped with blackish brown; ventrally, mostly uniformly covered with dark-brown scales; retinaculum subcostal; discal cell closed, ~ 2/3 length of forewing; ending near 1/5 of wing margin; Sc ending ca. middle of anterior margin; R 5-branched; R₁ ending near 1/3 of wing margin; R₄ and R₅ stalked ca. 1/4 distance from the cell apex; M 3-branched; CuA 2-branched; CuP weak proximally and not stalked, with 1A+2A that is well developed, extending more than half length of posterior margin. Hindwing (Fig. 5A) strongly lanceolate, with 9 veins; L/W index ~ 6.4, ~ 0.8 forewing in length; scales pale brown on both sides; fringes pale brown; frenulum with a single acanthus in male, and with two acanthi in female, proximal acanthus anteriorly divergent, and distal acanthus parallel to wing anterior margin; Sc+R₁ ending at ca. 1/2 anterior margin; Rs ending at ca. 1/5 anterior margin; M 3-branched; CuA 2-branched, with CuA₁ stalked to M3; CuP weakly sclerotized, ending at 1/3 posterior margin; 1A+2A well developed, ending near basis of posterior margin. Abdomen (not illustrated): pale-brown scales intermixed with gray scales, with transverse irregular rows of spiniform setae on terga 2–7 in both sexes; eighth sternum (Fig. 5C) anteriorly expanded medially into a slender, sharply pointed lobe, associated with a subtrapezoidal sternite.

Male genitalia (Figs 5B, D–F, H). Uncus narrow, separated from tegumen by a narrow membranous area, laterally setose (Fig. 5F); tegumen narrow, widened dorsally; vinculum widened ventrally; transtilla a short, flat fig; aedeagus tubiform, short (twice as long as wide), curved ventrally, slightly wider basally (Figs 5E–F); vesica bearing several stout cornuti; juxta (Fig. 5D) attached to distal portion of aedeagus (Fig. 5E), wider than long, with slightly concave anterior margin and pointed distally; valva (Figs 5B, F, H) covered with several long setae, divided near 1/3 from base, with flat, broad sacculus tapering distad, and long, spatulate costa, rounded distally and gradually constricted toward base.

Female genitalia (Figs 5G, I–J). Papillae anales connected dorsally, setose (Figs 5I–J); anterior apophyses slightly shorter than posterior apophyses; sterigma divided into a bandlike tergum and a distally bilobed sternum, shallowly emarginate medially; ostium bursae large, wider than long; ductus bursae membranous, longer than corpus bursae; ductus seminalis inserted medially; corpus bursae an elongate sac, bearing two narrow and curved, bladelike signa that are connected to transversely elongate, rounded figs located on the wall (Figs 5G, J).

Holotype ♂: Brazil: Private farm belonging to Antonio Malta, Coxilha das Lombas, 30°02'13"S, 50°36'30"W, 17 m, Santo Antônio da Patrulha, RS, Brazil. Dry preserved pinned adults, reared from galls induced on Tibouchina asperior (Cham.) Cogn. (Melastomataceae), LMCI 211, 12.III.2013, by G.R.P. Moreira, F.A. Luz and S. Bordignon, (LMCI 211-12), donated to DZUP (29.412). Paratypes: same data, 1♂, 1♀ (LMCI 211-14 and 06) with genitalia in glycerin (GRPM 50-43 and 44), donated to DZUP (29.413 and 29.414, respectively).

Dry preserved pinned adults, with the same collection data, deposited in LMCI under the following accession numbers: 2♂ (LMCI 211-07 and 10); 1♀ (LMCI 211-11). Slide preparations, mounted in Canada balsam: genitalia, 2♂ (GRPM 50-38 and 39), 1♀ (GRPM 50-40); wings, 1♂ (GRPM 50-36), 1♀ (GRPM 50-37); larvae, 2 last instars (GRPM 50-41 and 42). Immature stages, fixed in Kahle-Dietrich’s fluid and preserved in 70% EtOH: 6 last-instar larvae (LCMI 211-17 to 22); 3 pupae (LMCI 211-5, 9 and 26); 6 mature, intact galls (LMCI 211-25). In tissue collection, 6 larvae (LMCI 211-8), fixed and preserved in 100% ethanol, at -20°C.

Last-instar larva (Figs 6A–D), 4.94 to 9.88 mm long (n = 5). Cecidogenous, endophyllous except prior to pupation, semiprognathous and tissue-feeder. Body subcylindrical, creamy white, changing to red when mature prior to exit the gall; with setae well developed. Head (Figs 6A, C–D): pale brown, interspersed with two pairs of darker mid-dorsal areas; smooth, with shallow ridges; labrum shallowly notched; frons higher than wide, extending ca. 3/4 epicranial notch; six stemmata arranged in C-shaped configuration. Chaetotaxy (Fig. 6A): A-group trisetose; L-group unisetose; P group bisetose; MD trisetose; C group bisetose; F group unisetose; AF group bisetose; S group trisetose; SS group trisetose. A1, A3, P1 and S2 about equal in length, longest setae on head; C1, C2, F1, A2, AF2, L1 intermediate in length; AF1 absent; MD1–3 very reduced and aligned with each other. Antenna two-segmented. Mandibles broad with four teeth, and one seta on the outer surface; labium broad, with two-segmented palpus, the distal segment minute; spinneret parallel-sided; maxilla prominent. Thorax and Abdomen (Figs 6B–D): Prothoracic shield and anal fig slightly marked by irregularly shaped, small light-brown blots. Thoracic legs also scarcely pigmented. Prolegs on A3-A6 and A10 of equal size; crochets in a semicircle, uniserial and uniordinal. Thorax chaetotaxy: T1 with D group bisetose, both located on dorsal shield, D1 shorter than D2; XD group bisetose, similar in length and both on the dorsal shield; SD bisetose, laterally on the dorsal shield; L group bisetose, L1 longer than L2; SV group bisetose, posteroventral to L2, SV1 slightly longer than SV2; V group unisetose. T2 and T3 with D and SD groups bisetose, median-transversely aligned; D2 and SD1 similar in length, and longer than D1 and SD2 respectively; L trisetose, L3 posteriorly, similar in length to L1; SV unisetose; V unisetose. Abdomen chaetotaxy: D group bisetose; A1–9 with D2 slightly longer than D1, and A10 with D1 longer than D2; SD group bisetose, A1–7 with SD1 slightly longer than SD2 and A10 with SD2 longer than SD1, SD2 absent in A9; A1–8 with L group trisetose, L1 longer than L2, L1 and L2 absent in A9; A1–8 with SV group trisetose, SV3 absent in A7–9; V group unisetose.

Pupa (Figs 7A–C, 11D–F), 5.59 to 6.76 mm long (n = 3), elongate in dorsal and ventral views, slightly wider in thoracic region. Integument light amber-colored, mostly smooth, with a few scattered microsetae dorsally. Frontoclypeal suture not evident. Labrum U-shaped. Labial palpi long; antennae arched anteriorly and separate, approximate and parallel posteriorly to distal margins of maxillae, reaching apical margin of forewings; maxillae extending distally between sclerites of midlegs; femora of midleg not fused distally; femora of foreleg extending beyond widest part of labial palpi. Cremaster (Figs 11D–F) long, tubular, dorsally directed, bearing latero-apically a pair of distally conspicuous, anteriorly curved spines.

Palaeomystella rosaemariae is known only from the type locality, the fragments of lowland Dense Umbrophilous Atlantic Forest of Coxilha das Lombas, Santo Antônio da Patrulha, RS, Brazil.

Tibouchina asperior (Cham.) Cogn. (Melastomataceae), a shrub (0.5 to 1.0 m), in humid grassland areas, endemic to Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul (Souza 1986, Guimarães 2014). At Coxilha das Lombas, where the southernmost portions of lowland Dense Umbrophilous Atlantic Forest occurs, these shrubs are common along the borders of forest fragments located in poorly drained, swampy areas, associated with the formation of lagoons and also influenced by sand dunes.

(Figs 12D–F). Galls induced by Palaeomystella rosaemariae are located at distal axillary buds of the host. At the type locality, they occur in low numbers per plant. Galls are prosoplasmatic histioid (Küster, in Meyer 1987); small, delicate, globoid (5.2 to 7.28 mm long; n = 7), green to reddish, covered with several short spine-like projections (Fig. 12D). Unilocular, unilarval, pupates away from the gall. Little is known about the life history of this species. In laboratory, mature last instar larva invariably made a lateral orifice by chewing the gall wall (Fig. 12E) and moved directly to the bottom of the plastic pot. There, they promptly began to construct a cocoon by tying together small pieces of dried leaves with silk, where the pupation occurred (Fig. 12F). The adult emerged through a slit made at the terminal end of the cocoon. Specimens that pupated in the laboratory during the summer emerged as adults in the following autumn (May).

Named in honor of Prof. Dr. Rosy Mary dos Santos Isaias, an anatomist of the Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, for her great contributions to the development of cecidology in the Neotropics.

Closest to Palaeomystella rosaemariae, sharing with this species a pronounced palmate costa of the valve and a bladelike signa. As already mentioned, these characteristics differentiate them from all other species of Palaeomystella except Palaeomystella oligophaga. This species, however, has the forewings with R₄-R₅ fused and the hindwing with M₁ and M₂ stalked from the remnant chorda of the cell (Becker and Adamski 2008). Palaeomystella tavaresi differs from Palaeomystella rosaemariae by having: 1) adults with body covered with pale-brown scales tipped with brown, and brown scales; 2) males with latero-anterior margin of eighth sternum anteriorly expanded medially into a stout, rounded lobe; valva with distal portion of costa wider; juxta longer than wide, anteriorly convex; 3) females with signa having inward projections shorter, straight and stout; 4) pupa with cremaster slightly bifurcated and posteriorly directed, with a latero-apically located pair of blunt spines; 5) galls of rosette type, induced on apical/terminal buds of Tibouchina fissinervia shoots, causing growth of clustered short leaves with a cylindrical gall chamber.

Adult (Figs 1E–F). Sexes similar, forewing length 7.02 to 9.23 mm (n = 8). Head: Frons pale brown; vertex with pale-brown scales tipped with brown (Fig. 1F); labial palpus pale brown, basal segments angled laterally, terminal segment slightly angled upward; antennae brown; proboscis yellowish brown. Thorax: Tegula and mesonotum (Fig. 1F) with brown scales tipped with dark brown, posterior scales paler brown; fore and midlegs dark brown; hindlegs pale brown, tibia and tarsus with intermixed dark-brown scales. Forewings (Figs 1E, 8A): lanceolate, with 13 veins; L/W index ~ 4.4; dorsally covered with brown scales, intermixed with dark-brown scales tipped with black, and pale-brown scales; a narrow, ill-defined, dark-brown streak bisects the wing longitudinally from base to a brown, subapical, crescentic marking, edged distally with dark-gray scales; 3 raised scale tufts located posterior to cubitus, in anal area, in line with midcell, and near tornal area, respectively; fringes pale brown; ventral side most uniformly covered with dark-brown scales; discal cell closed, ~ 0.7× length of forewing; ending near 1/5 wing margin; Sc ending ca. 1/3 anterior margin; R 5-branched; R₁ ending near 1/4 of wing margin; R₄ and R₅ stalked ca. 1/2 distance from cell apex; M 3-branched; CuA 2-branched; CuP weak proximally and not stalked, with 1A+2A that is well developed, extending more than half length of posterior margin. Hindwing (Figs 1E, 8A): strongly lanceolate, with 9 veins; L/W index ~ 5.4, ~ 0.84 forewing in length; scales light brown on both sides; fringes pale brown; frenulum a single acanthus on male, with two parallel-sided acanthi in female. Sc+R₁ ending ca. 1/2 anterior margin; Rs ending near end of anterior margin; M 3-branched, with M₁ and M₂ stalked near Rs; CuA 2-branched; CuP weakly sclerotized, ending at 1/2 posterior margin; 1A+2A well developed, ending near basis of posterior margin. Abdomen (not illustrated): scales pale brown intermixed with gray scales, with transverse irregular rows of spiniform setae on terga 2–7 in both sexes. Eighth sternum (Fig. 8C) expanded anteromedially into a stout, rounded lobe, associated with a subtrapezoidal sternite.

Male genitalia (Figs 8B, D–F, H). Uncus narrow, separated from tegumen by a narrow membranous area, laterally setose (Figs 8F, H); tegumen narrow; vinculum widened ventrally; transtilla a short, flat fig; aedeagus tubiform, curved ventrally, short (2× longer than wide), slightly wider basally (Figs 8E–F); vesica bearing several stout cornuti; juxta (Fig. 8D) attached to distal portion of aedeagus (Fig. 8E), as long as wide, with convex basal margin and pointed distally; valva (Fig. 8B) covered by several long setae, divided near 1/3 from the basis, with sacculus spatulate, tapering distad, and costa long, palmate, gradually constricted basad.

Female genitalia (Figs 8G, I–J). Papillae anales connected dorsally, setose (Figs 8I–J); anterior apophyses similar in length to posterior, slightly curved apophyses; sterigma divided into a bandlike tergum and a distally bilobed sternum, deeply and narrowly emarginate medially; ostium bursae of small size, wider than long; ductus bursae membranous, longer than corpus bursae, with ductus seminalis inserted medially; corpus bursae an elongate sac, bearing two stout, straight, bladelike signa connected to crescentic figs located in the wall (Figs 8G, J).

Holotype ♂: Brazil: Reserva Serra Bonita, 15°23'30"S, 39°33'57"W, 832 m, Camacan, BA, Brazil. Adults preserved dried and pinned, reared from galls induced on Tibouchina fissinervia (Schrank & Mart. ex DC.) Cogn. (Melastomataceae) by G.R.P. Moreira, 15–21.X.2013, LMCI 230-05, donated to DZUP (29.415). Paratypes: same data, 17–23.II.2013, LMCI 209; 1♂ (LMCI 209-31), 1♀ (LMCI 230-20), donated to DZUP (29.416 and 29.417, respectively); 1♂ (LMCI 230-06), 2♀ (LMCI 230-09 and 22) donated to VOB.

Adults dried and pinned, collected in light traps at the type locality, deposited in VOB: 1♂ (VOB 144730), -.VIII.2009, by F.L. Santos; 1♂ (VOB 146783, with genitalia mounted on slide), -.IX.2010, by V.O. Becker. Additional specimens, with the same collection data as the type material, deposited in LMCI: adults dried and pinned, 6♂ (LMCI 230-07, 15, 16, 17 and 21; LMCI 230-08, with genitalia in glycerin GRPM 50-57) and 6♀ (LMCI 230-10, 11, 12, 18 and 19; LMCI 230-23, with genitalia in glycerin GRPM 50-58). Slide preparations, mounted in Canada balsam: adults, 1♂ (GRPM 50-54), 1♀ (GRPM 50-55); wings, 1♂ (GRPM 50-53); larvae, 2 last instars (GRPM 50-56). Immature stages, fixed in Kahle-Dietrich’s fluid and preserved in 70% EtOH: 5 last-instar larvae (LCMI 209-13 and 14, and 230-2); 6 pupae (LMCI 209-7, 11, 18, and 230-1); 12 dissected galls (LMCI 209-21 and 22, 230-3 and 4). In tissue collection, 6 larvae (LMCI 209-06) fixed and preserved in 100% EtOH, at -20°C.

Last larval instar (Fig. 6), 7.28 to 11.7 mm (n = 4). Cecidogenous, endophyllous, semiprognathous and tissue-feeder. Body subcylindrical, creamy white, changing to light yellow before pupation, with setae well developed. Head (Figs 9A, C–D): uniform dark brown, with two conspicuous unpigmented, irregularly shaped areas along ecdysial line; smooth, with shallow ridges; labrum shallowly notched; frons higher than wide, extending ca. 3/4 epicranial notch; six stemmata arranged in C-shaped configuration. Chaetotaxy (Fig. 9A): A-group trisetose; L-group unisetose; P-group bisetose; MD trisetose; C-group bisetose; F-group unisetose; AF-group bisetose; S-group trisetose; SS-group trisetose. A1, A3, P1 and S2 about equal in length, longest setae on head; C1, C2, F1, A2, AF2, L1 intermediate in length; AF1 absent; MD1–3 very reduced and aligned with each other. Antenna two-segmented. Mandibles broad, with four teeth and one seta on the outer surface; labium broad, with two-segmented palpus, the distal segment minute; spinneret parallel-sided; maxilla prominent. Thorax and Abdomen (Figs 9B–D): Prothoracic shield and anal fig irregularly marked with dark brown. Thoracic legs light brown. Prolegs on A3–A6 and A10 of equal size; crochets in a circle, uniserial and uniordinal. Thorax chaetotaxy: T1 with D-group bisetose, both located on the dorsal shield, D1 shorter than D2; XD-group bisetose, setae similar in length and both located on the dorsal shield; SD bisetose, located laterally on the dorsal shield; L group bisetose, L1 longer than L2; SV-group bisetose, posteroventral to L2, SV1 slightly longer than SV2; V-group unisetose. T2 and T3 with D- and SD-groups bisetose, median-transversely aligned; D2 and SD1 similar in length, and longer than D1 and SD2 respectively; L trisetose, L3 posterior to L1 andL2, similar in length to L1; SV unisetose; V unisetose. Abdomen chaetotaxy: D-group bisetose; A1–9 with D2 slightly longer than D1, and A10 with D1 longer than D2; SD-group bisetose, A1–7 with SD1 slightly longer than SD2, A10 with SD2 longer than SD1, SD2 absent in A9; A1–8 with L-group bisetose, L1 longer than L2, L2 absent in A9; A1–8 with SV-group trisetose, SV3 absent in A7–9; V-group unisetose.

Pupa (Figs 10A–C, 11G–I), 6.37 to 8.84 mm (n = 5), elongate-oval in dorsal and ventral views, widest in the thoracic region. Integument light amber-colored, mostly smooth, with a few scattered microsetae dorsally. Frontoclypeal suture not evident. Labrum U-shaped, weakly defined. Labial palpi long; antennae arched anteriorly and separate, approximate and parallel posteriorly to distal margins of maxillae, surpassing apical margin of forewings; maxillae extending distally between sclerites of midlegs; femora of midleg not fused distally; femora of foreleg extending beyond widest part of labial palpi. Cremaster (Figs 11G–I) short, slightly bifurcated and posteriorly directed, bearing latero-apical pair of blunt spines.

Palaeomystella tavaresi is known only from the type locality, in preserved fragments of the Atlantic Rain Forest at the Serra Bonita Reserve, Camacan, Bahia, Brazil.

Tibouchina fissinervia (Schrank & Mart. ex DC.) Cogn.(Melastomataceae), a pioneer tree species that grows up to 20 m tall in the Atlantic Rain Forest, where it is endemic, ranging from Bahia to São Paulo (Freitas 2011). In the Serra Bonita Reserve, these trees are relatively common at higher altitudes, above 600 m, growing spontaneously in areas that were formerly cleared for agriculture and along trails and in clearings in pristine forests, resulting from the fall of other trees.

(Figs 12G–I). Gall prosoplasmatic histioid (Küster, in Meyer 1987), of the rosette type (internal length from 18 to 31 mm; n = 6), induced on growing shoots causing growth of clustered short leaves (Fig. 12G); green, progressively darkening during senescence, after emergence of the moth; unilocular, unilarval. A longitudinal, narrow, cylindrical chamber is formed in the middle (Fig. 12H), where the larva develops and pupate. The mature last instar larva constructed a brown silk plug/gate near the middle of the chamber consisting of two convex hatches that open horizontally (Fig. 12I). Then it constructed a flimsy silk cocoon in the proximal sector of the chamber, where pupation occurred. To exit the cocoon the adult pushed the hatches open, and emerged through the terminal leaflets of the gall. At the type locality, the galls occur in small numbers on Tibouchina fissinervia trees, occasionally in groups of a few per plant. Under laboratory conditions, mature galls collected in the spring (October) had the adults emerging ca. 15 days later.

Palaeomystella tavaresi is named in memory of the Jesuit priest Joaquim da Silva Tavares, a Portuguese naturalist and a pioneer in the study and description of Brazilian cecidology (Tavares 1917).

Lima (1945: 304, 305, Figs 180, 183, 184) illustrated the gall, wing venation and male genitalia of a species that he identified as a member of Walshia Clemens (Cosmopterigidae), reared from galls on branches of a species of Tibouchina collected in Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro. The gall, genitalia and wing venation appear almost identical to those of Palaeomystella tavaresi and very likely represent the same species. Tavares (1917: 31, pl. 1, Figs 1, 2) described a stem gall, also from a Tibouchina sp., collected at Tijuca and Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, which exactly resembles the galls of Palaeomystella tavaresi. However, his description of the moths as “shiny, brunneous, with several golden spots on the upper side of forewings” does not match the one described here.

A total of 660 nucleotide sites were analyzed for species of Palaeomystella from different host plants, and 211 (32%) of these were variable. According to the phylogenetic hypothesis proposed here, all species were recovered as monophyletic lineages within the Palaeomystella group of Momphidae, in both methods of inference (BI and ML) with full branch support (Fig. 13). Regarding internal relationships, Palaeomystella rosaemariae was placed as a sister of Palaeomystella tavaresi with strong posterior probability (= 1) and bootstrap (=100). Palaeomystella fernandesi was more distantly related, although with low branch support (< 0.8, posterior probability; < 70, bootstrap). Despite the strong internal statistical branch support of the three new lineages of momphids, the external relationships for Palaeomystella were poorly resolved (i.e., position of clades), and even the monophyly of the genus lacks statistical support. Mompha was used to root the tree, but its position as a sister clade of Palaeomystella was not supported (Fig. 13). The evolutionary divergence observed between comparisons of pairs of species was markedly high, showing greater genetic variation in this group of momphids (Table 2), particularly between clades (Fig. 13). An average of 18% (± 3%) of K2P differences was found between species of Palaeomystella, ranging from 14 (± 2%) to 24% (± 3%). The maximum divergence observed among clades was 20%, found between Palaeomystella fernandesi and the clade formed by Palaeomystella rosaemariae + Palaeomystella tavaresi + Palaeomystella sp. 1 (Fig. 13). The genetic divergence within Palaeomystella (ca. 18%) was greater than between this genus and Mompha (16%).