Holotype. Paraguay • ♂; Chaco region, Makthlawaiya; GSC [G. S. Carter]; 11.26.; [genitalia slide] JFGC No. 8061; NHMUK ID 010922355; NHMUK slide ID 010316669; coll. NHMUK.

Argentina • 2 ♂; prov. Santiago del Estero, Pozo Honda village S, by salt lake; 27°17.2'S, 64°28.0'W, 260 m a.s.l.; 19 Sep. 2017; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; [BOLD sample ID] KN01044; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 2/9 Dec. 2019; coll. NUPP (MZH).

Externally hardly separable from R. dimota and R. subdimota. Reliable determination can be achieved by genitalia examination (DNA barcode not available for R. dimota yet). Gnathos is labiate, short and sclerotised in R. depressa; gnathos base is triangular hood, distal arm is short and bent in R. dimota; absent in R. subdimota. Lateral processes of tegumen absent in R. depressa; triangular, granulate and heavily sclerotised in R. dimota; sub-oval, granulate, with longitudinal cleavage and heavily sclerotised in R. subdimota. Male tergum VIII trapezoid in R. depressa; rectangular with long diverging anterior apodemes in R. dimota ((note: structures shown are not in comparable position, potentially deformed during dissection); pentagonal and medioposteriorly extended in R. dimota).

The original description is quoted: “Wingspan 11 mm ♂. Head and thorax dark purplish-grey, sternum white. Palpi dark grey, basal joint and basal half of second white. Abdomen blackish, anal tuft grey segmental margins on ventral surface pale ochreous-grey. Forewings dark purplish-grey; a few whitish scales on fold towards middle: cilia grey. Hind wings 0.6, 4 and 5 separate; dark grey; cilia grey.”

Male genitalia. Uncus large, bifurcate; united by transverse sclerotisation. Gnathos labiate, short and sclerotised. Anteriorly to tegumen attached a large formation, consisting of two parallel, curved, medially fused pouches. Phallus short and thick, vase-shaped. Valvae symmetrical, long and slender, of constant width, tip rounded and setose. Sternum VIII rectangular basally, posterior reinforcement extended laterally; lateral apodemes sclerotised and extended anteriorly forming prongs with spoon-shaped apices. Tergum VIII trapezoid plate, posterior margin with numerous minute setae.

Argentina, Paraguay.

In Argentina the species was collected in a dry bushy area near a salt lake shore (Fig. 78).

BIN: BOLD:ADY6755 (n = 2 from Argentina). Maximum intraspecific variation 0%. Nearest neighbour: North American Rhamphura sp. (Scythrididae, BIN: BOLD:AAA9059, 2.89%).

New to Argentina. Female unknown. Based on COI maximum likelihood phylogeny, the South American taxa subdimota, depressa, pozohondaensis, spiniuncus, angulisociella, tetrafasciella and curvisociella group together, associating next to the North American taxa classified in Rhamphura on BOLD (Suppl. material 2). Structurally these taxa are heterogeneous and the external characters, male and/or female genitalia show varying degrees of similarities to North American Rhamphura, as diagnosed and illustrated in Landry (1991). With regard to depressa, it has male sternum VIII with long, anteriorly directed, free apodemes, which is diagnostic in Rhamphura. For these reasons, we reclassified Scythris depressa Meyrick, 1931 as Rhamphura depressa (Meyrick, 1931), new combination.

Lectotype. Paraguay • ♂; Chaco region, Makthlawaiya; •; GSC [G. S. Carter]; 5.27.; [genitalia slide] JFGC No. 8062; NHMUK ID 010922356; NHMUK slide ID 010316670; coll. NHMUK.

Paralectotype. Paraguay • 1 ♂; same data as for lectotype; coll. NHMUK.

Externally hardly separable from R. dimota and R. subdimota. Reliable determination can be achieved by genitalia examination (DNA barcode not available for R. dimota yet). Gnathos is labiate, short and sclerotised in R. depressa; gnathos base is triangular hood, distal arm is short and bent in R. dimota; absent in R. subdimota. Lateral processes of tegumen absent in R. depressa; triangular, granulate and heavily sclerotised in R. dimota; sub-oval, granulate, with longitudinal cleavage and heavily sclerotised in R. subdimota. Male tergum VIII trapezoid in R. depressa; rectangular with long diverging anterior apodemes in R. dimota ((note: structures shown are not in comparable position, potentially deformed during dissection); pentagonal and medioposteriorly extended in R. dimota).

The original description is quoted: “Wingspan 12 mm ♂, ♀. Head and thorax bronzy-fuscous, some white scales on posterior edge of thorax. Palpi dark fuscous, basal joint and base of second ochreous-white. Abdomen dark fuscous, ♂ beneath ochreous-white except last two segments. Forewings dark purplish-fuscous; a white streak along fold from base to near middle of wing, ♂ thicker and irregular, and its apex connected with dorsum by irregular white suffusion; some cloudy white suffusion about end of fold and tornus: cilia rather dark grey. Hindwings 0.66, 4 and 5 separate; dark fuscous; cilia rather dark grey.”

Male genitalia. Uncus triangular. Gnathos base small triangular hood; distal arm short, bent, tip pointed. Tegumen hood-shaped, laterally broadly thickened, with two parallel triangular and heavily sclerotised processes. Between tegumen and valvae large formation, consisting of two parallel elongated, basally fused sclerotised pouches. Phallus short and thick, weakly sclerotised (illustrated in Clarke (1965: 472, fig. 4a)). Valvae ~ 1.5 × as long as tegumen and uncus together; narrow and straight, distal 1/3 somewhat broadened dorsally, apex slightly elongated and setose. Vinculum arched, short. Sternum VIII rectangular basally, posterior reinforcement extended laterally, lateral apodemes sclerotised and extended anteriorly forming prongs with spoon-shaped apices. Tergum VIII rectangular, ~ 2 × as wide as long, with long, diverging anterior apodemes.

Paraguay.

Female unknown. The original description states that one male and one female were available, but Clarke (1965) reported that both are males. The asymmetry in the male valvae (Fig. 36) is an artefact of preparation due to a partly folded left valva on the slide mount. R. dimota is morphologically similar to R. depressa, particularly the bronzy-fuscous wings, long and narrow valvae and free apodemes on sternum VIII. For these reasons, we reclassify Scythris dimota Meyrick, 1931 as Rhamphura dimota (Meyrick, 1931) new combination.

Holotype. Argentina • ♂; prov. Santiago del Estero, Pozo Honda village S, by salt lake; 27°17.2'S, 64°28.0'W; 260 m a.s.l.; 19 Sep. 2017; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; [BOLD sample ID] KN01046; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 5/12 Dec. 2019; coll. NUPP (MZH).

Externally hardly separable from R. depressa and R. dimota. Reliable determination can be achieved by genitalia examination (DNA barcode not available for R. dimota yet). Gnathos is labiate, short and sclerotised in R. depressa; gnathos base is triangular hood, distal arm is short and bent in R. dimota; absent in R. subdimota. Lateral processes of tegumen is absent in R. depressa; triangular, granulate and heavily sclerotised in R. dimota; sub-oval, granulate, with longitudinal cleavage and heavily sclerotised in R. subdimota. Tergum VIII is trapezoid in R. depressa; rectangular with long diverging anterior apodemes in R. dimota ((note: structures shown are not in comparable position, potentially deformed during dissection); pentagonal and medioposteriorly extended in R. dimota).

Wingspan 10 mm. Head dark brown, laterally mixed with white. Neck tuft and haustellum white. Collar and tegula dark brown with scattered cream scales. Thorax dark brown. Scape dorsally dark brown, ventrally dirty white; pecten dirty white and a little longer than diameter of scape. Flagellum dark brown, 0.65 × length of forewing, ciliate, sensillae ~ 1/2 as long as diameter of flagellum. Labial palp white, except lower surface of palpomeres II and III dark brown. Legs: lower surfaces white, otherwise fuscous with scattered dirty white, except upper surface of forelegs dark brown. Abdomen dorsally fuscous, ventrally dirty white. Forewing dark brown; fold indistinctly cream from base to cell end; small blackish spot under fold at 0.25, 0.45, 0.6, and above tornus. Hindwing dark fuscous.

Male genitalia. Uncus triangular, projected. Gnathos absent (not detected). Tegumen hood-shaped, anterior margin medially deeply concave with heavily sclerotised minute spine at left margin of incurvation; laterally two parallel sub-oval and heavily sclerotised processes with longitudinal cleavage, surface spinuliform. Anteriorly to tegumen attached a large formation, consists of two parallel round, basally fused sclerotised pouches; at base two small and heavily sclerotised triangular extensions. Phallus short, apex somewhat extended, tip pointed. Valvae symmetrical; 1.4 × longer than tegumen and uncus together; basal 0.65 of constant width, distal 1/3 dorsally slightly broadened, apex slightly lobate. Saccus arched, short. Sternum VIII rectangular basally, posterior reinforcement extended laterally; anterior apodemes with spoon-shaped apices. Tergum VIII pentagonal basally, anterior margin widely concave; medioposteriorly long and tapered extension.

A participle in nominative singular. The species name alludes to a close relationship with S. dimota, based on morphology of the male genitalia.

NW Argentina.

The collecting site is a dry shrubby area near a salt lake shore (Fig. 77).

BIN: BOLD:ADZ0695 (n = 1 from Argentina). Nearest neighbour: An unidentified Rhamphura sp. (Scythrididae) from North America (BIN: BOLD:AAA9059, 2.57%).

Female unknown. Based on COI maximum likelihood phylogeny, the South American taxa subdimota, depressa, pozohondaensis, spiniuncus, angulisociella, tetrafasciella, and curvisociella group together, associating next to the North American taxa classified in Rhamphura on BOLD (Suppl. material 2). Structurally these taxa are heterogeneous and the external characters, male and/or female genitalia show varying degrhees of similarities to the North American Rhamphura, as diagnosed and illustrated in Landry (1991). With regard to subdimota, it has male sternum VIII with long, anteriorly directed, free apodemes and tergum VIII Y-shaped, both diagnostic in Rhamphura. We therefore classified this taxon as Rhamphura subdimota.

Lectotype. Peru • ♂; Oroya; [11°31'S, 75°53'W]; 12200 feet a.s.l.; 5–14.; Parish leg.; [genitalia slide] JFGC No. 8056; NHMUK ID 010922360; NHMUK slide ID 010316668; coll. NHMUK.

Paralectotype. Peru • 1 ♂; same data as for lectotype; coll. NHMUK.

A small (wingspan 9 mm), dark species externally similar to several other dark species, e.g., S. inanima, S. depressa, and less contrasting specimens of S. medullata. Genitalia dissection is required for confident determination. Scythris immunis is readily separated from the other described species by details in the male genitalia: long bifurcate teguminal processes with lateral setose extensions; tegumen with pair of beak-like processes dorsally; row of pegs ventrally; valvae with dorsal, setose lobes; sternum VIII with long, anteriorly directed free apodemes.

The original description is quoted: ”Wingspan 9 mm ♂, ♀. Head, palpi and thorax dark grey sprinkled with whitish. Antennal ciliations of ♂ 0.75. Abdomen stout in both sexes, bronzy-grey, beneath suffused and mixed with whitish. Forewings lanceolate; dark grey; two blackish longitudinal streaks from base, upper median, reaching to about 0.75, lower running to tornus, some slight whitish irroration on or between these; a similar less distinct streak above dorsum from base to middle: cilia grey. Hindwings with 4 and 5 separate; in ♂ pale grey, thinly scaled, in ♀ grey; cilia greyish, towards base ochreous-tinged.”

Male genitalia. Tegumen with beak-like processes on posterior margin, row of pegs on ventral margin, apex bifurcate and setose. Phallus straight, short and thick, basal 1/2 tapered. Valva narrow, long, with dorsal setose lobes, freely articulated to vinculum. Sternum VIII rectangular, with long, anteriorly directed free apodemes. Tergum VIII medioposteriorly concave, with group of stout setae on both lateral sides.

Peru.

Female unknown. Scythris immunis was combined to Rhamphura by Landry (1991). We agree with the classification, because immunis has the diagnostic male tegumen with a pair of large beak-like processes extended from the posterior margin and with ventral rows of clusters or pegs. Further, male sternum VIII is sclerotised, with long, anteriorly directed, free apodemes. Meyrick (1916) described the species based on three specimens, stated to include both males and females. Clarke (1965) indicated that all three syntypes are actually males.

Holotype. Argentina • ♀; prov. Santiago del Estero, Pozo Honda village S, by salt lake; 27°17.2'S, 64°28.0'W; 260 m a.s.l.; 19 Sep. 2017; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; [BOLD sample ID] KN01047; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 1/14 Dec. 2019; coll. NUPP (MZH).

Externally easily separated from other species treated herein by the blackish brown forewings with a distinct whitish dirty pale beige streak in fold, and blackish hindwings. In the female genitalia of S. pozohondaensis, sterigma resembles that of S. ankylosauroides, but differs by parallel triangular posterior flaps (trapezoid flap in S. ankylosauroides) and presence of cleavage at anterior tip.

Wingspan 11 mm. Head and thorax blackish brown, Few dirty white scales exist around eye. Collar, neck tuft and tegula dark fuscous, paler than head. Haustellum white. Scape dorsally dark brown, ventrally pale fuscous; pecten dirty cream and ca. as long as diameter of scape. Flagellum dark brown, 0.55 × length of forewing. Labial palp white, except lower surfaces of palpomere III and distal 1/2 of palpomere II dark brown. Legs dirty white, upper surfaces of foreleg and midleg mixed with fuscous. Abdomen dorsally fuscous, ventrally white. Forewing blackish brown, distinct whitish dirty pale beige streak in fold from base to 0.75; scattered dirty pale beige scales at apical 1/3. Hindwing blackish brown.

Female genitalia. Sterigma triangular, posterolateral corners laterally elongate; posteriorly two large parallel flaps; anterior tip with narrow cleavage. Ostium small, situated at anterior tip of sterigma. Sternum VII quadrangular; posterior margin shallowly concave. Apophyses anteriores 0.55 × length of apophyses posteriores.

Latinised adjective in the nominative singular. The species is named after the type locality, the village of Pozo Honda.

NW Argentina.

The habitat at the collecting site is a dry shrubby area near a salt lake shore (Fig. 77).

BIN: BOLD:ADY8268 (n = 1 from Argentina). Nearest neighbour: Rhamphura depressa (BIN: BOLD:ADY6755, 3.3%).

Male unknown. Based on COI maximum likelihood phylogeny, the South American taxa subdimota, depressa, pozohondaensis, spiniuncus, angulisociella, tetrafasciella, and curvisociella group together, associating next to the North American taxa classified in Rhamphura on BOLD (Suppl. material 2). Structurally these taxa are heterogeneous and the external characters, male and/or female genitalia show varying degrees of similarities to the North American Rhamphura, as diagnosed and illustrated in Landry (1991). With regard to pozohondaensis, it has female sterigma as triangular cone, projected anteriorly, which is diagnostic in Rhamphura. We therefore classified this taxon as Rhamphura pozohondaensis.

Holotype. Argentina • ♂; prov. San Juan, Andes Mts., salt lake by Cordillera del Tigre; 30°52.8'S, 68°52.4'W, 1620 m a.s.l.; 26 Jan. 2017; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; [BOLD sample ID] KN01045; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 4/12 Dec. 2019; coll. NUPP (MZH).

Wings mottled beige and brown forewing and an indistinct pale beige streak in fold. Genitalia examination is needed for a reliable identification. In the male genitalia, the bifurcate, robust uncus with heavily sclerotised ventral spines and falcate shape of the valvae are unmistakable.

Wingspan 10 mm. Head brown, few white scales around eye. Haustellum pale fuscous. Neck tuft white. Collar, tegula and thorax pale brown. Scape dorsally brown, ventrally pale fuscous; pecten dirty cream and longer than diameter of scape. Flagellum dark brown, 0.55 × length of forewing, ciliate, sensillae ~ 0.65 × as long as diameter of flagellum. Labial palp white, except palpomeres II and III brown at lower surface and terminally. Legs white, shallowly mixed with fuscous. Abdomen whitish fuscous, ventrally paler. Forewing brown of various tones, fold and terminal 1/3 mixed with dirty pale beige scales; indistinct dark brown dash in fold at 0.5; small blackish spot in cell end. Hindwing fuscous. Fringes darker than wings.

Male genitalia. Uncus robust, 0.6 × as long as valva, bifurcate; at base of furcation ~ 15 heavily sclerotised minute spines. Phallus heavily melanised, short. Valva long and narrow, subbasally a little broadened, then evenly tapered, distal quarter bent downwards, tip pointed. Saccus short, semi-circular. Juxta narrow, 0.8 × length of phallus. Sternum VIII basally a rectangular plate; reinforcement continues posterolaterally at backwards directed extensions; long anterolateral apodemes with spatular tips. Tergum VIII trapezoid, 1.4 × wider than high.

A noun in apposition. The species name refers to the spinose uncus of the male genitalia.

NW Argentina.

The collecting site is a xerothermic habitat with sparse halophytic shrubs near a dry salt lake at medium altitude of the Andes (Fig. 78).

BIN: BOLD:ADY6426 (n = 1 from Argentina). Nearest neighbour: An unidentified Rhamphura sp. (Scythrididae) from North America (BIN: BOLD:AAA9059, 3.05%).

Female unknown. Based on the COI maximum likelihood phylogeny, the South American taxa subdimota, depressa, pozohondaensis, spiniuncus, angulisociella, tetrafasciella, and curvisociella group together, associating next to the North American taxa classified in Rhamphura on BOLD (Suppl. material 2). Structurally these taxa are heterogeneous and the external characters, male and/or female genitalia show varying degrees of similarities to the North American Rhamphura, as diagnosed and illustrated in Landry (1991). With regard to spiniuncus, it has a bifurcate uncus with ventral spines, male sternum VIII with long, anteriorly directed, free apodemes, which are diagnostic for Rhamphura. We therefore classified this taxon as Rhamphura spiniuncus.

Holotype. Argentina • ♂; prov. Jujuy, Rio San Francisco, by Caimancito village; 23°43.8'S, 64°36.3'W; 400 m a.s.l.; 18 Sep. 2017; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; [BOLD sample ID] KN01038; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 1/10 Dec. 2019; coll. NUPP (MZH).

Externally may be separated from other described taxa by pale brown forewings with characteristic black patches at basal 1/2 of dorsum. In the male genitalia of R. angulisociella, anteriorly to tegumen is attached a large formation, which resembles that of R. depressa, but R. angulisociella has long and angled socii and narrower valvae.

Wingspan 13.5 mm. Head, collar, neck tuft, tegula and thorax pale brown; few white scales around eye and at posterior margin of thorax. Haustellum white with a little pale brown at middle. Scape dorsally dark brown, ventrally dirty cream; pecten dirty cream and longer than diameter of scape. Flagellum dark brown, 0.65 × length of forewing, ciliate, sensillae ~ 1/2 as long as diameter of flagellum. Labial palps white, except lower surface of palpomeres II and III dark brown. Legs with lower surfaces white, otherwise fuscous with scattered dirty white. Abdomen dorsally fuscous, ventrally white, anal tuft pale brown. Forewing pale brown, basal 1/2 between fold and dorsum paler than costal area; irregular black patches at dorsum at 0.2 and 0.5, dorsal and apical areas mixed with sparsely scattered white scales. Hindwing fuscous, darker than forewing.

Male genitalia. Uncus small, semi-circular plate. Socii long and setose shanks, basal 0.75 straight, then bent 80°; anterolaterally bulged with very long setae. Tegumen arched, anterior margin concave, with tuft of long setae posterio-laterally. Note: the following structures are bent 180° (unrolled) ventrally during dissection, which explains why the valvae appear as a dorsal structure in Fig. 40. Anteriorly to tegumen attached a large formation, consists of two parallel sub-ovals, basally fused and posteriorly heavily sclerotised pouches. Phallus short, slightly tapered, tip bent and pointed. Valva longer than uncus and tegumen together, very slender, apical area setose. Sternum VIII rectangular, 1.5 × as wide as high. Tergum VIII trapezoid, anterior margin sclerotised.

Diminutive noun in apposition. The species name refers to angular socii in the male genitalia.

NW Argentina.

The collecting site is a dry river bed surrounded by forests and plantations. Plants of the family Amaranthaceae were frequent at the riverside (Fig. 79).

BIN: BOLD:ADY9489 (n = 1 from Argentina). Nearest neighbour: a North American Rhamphura sp. (Scythrididae, BIN: BOLD:AAA9059, 4.82%).

Female unknown. Based on COI maximum likelihood phylogeny, the South American taxa subdimota, depressa, pozohondaensis, spiniuncus, angulisociella, tetrafasciella, and curvisociella group together, associating next to the North American taxa classified in Rhamphura on BOLD (Suppl. material 2). Structurally these taxa are heterogeneous and the external characters, male and/or female genitalia show varying degrees of similarities to the North American Rhamphura, as diagnosed and illustrated in Landry (1991). With regard to angulisociella, the structural differences are notable and we therefore took a conservative view and classified this taxon in Rhamphura (incertae sedis), highlighting the need for further research.

Holotype. Argentina • ♂; prov. Santiago del Estero, Pozo Honda village S, by salt lake; 27°17.2'S, 64°28.0'W; 260 m a.s.l.; 19 Sep. 2017; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; [BOLD sample ID] KN01041; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 1/12 Dec. 2019; coll. NUPP (MZH).

Beige forewings with dark brown costa do not allow unambiguous identification. In the male genitalia of R. curvisociella, a large, ventrally curved and distally split phallus is diagnostic, in addition to long curved socii, and triangular extensions near apex of the valvae. In R. angulisociella the socii are angled, and valvae are without triangular extensions near the apex.

Wingspan 12.5 mm. Head beige mixed with pale brown, frons paler. Collar, neck tuft, haustellum, tegula and thorax pale beige, neck tuft slightly paler than head. Scape dorsally dark brown, ventrally beige; pecten beige, as long as diameter of scape. Flagellum mixed with beige and dark brown, 0.7 × length of forewing, ciliate, sensillae ~ 1/2 as long as diameter of flagellum. Labial palp white, except lower surface of palpomere II from 0.5 to 0.8 and middle of palpomere III dark brown. Legs: femur and lower surfaces white, otherwise different shades of beige scattered with pale fuscous. Abdomen dorsally fuscous, ventrally dirty white. Forewing beige; costal belt densely covered by dark brown from base to 0.7, dorsal and apical areas with sparsely scattered dark brown scales; at cell end a small black spot. Hindwing dark fuscous, darker than forewing.

Male genitalia. Uncus heart-shaped setose plate. Gnathos rectangular elongate plate. Socii long recurved processes. Tegumen with deep incision anteromedially. Phallus large, basally heavily sclerotised, slightly bent, apical quarter split and tapered. Valva longer than uncus and tegumen combined, narrow, apical quarter slightly broadened and setose; dorsally with subapical triangular extension. Sternum VIII rectangular, 2 × as wide as high, anterior margin concave, anterolateral margin elongated and somewhat sclerotised. Tergum VIII rectangular, anterior margin concave and reinforced; posterior margin with two parallel setose lobes with wrinkled surface.

Diminutive noun in apposition. The species name refers to the curved socii in the male genitalia.

NW Argentina.

The collecting site is a dry, shrubby area near a salt lake shore (Fig. 77).

BIN: BOLD:ADY6339 (n = 1 from Argentina). Nearest neighbour: Unidentified Scythris from Argentina (Scythrididae, BIN: BOLD:ACW4357, 4.98%).

Female unknown. The ventral and dorsal aspects were difficult to interpret in the male genitalia because only a single male is known, and the structures are distorted under the cover glass. Based on COI maximum likelihood phylogeny, the South American taxa subdimota, depressa, pozohondaensis, spiniuncus, angulisociella, tetrafasciella, and curvisociella group together, associating next to the North American taxa classified in Rhamphura on BOLD (Suppl. material 2). Structurally these taxa are heterogeneous and the external characters, male and/or female genitalia show varying degrees of similarities to the North American Rhamphura, as diagnosed and illustrated in Landry (1991). With regard to curvisociella, the structural differences are notable and we therefore took a conservative view and classified this taxon in Rhamphura (incertae sedis), highlighting the need for further research.

Holotype. Argentina • ♀; prov. La Rioja, valley east of Sierra de Sanogasta; 29°51.7'S, 67°09.9'W; 670 m a.s.l.; 22 Sep. 2017; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; [BOLD sample ID] KN01040; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 3/13 Dec. 2019; coll. NUPP (MZH).

Externally distinctive species, readily recognised by four transverse dark brown fasciae on forewing. The female genitalia are characterised by the funnel-shaped sterigma attached anteriorly to an arched plate.

Wingspan 10 mm. Head dark brown, forehead mixed with white. White scales around eye. Neck tuft white. Collar, haustellum, tegula and thorax dark brown with scattered white. Scape dark brown, ventrally mixed with white; pecten as long as diameter of scape. Flagellum dark brown, 0.6 × length of forewing. Labial palp white, palpomere III mixed with dark brown. Legs: femur and tarsi white, each tarsus two dark brown patches at upper surface; tibiae mixed with fuscous. Abdomen anterior 1/2 of each segment dorsally dark brown, otherwise white. Forewing dirty white, cut by four irregular transverse dark brown fasciae belts subbasally, at 0.45, 0.7, and subapically. Hindwing pale fuscous.

Female genitalia. Sterigma funnel-shaped, distally tapered, posterior 1/2 more sclerotised; anteriorly attached to arched sclerotisation. Ostium small, situated at tip of sterigma. Sternum VII trapezoid, 1.3 × wider than high. Apophyses anteriores 0.7 × length of apophyses posteriores.

Diminutive noun in apposition. The species name refers to the forewing patterning of the moth.

NW Argentina.

The collecting site is a xerothermic saline valley at foothills of the Andes, with rather sparse vegetation.

BIN: BOLD:ADZ0119 (n = 1 from Argentina). Nearest neighbour: Scythris sp. (BIN: BOLD:ADZ0118, 5.65%).

Male unknown. Based on COI maximum likelihood phylogeny, the South American taxa subdimota, depressa, pozohondaensis, spiniuncus, angulisociella, tetrafasciella, and curvisociella group together, associating next to the North American taxa classified in Rhamphura on BOLD (Suppl. material 2). Structurally these taxa are heterogeneous and the external characters, male and/or female genitalia show varying degrees of similarities to the North American Rhamphura, as diagnosed and illustrated in Landry (1991). With regard to tetrafasciella, the structural differences are notable and we therefore took a conservative view and classified this taxon in Rhamphura (incertae sedis), highlighting the need for further research.

Landryia Kemal & Koçak, 2006 is a replacement name for Asymmetrura Landry, 1991 (Kemal and Koçak 2006).

Holotype. Argentina • ♂; prov. Santiago del Estero, Pozo Honda village S, by salt lake; 27°17.2'S, 64°28.0'W; 260 m a.s.l.; 20 Sep. 2017; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; [BOLD sample ID] KN01059; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. No. 4/13 Jan. 2019; coll. NUPP (MZH).

Paratypes. Argentina • 20 ♂, 9 ♀; same data as for holotype; [BOLD sample ID] KN01060; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. No. 2/13 Jan. 2019 ♂; coll. NUPP; • 21 ♂, 12 ♀; same data as for holotype except collecting date; 19 Sep. 2017; [BOLD sample IDs] KN01061, KN01062; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. No. 1/15 Dec. 2019 ♀; coll. NUPP; • 1 ♀; prov. La Rioja, valley east of Sierra de Sanogasta; 29°51.7'S, 67°09.9'W; 670 m a.s.l.; 22 Sep. 2017; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; coll. NUPP.

A pale streak in forewing is diagnostic. In the male genitalia of L. ankylosauroides, the S-shaped distal arm of gnathos is distinctive, and similar structure is found only in L. chilensis. The two taxa are readily separated by several details in the male genitalia: in L. ankylosauroides the left valva is much shorter than the right one (in L. chilensis valvae ca. equal length) and the right valva is without large distal lobe (in L. chilensis a large distal lobe is present), tergum VIII has narrow lateral arms with melanised spikes (in L. chilensis spikes are absent and posterior margin is deeply concave). In the female genitalia of L. ankylosauroides, sterigma is an inverted cone, which resembles that of R. pozohondaensis, but differs by trapezoid posterior flap (parallel triangular flaps in R. pozohondaensis) and absence of cleavage at anterior tip.

Wingspan 10.5–12 mm. Head, collar, tegula and thorax pale fuscous; few white scales around eye, and small blotch of same colour at medioposterior margin of thorax. Neck tuft and haustellum white. Scape dorsally dark brown, ventrally dirty white, pecten longer than diameter of scape. Flagellum dark brown, 0.65 × length of forewing, in male ciliate, sensillae ~ 0.75 × as long as diameter of flagellum. Labial palps: palpomere I white; lower surface of posterior 1/2 of palpomere II and palpomere III dark brown, otherwise white. Legs cream, upper surfaces more or less mixed with different tones of brown. Abdomen dorsally fuscous, ventrally dirty white. Forewing grey, costal area slightly darker than dorsal one; more or less distinct white streak in forewing from base to termen, in dorsal margin edged by interrupted dark brown line; few white scales at apical area. Hindwing pale grey.

Male genitalia. Uncus heavily sclerotised, subtriangular, basal part heart-shaped. Gnathos base small belt; distal arm long, strongly sigmoid (S-shaped), tip club-shaped covered by minute spines. Tegumen rectangular. Phallus 0.7 × length of right valva, straight, shaped as elongated bottle. Valvae asymmetrical, fused at basal 1/2, dorsal margins setose; left valva short, oval; right valva 1.4 × longer than left, of constant width, subapically with small extension, apex bent, heavily sclerotised, tip shallowly indented. Saccus as long as right valva, triangular. Sternum VIII large hexagonal plate, medioposteriorly deeply U-shaped; posterior margin with two asymmetrical and diverging extensions, longer one with numerous long and thin setae; latero-anterior corners with parallel long and narrow extensions, tips spatulate. Tergum VIII trapezoid basally, anterior margin concave; medioposteriorly with digitate extension; mediolaterally at both sides long and upwards directed extensions, distal 1/2 with ~ ten long and heavily sclerotised spiniform setae.

Female genitalia. Sterigma triangular. Ostium small, situated at anterior tip of sterigma. Sternum VII trapezoid; lateroposteriorly small triangular flaps at both sides, anterior corners extended. Sternum VIII with two, suboval, sclerotised plates. Apophyses anteriores 0.35 × length of apophyses posteriores.

Latinised adjective in the nominative singular. The species name alludes to the shape of the gnathos arm, reminiscent of the tail of Ankylosauridae (Reptilia: Dinosauria).

NW Argentina.

The habitat at the type locality of Pozo Honda is a dry shrubby area near a salt lake shore (Fig. 78); the other collecting site is an open valley with halophytic vegetation.

BIN: BOLD:ADZ2684 (n = 3 from Argentina). Genetically rather homogenous, maximum variation 0.32%. Nearest neighbour: North American Landryia matutella (Clemens, 1860) (Scythrididae, BIN: BOLD:AAE6120, 1.25%).

Based on our COI maximum likelihood phylogeny, the South American taxa ankylosauroides and chilensis group inside a large clade, whose taxa are classified in Landryia on BOLD (Suppl. material 2). However, ankylosauroides and chilensis do not have the diagnostic morphological characters of Landryia, such as a greatly enlarged bulbus ejaculatorius (unless accidentally removed during dissection) in the male genitalia and the pincer-like projections on the caudal margin of female sternum VII (Landry 1991). Also, male sternum VIII of ankylosauroides and chilensis are distinct with their spiniform setae and long apodemes, but such are not present in North American Landryia (Landry 1991). Further, North American L. matutella, which is genetically the nearest neighbour to taxon ankylosauroides, is morphologically different. We therefore classified these two taxa in Landryia (incertae sedis), highlighting the need for further research.

Holotype. Chile • ♂; Coquimbo district, near Comparbala village; 30°52.4'S, 71°10.9'W; 660 m a.s.l.; 1 Feb. 2017; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; [BOLD sample ID] KN01096; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 3/18 Dec. 2019; coll. NUPP (MZH).

Wings without any distinct pattern, and may be confused with several patternless, similarly sized species, e,g., S. tigrensis. In the male genitalia of L. chilensis, the shape of distal arm of the gnathos is distinctive; a similarly shaped narrow and curved gnathos is found only in L. ankylosauroides. The two taxa are readily separated by several details in the male genitalia: in L. chilensis, the valvae are subequal in length (in L. ankylosauroides the left valva is much shorter), the right valva has large sclerotised lobe (absent in L. ankylosauroides) , and shape of both tergum VIII and sternum VIII are unique.

Wingspan 14.5 mm. Head, collar, haustellum, tegula and thorax fuscous mixed with dirty white. Few white scales exist around eye. Neck tuft white. Scape fuscous mixed with dirty white, pecten pale cream and longer than diameter of scape. Flagellum dark brown, 0.65 × length of forewing, ciliate, sensillae 1/2 as long as diameter of flagellum. Labial palps with palpomere I and base of palpomere II white, otherwise fuscous more or less mixed with white. Legs fuscous, lower surface suffused with dirty white. Abdomen dorsally lead grey, each segment posteriorly edged by greyish white; ventrally dirty white. Forewing narrow, grey; scattered with dirty white scales densely in fold and at apical area, and sparsely in costal area. Hindwing fuscous.

Male genitalia. Uncus small, heavily sclerotised rectangular plate. Gnathos base uneven plate; distal arm 1.65 longer than valva, sigmoid and somewhat unevenly thick, apex club-shaped, covered with microtrichia. Tegumen hood-shaped. Phallus short, drop-shaped, laterally with narrow extensions. Valvae asymmetrical, short and straight, dorsally with subbasal triangular lobes, subapically with small transverse flaps, distally setose; right valva basally with complex heavily sclerotised lobe. Saccus rectangular, broad. Sternum VIII hexagonal basally, medioposteriorly with large U-shaped depression, posterior shanks somewhat asymmetrical; mediolaterally extended as small flaps at both sides, attached to two long and narrow medio-anterior apodemes. Tergum VIII narrow, tongue-shaped, lateral and posterior margins folded and furnished with ~ twelve long heavily sclerotised spiniform setae; anteriorly with two long and narrow diverging apodemes.

Latinised adjective in the nominative singular. The species name refers to the country in which the taxon was discovered.

Central Chile.

The habitat is a shrubby riverside spot with sparse vegetation in the Andes foothills.

BIN: BOLD:ADZ5419 (n = 1 from Chile). Nearest neighbour: Landryia JFL138 from USA: California (BIN: BOLD:AAE6120, 6.18%).

Female unknown. Based on COI maximum likelihood phylogeny, the South American taxa ankylosauroides and chilensis group inside a large clade, whose taxa are classified in Landryia on BOLD (Suppl. material 2). However, ankylosauroides and chilensis do not have the diagnostic morphological characters of Landryia, such as greatly enlarged bulbus ejaculatorius (unless accidentally removed during dissection) in the male genitalia and the pincer-like projections on caudal margin of female sternum VII (Landry 1991). Also, male sternum VIII of ankylosauroides and chilensis are distinct with their spiniform setae and long apodemes, but such are not present in North American Landryia (Landry 1991). We therefore classified these two taxa in Landryia (incertae sedis), highlighting the need for further research.

Holotype. Argentina • ♂; prov. Santiago del Estero, Pozo Honda village S, by salt lake; 27°17.2'S, 64°28.0'W; 260 m a.s.l.; 19 Sep. 2017; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; [BOLD sample ID] KN01052; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 3/28 Dec. 2019; coll. NUPP (MZH).

Paratype. Argentina • 1 ♂; same data as for holotype; coll. NUPP.

Wings grey, impossible to separate externally from S. furciphallella. The male genitalia of S. directiphallella are by having narrow valvae with a ventral thorn-like process apically, a straight phallus and pincer-like extensions on posterior margin of male sternite VIII.

Wingspan 9–10.5 mm. Head, collar, neck tuft, haustellum, tegula and thorax grey. Scape grey, ventrally mixed with dirty white; pecten grey and as long as diameter of scape. Flagellum fuscous, 0.7 × length of forewing, ciliate, sensillae ~ 1/2 as long as diameter of flagellum. Labial palp: palpomere I dirty white, palpomeres II and III fuscous mixed with dirty white. Legs fuscous, more or less suffused with dirty white. Abdomen dorsally pale grey, ventrally a little paler, anal tuft cream. Forewing grey, over the wing sparsely scattered dark fuscous scales. Hindwing pale fuscous.

Male genitalia. Gnathos (homology interpretation of gnathos and uncus based on Landry (1991)) base broad, weakly sclerotised belt; distally long, slender and bent downwards, tip pointed. Uncus bilobed plate, posterior shanks subapically with small nipple-like extensions. Tegumen elongated hood, dorsally widely open. Phallus 0.75 × length of valva, straight, tip pointed. Valva long and narrow; apex setose and slightly incurved; apically with robust ventral thorn-like process. Saccus short, triangular. Juxta narrow, 0.8 × length of phallus. Sternum VIII pentagonal; posteriorly bifurcate, shanks short, bent inwards with tips pointed. Tergum VIII trapezoid, anterior margin widely concave and weakly sclerotised, posterior margin convex.

Diminutive noun in apposition. The species name refers to the straight phallus of the male, which is a diagnostic character of the species.

NW Argentina.

The collecting site is a dry, shrubby area near a salt lake shore (Fig. 77).

BIN: BOLD:ADY7318 (n = 2 from Argentina). Nearest neighbour: Scythris salinasgrandensis Nupponen, sp. nov. (BIN: BOLD:ADY7738, 4.49%).

Female unknown. Based on COI maximum likelihood phylogeny, the South American taxa salinasgrandensis, furciphallella, manchaoensis, angustivalvella, and directiphallella group together, associating within a clade, whose taxa are classified in apparently non-monophyletic Scythris on BOLD (Suppl. material 2). We classify these taxa in Scythris.

Holotype. Argentina • ♂; prov. Cordoba, Salinas Grandes SE shore; 29°50.5'S, 64°40.2'W; 185 m a.s.l.; 24 Sep. 2017; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; [BOLD sample ID] KN01053; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 2/16 Dec. 2019; coll. NUPP (MZH).

Paratypes. Argentina • 6 ♂, 2 ♀; same data as for holotype; [genitalia slides] K. Nupponen prep. no. 3/16-XII-2019 ♀, 3/13-I-2019 ♂; coll. NUPP; • 1 ♂; prov. La Rioja, Andes Mts., Sierra de Famatina, Famatina village 15 km NNW; 28°46.4'S, 67°35.0'W; 2085 m a.s.l.; 27 Jan. 2017; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; [BOLD sample ID] KN01050; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 1/17 Dec. 2019; coll. NUPP.

A grey species, externally indistinguishable from S. directiphallella. In the male genitalia, a posteriorly bifurcate phallus and large backwards directed ventral lobes of the valvae are diagnostic.

Wingspan 9.5–10.5 mm. Head, collar, neck tuft, haustellum, tegula and thorax grey. Scape grey, ventrally mixed with cream; pecten grey and longer than diameter of scape. Flagellum fuscous, 0.7 × length of forewing, ciliate, sensillae ~ 0.8 × as long as diameter of flagellum. Labial palp: palpomere I dirty white, palpomeres II and III fuscous mixed with dirty white. Legs fuscous, more or less suffused with dirty white. Abdomen fuscous, ventrally paler, anal tuft ventrally cream. Forewing grey, wing irrorated with black scales; in some specimens’ very indistinct whitish streak in fold at basal 1/3. Hindwing pale fuscous.

Male genitalia. Gnathos basally semi-circular; distally long, slender and bent downwards. Uncus rectangular plate, medioposteriorly with small indentation. Tegumen hood-shaped. Phallus 0.65 × length of valva, bent, apex bifurcate, slender branch twice longer than the other. Valva long and narrow, distally spatular; ventral margins subapically with huge, anteriorly-directed, slightly asymmetrical lobes. Saccus short, labiate. Juxta narrow, 0.5 × length of phallus. Sternum VIII pentagonal, paired posterior projections diverging, straight, tips pointed; anterior margin slightly concave. Tergum VIII trapezoid, elongated, posteriorly round and setose, anteriorly incurved.

Female genitalia. Sterigma long and straight, rather stout, at 0.65 a little broadened, terminal 1/3 sclerotised, tip blunt. Ostium round, margins sclerotised, situated at 0.65 of sterigma. Sternum VII rectangular, 1.35 × wider than high, posterior margin medially incurved, anterior margin concave and sclerotised. Apophyses anteriores 0.55 × length of apophyses posteriores.

Diminutive noun in apposition. The species name refers to a bifurcate phallus of the male.

NW Argentina.

The collecting site is a shore of a large salt lake, in the edge between dry bushy area and low saline vegetation (Fig. 75).

BIN: BOLD:ADY9699 (n = 2 from Argentina). The two barcode sequences are 0.96% distant. Nearest neighbour: Scythris salinasgrandensis Nupponen, sp. nov. (BIN: BOLD:ADY7738, 4.49%).

Based on COI maximum likelihood phylogeny, South American taxa salinasgrandensis, furciphallella, manchaoensis, angustivalvella and directiphallella group together, associating within a clade, whose taxa are classified in apparently non-monophyletic Scythris on BOLD (Suppl. material 2). We classify these taxa in Scythris.

Holotype. Argentina • ♂; prov. Catamarca, Sierra de Manchao; 28°43.6'S, 66°21.1'W; 1190 m a.s.l.; 23 Sep. 2017; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; [BOLD sample ID] KN01032; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 1/11 Dec. 2019; coll. NUPP (MZH).

A fuscous species, externally similar to S. salinasgrandensis, but distinguished by the fringes being the same colour as the forewing surface (distinctly darker in S. salinasgrandensis) and a small spot at cell end (lacking in S. salinasgrandensis). The male genitalia of S. manchaoensis resemble those of S. angustivalvella, but differ in the distally broader valva and the sigmoid phallus, short and converging appendices on posterior margin of sternum VIII (narrower valva, arched phallus, long and diverging appendices in S. angustivalvella).

Wingspan 15.5 mm. Head, collar, neck tuft, haustellum, tegula and thorax fuscous, same colour as forewing. Scape fuscous; pecten paler and longer than diameter of scape. Flagellum fuscous, 0.65 × length of forewing, in male ciliate, sensillae as long as diameter of flagellum. Labial palp: palpomere I pale fuscous white; palpomere II: inner surface dirty white fuscous, otherwise fuscous with faintly scattered dirty white; palpomere III pale fuscous with distal 1/2 suffused faintly darker. Legs fuscous, mixed with dirty white, more so in hind legs. Abdomen dorsally pale fuscous, ventrally dirty whitish fuscous. Forewing fuscous with sparsely scattered blackish scales, indistinct dark spot at cell end. Hindwing fuscous, slightly paler than forewing.

Male genitalia. Uncus bilobed plate, tips of posterior lobes bent ventrad and pointed. Gnathos base hood-like, rather weakly sclerotised; distal arm long and slender, bent 90° at basal 1/2, tip bent downwards and pointed. Phallus slender, shallowly sigmoid, 0.8 × length of gnathos arm, tip pointed. Valva straight and broad at basal 0.6; distal 0.4 narrow and bent, tip widened, spatular and setose; ventrally at middle long, robust, incurved, horn-like process. Saccus short, triangular. Juxta narrow, elongate, 1.15 × length of phallus. Sternum VIII pentagonal, posteriorly bifurcate, shanks short and converging; anterior corners widened, anterior margin incurved and somewhat sclerotised. Tergum VIII triangular, posteriorly elongate with blunt tip, anterior margin wide, concave.

Latinised adjective in the nominative singular. The species is named after the type locality, in the Manchao range of the Andes.

NW Argentina.

The collecting site is a dry and xerothermic rocky slope with low vegetation and sparse shrubs (Fig. 76).

BIN: BOLD:ADY8793 (n = 1 from Argentina). Nearest neighbour: Scythris angustivalvella Nupponen, sp. nov. (BIN: BOLD:ADY8789, 2.75%). Scythris salinasgrandensis, whose male is unknown, is externally similar, and its barcode differs by 5.62%.

Female unknown. Based on COI maximum likelihood phylogeny, South American taxa salinasgrandensis, furciphallella, manchaoensis, angustivalvella, and directiphallella group together, associating within a clade, whose taxa are classified in apparently non-monophyletic Scythris on BOLD (Suppl. material 2). We classify these taxa in Scythris. The male genitalia of angustivalvella and manchaoensis are similar to S. zhakovi Bidzilya & Budashkin, 2017 from Ukraine (Bidzilya et al. 2017).

Holotype. Argentina • ♀; prov. Cordoba, Salinas Grandes SE shore; 29°50.5'S, 64°40.2'W; 185 m a.s.l.; 24 Sep. 2017; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; [BOLD sample ID] KN01033; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 3/11 Dec. 2019; coll. NUPP (MZH).

Paratypes. Argentina • 10 ♀; same data as for holotype; [BOLD sample ID] KN01034; coll. NUPP; • 1 ♀; same data as for holotype except collecting date; 13 Sep. 2017; coll. NUPP.

Wings pale grey, finely peppered with brown fuscous species, externally easily mixed with S. manchaoensis, but separated by fringes being distinctly darker than forewing (same colour as forewing in S. manchaoensis) and absence of small spot at cell end (present in S. manchaoensis). In the female genitalia, a large and distinctly defined oval sterigma is diagnostic.

Wingspan 15–18 mm. Head, collar, neck tuft, haustellum, tegula and thorax fuscous, same colour as forewing, head and haustellum mixed with dirty white. Scape fuscous except ventral surface and pecten whitish grey, pectin longer than diameter of scape. Flagellum fuscous, 0.6 × length of forewing. Labial palp: palpomere I pale dirty white; palpomeres II and III: upper surface dirty white, otherwise fuscous mixed with a few dirty white scales. Legs fuscous, mixed with dirty white. Abdomen dorsally pale fuscous, ventrally dirty white. Forewing pale grey, finely peppered with brown, fringes darker than wing. Hindwing slightly paler than forewing.

Female genitalia. Sterigma oval ring with sclerotised margin, anteriorly with quadrangular sclerotised extension. Ostium situated anteriorly in ring. Sternum VII quadrangular; posterior margin medially incurved, anterior margin sclerotised. Apophyses anteriores 0.5 × length of apophyses posteriores.

Latinised adjective in the nominative singular. The species is named after the type locality, the Salinas Grandes salt lake.

NW Argentina.

The collecting site is the shore of a large salt lake, in the zone between a dry shrubby area and low halophytic vegetation.

BIN: BOLD:ADY7738 (n = 2 from Argentina). Nearest neighbour: Scythris furciphallella Nupponen, sp. nov. (BIN: BOLD:ADY9699, 4.49%). Scythris manchaoensis is externally similar, and its barcode differs by 5.62%.

Male unknown. Based on COI maximum likelihood phylogeny, South American taxa salinasgrandensis, furciphallella, manchaoensis, angustivalvella and directiphallella group together, associating within a clade, whose taxa are classified in apparently non-monophyletic Scythris on BOLD (Suppl. material 2). We classify these taxa in Scythris.

Holotype. Argentina • ♂; prov. Santiago del Estero, Pozo Honda village S, by salt lake; 27°17.2'S, 64°28.0'W; 260 m a.s.l.; 19 Sep. 2017; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; [BOLD sample ID] KN01051; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 4/16 Dec. 2019; coll. NUPP (MZH).

Both fore- and hindwings are fuscous. The male genitalia of S. angustivalvella resemble those of S. manchaoensis, but differ by the distally narrower valva and arched phallus (sigmoid in S. manchaoensis), as well as in details of sternum VIII (posteromedial prongs long and diverging in angustivalvella, short with apices converging in manchaoensis) and details of tergum VIII (posterior margin indented in angustivalvella, with medial extension rounded in manchaoensis).

Wingspan 11 mm. Head, collar, neck tuft, haustellum, tegula and thorax fuscous, with scattered dirty white scales. Scape dorsally fuscous, ventrally dirty white, pecten dirty white and longer than diameter of scape. Flagellum brown, 0.7 × length of forewing, ciliate, sensillae as long as diameter of flagellum. Labial palp: palpomere I white; palpomeres II and III: lower surface dark brown, otherwise dirty white. Legs dirty white, tibiae and tarsi mixed with brown. Abdomen dorsally fuscous, ventrally dirty white. Forewing fuscous; narrow indistinct whitish streak in fold from base to midwing; small dark brown spot at cell end. Hindwing fuscous.

Male genitalia. Uncus a bifurcate plate, tips of posterior lobes blunt. Gnathos base a broad belt; distal arm long, slightly upcurved, basal 1/2 tapered, posterior 1/2 slender, tip pointed. Tegumen broader than high, margins reinforced. Phallus 0.65 × length of valva, slim and arched, tip pointed. Valva long and narrow; basal 1/2 tapered, distal 1/2 slender and incurved, apex spatular; a robust, downcurved horn-like projection ventrally at 0.5. Saccus short, triangular. Juxta narrow, 0.55 × length of phallus. Sternum VIII pentagonal, posteromedial prongs divergent, straight, tips pointed; anterior margin slightly concave. Tergum VIII trapezoid, anterior margin widely incurved, posterior margin slightly indented.

Diminutive noun in apposition. The species name refers to the narrow valvae in the male genitalia.

NW Argentina.

The collecting site is a dry shrubby area near a salt lake shore (Fig. 77).

BIN: BOLD:ADY8789 (n = 1 from Argentina). Nearest neighbour: Scythris manchaoensis Nupponen, sp. nov. (BIN: BOLD:ADY8793, 2.57%).

Female unknown. Based on COI maximum likelihood phylogeny, South American taxa salinasgrandensis, furciphallella, manchaoensis, angustivalvella, and directiphallella group together, associating within a clade, whose taxa are classified in apparently non-monophyletic Scythris on BOLD (Suppl. material 2). We classify these taxa in Scythris. The male genitalia of angustivalvella and manchaoensis are similar to S. zhakovi Bidzilya & Budashkin, 2017 from Ukraine (Bidzilya et al. 2017).

Holotype (fixed by monotypy, Art. 73.1.2 (ICZN 2000). Brazil • ♂; Santarem; 8.19.; Parish leg.; [genitalia slide] JFGC No. 8050; NHMUK ID 010922366; NHMUK slide ID 010316662; coll. NHMUK.

A small species (10 mm), externally resembles to some extent S. zeugmatica with similar whitish streak on forewing. Scythris zeugmatica is readily separated from the other described species by characters in the male genitalia, particularly by bilobed uncus, a peculiar vertical sclerotisation with lateral expansion (homology unclear), and broad, symmetrical valvae with a small subapical ventral tooth.

The original description is quoted: “Wingspan ♂ 10 mm. Head whitish. Palpi whitish, terminal joint suffused grey. Thorax bronzy-grey. Abdomen dark grey, beneath whitish-ochreous. Forewings elongate-lanceolate; rather dark purple-grey; a rather broad suffused yellow-whitish streak along fold throughout, crossed at its middle by a fasciate bar reaching dorsum but not reaching costa, beyond this attenuated and indistinct, but expanded into an oval spot on tornus, a somewhat inwards-oblique spot on costa towards apex rather beyond this: cilia grey. Hindwings 0.75, grey; cilia grey.”

Male genitalia. Uncus bilobed, basally fused by narrow transverse sclerotisation. Gnathos base U-shaped. Tegumen hood-shaped, anterior margin medially deeply cleft. Ventrad of tegumen are situated two sclerotised, vertical structures (homologies are unclear): other rather straight with sharp apexes (Fig. 48 on left), other slightly longer, at middle triangularly extended (Fig. 48 on right). Valva broad and straight, dorsal margin at basal quarter somewhat folded; ventrally slightly broadened beyond middle, subapically with small triangular tooth. Saccus short, triangular, at base with small digitate process. Sternum VIII trapezoid, anterolaterally with small lobes, posteriorly with pair of stout parallel horn-like projections. Tergum VIII subrectangular, laterally concave, anterior margin sclerotised.

Brazil.

Female unknown. DNA barcode is not available yet for S. zeugmatica. We place S. zeugmatica in the directiphallella species group based on morphology. It has a similar long and slim gnathos, long and slim phallus, and male sternum VIII has sharp posterior shanks.

Holotype. Argentina • ♂; prov. Jujuy, Rio San Francisco, by Caimancito village; 23°43.8'S, 64°36.3'W, 400 m a.s.l.; 18 Sep. 2017; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; [BOLD sample ID] KN01037; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 3/9 Dec. 2019; coll. NUPP (MZH).

Externally somewhat resembling S. tibicina, but distinguished by the more contrasty pattern and cream colour of the forewings. In the male genitalia, the strikingly long and blade-like valvae (which sticks out from the abdomen, see Fig. 18) and an elongate sternum VIII are diagnostic.

Wingspan 13.5 mm. Head brown, laterally paler. Collar and neck tuft mixed with various shades of brown and dirty white, tegula pale brown. Haustellum dirty white. Thorax dark brown. Scape dorsally dark brown, ventrally dirty cream; pecten dirty cream and longer than diameter of scape. Flagellum dark brown, 0.7 × length of forewing, ciliate, sensillae ~ 1/2 as long as diameter of flagellum. Labial palps white, except lower surface of palpomeres II and III dark brown. Legs dirty white, except tibia and tarsus of foreleg brown, and upper surface of hindleg tarsus with pale brown hair. Abdomen dorsally dark fuscous, ventrally white. Forewing dark brown, blackish at basal 1/2 of wing at costal and widely at dorsal areas; fold broadly cream, connected to dash of same colour at cell end, the latter extended to subapical area. Hindwing dark fuscous.

Male genitalia. Uncus small and labiate. Gnathos reduced to small transverse flap. Tegumen hood-shaped. Phallus short, basally indented, distal 1/2 tapered, tip extended, bent and pointed. Valva very long, straight and of constant width, apically tapered and bent inwards, tip pointed; costal and dorsal margins sclerotised and setose. Saccus U-shaped, ca. as long as tegumen. Sternum VIII subrectangular, strongly elongated and narrow, deeply indented both postero- and anteromedially; anterior margin with two parallel triangular lobes; at anterior 1/3 of plate two longitudinal setose ridges. Tergum VIII small, rectangular, posterior margin widely concave, anterior corners extended.

Latinised adjective in the nominative singular. The species is named after the type locality, the village of Caimancito.

NW Argentina.

The collecting site is a dry river bed surrounded by forests and plantations. Plants of the family Amaranthaceae were common along the river banks (Fig. 79).

Not obtained (specimen submitted to barcode analysis but the sample failed).

Female unknown. The male genitalia do not show affinities to other described American Scythrididae. The very large male genitalia is diagnostic for Arotrura Walsingham 1888, but caimancitoensis does not have the other diagnostic characters of that genus (Landry 1991). We classify caimancitoensis in Scythris, but the genus combination needs more research.

Holotype (fixed by monotypy, Art. 73.1.2 (ICZN 2000)). Peru • ♀; Cocapata; 12.000 feet a.s.l.; NHMUK ID 010922358; coll. NHMUK.

The abdomen of the type is missing. A small species (wingspan 9 mm). Externally S. ejiciens may be separated from the other described Neotropical Scythris by a distinct whitish-ochreous streak along the fold from base to the end of cell, followed by whitish-ochreous spot.

The original description is quoted: “Wingspan 9 mm ♀. Head, thorax rather dark purplish-fuscous. Palpi grey. Forewings rather dark purplish-fuscous; a whitish-ochreous streak along fold from base to beyond middle of wing; a roundish whitish-ochreous spot in disc at 0.75: cilia fuscous. Hindwings dark grey; cilia fuscous.”

Peru.

Male unknown. The type specimen of S. ejiciens lacks the abdomen and does not have a genital preparation label. Clarke (1965) reported “The abdomen is missing.”

Lectotype. Colombia • ♂; Cali; 500 feet a.s.l.; 5–14.; Parish leg.; [genitalia slide] JFGC No. 8052; NHMUK ID 010922359; NHMUK slide ID 010316664; coll. NHMUK.

Paralectotype. Colombia • ♀; same data as for lectotype; coll. NHMUK.

Scythris fluvialis and North American S. trivinctella (Zeller, 1873) and S. ypsilon Braun, 1920, in addition to five undescribed species, form a compact group, sharing twisted apex of the distal arm of the gnathos, terminating into a small, warped plate (Landry 1991). Posterior margin of male abdominal tergum VIII is elongated in S. fluvialis, bifurcate in S. trivinctella and distinctly concave with lateral setae in S. ypsilon. See Landry (1991) for further details.

The original description is quoted: “Wingspan 12–13 mm ♂, ♀. Head, palpi, and thorax dark bronzy-fuscous. Antennal ciliations of ♂ 0.5. Abdomen bronzy-fuscous, beneath in ♂ suffused with pale ochreous, in ♀ white except anal segment. Forewings lanceolate; dark violet-fuscous, towards costa and dorsum suffused with grey; a thick suffused ochreous-whitish streak from base of dorsum, curved upwards to above middle and returning to fold before middle of wing, where it joins an ochreous tinged patch extending along dorsum to tornus; a thick ochreous-whitish streak from 0.2 of costa to fold parallel to termen, with a , with a projection on posterior edge in middle, tending to connect with a whitish mark on termen above tornus; some ochreous tinge towards termen above this; in ♂ specimen an ochreous-whitish mark at apex: cilia rather dark violet-fuscous. Hindwings with 4 and 5 separate; dark fuscous; cilia dark grey.”

Male genitalia. Uncus trapezoid plate. Gnathos base broad belt, dorsally a semi-circular extension covered by minute thorns; distal arm long, sigmoid, tip pointed with small flap. Tegumen hood-shaped. Phallus 1/2 length of valva, basal 2/3 straight and of constant width, distal 1/3 bent ventrally and tapered. Valva long and narrow, distal 1/2 weakly broadened dorsally, tip round and setose. Saccus 0.6 ×as long as valva, broad. Sternum VIII pentagonal plate basally, laterally broadened, apex elongated. Tergum VIII pentagonal plate, posterior extension long and digitate, anterior margin concave, U-shaped.

Female genitalia. Not dissected.

Colombia.

We leave fluvialis in Scythris, more precisely next to S. trivinctella and S. ypisilon, following the diagnostic characters provided by Landry (1991).

Holotype. Peru • ♂; Huancayo; 10650 feet a.s.l.; i.7.14.; Parish leg.; [genitalia slide] JFGC No. 8051; NHMUK ID 010922361; NHMUK slide ID 010316663M coll. NHMUK.

Forewings bronzy-grey without distinctive external features. Genitalia dissection is required for recognition. Scythris inanima is readily separated from the other described species by details of the male genitalia: wide, inwards curved, pointed and asymmetrical valvae, a tubular phallus bent at 90° angle in basal 1/3, and “anchor-shaped” abdominal segment VIII with two curved projections are unique among the examined materials.

The original description is quoted: “Wingspan 10 mm ♂. Head, palpi, thorax, and abdomen light bronzy-grey. Antennal ciliations 1. Forewings lanceolate; bronzy-grey, somewhat darker-springled in disc: cilia greyish.”

Male genitalia. Uncus trapezoid sclerotised plate. Gnathos base broad belt; distal arm short, robust, directed upwards and heavily sclerotised. Tegumen hood-shaped. Phallus slim, a little longer than valva, basal 1/3 bent at 90° angle, distally straight. Valvae asymmetrical, left broader and shorter; basal 2/3 broad, distal 1/3 tapered and bent inwards, tip more or less pointed. Saccus arched, short. Sternum VIII pentagonal, anterior margin broadly reinforced, mediolaterally somewhat extended. Tergum VIII consists of two laterally arched sclerotised belts; medioposterior portion triangular with backwards directed lateral extensions.

Peru.

Female unknown.

Holotype. Peru • ♂; prov. La Libertad, Lequetepeque River, near El Huabal village; 7°16.9'S, 79°18.2'W; 200 m a.s.l.; 1 Feb. 2019; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; [BOLD sample ID] KN01074; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 2/8 Dec. 2019; coll. NUPP (MZH).

Paratype. Peru • ♂; prov. Cajamarca, Lequetepeque River, near Chilete village; 7°12.9'S, 78°45.3'W; 980 m a.s.l.; 4 Feb. 2019; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; coll. NUPP.

Rather reliably determined externally by pale brown forewings with indefinite paler areas at midwing, a dark brown subapical spot and fringe under tornus being darker than those at apical area. In the male genitalia of S. lequetepequensis, the gnathos with massive base and dorsally expanded pouch, and a transverse and sclerotised arched sclerite at tergum VIII are diagnostic.

Wingspan 13 mm. Head, collar, neck tuft, tegula and thorax pale brown. Few whitish brown scales around eye; thorax posteriorly edged by white scales. Haustellum white. Scape dorsally pale brown, ventrally paler, pecten longer than diameter of scape. Flagellum dark brown, 0.75 × length of forewing, ciliate, sensillae ~ 1/2 as long as diameter of flagellum. Labial palp: palpomere I white; palpomeres II and III with lower surface brown, otherwise whitish brown. Legs pale cream, upper surfaces of tibiae and tarsi mixed with pale brown in mid- and hindlegs, and darker brown in foreleg. Abdomen dorsally fuscous, ventrally white. Forewing pale brown, middle part of wing indefinite paler than costal and dorsal areas; at cell end whitish cream blotch, subapically small dark brown spot; fringe under tornus darker than those at apical area. Hindwing dark fuscous, darker than forewing.

Male genitalia. Uncus bifurcate plate, posterior lobes broad, rounded. Gnathos as long as phallus; base massive with dorsally expanded pouch; distal arm tapered, tip with T-shaped hook. Tegumen round hood. Phallus 0.7 × length of valva, medially bent, distal 1/2 tapered, tip pointed. Valva straight, distal 1/2 dorsally somewhat widened and setose, apex round. Saccus labiate, ~ 1/3 as long as valva. Sternum VIII trapezoid, medioposteriorly shallowly indented; anterior margin concave and reinforced. Tergum VIII tongue-shaped, lateral and posterior margins folded, anterior margin medially with V-shaped indentation; subposteriorly with transverse and arched ridge covered by minute spines.

Latinised adjective in the nominative singular. The species is named after the type locality, valley of the River Lequetepeque.

Peru.

The collecting locality is a moist riverside meadow (Fig. 80).

Not obtained (specimen submitted to barcode analysis but the sample failed).

Female unknown. We classify taxon lequetepequensis in genus Scythris, based on the somewhat similar male genitalia between S. lequetepequensis and North American (Landry 1991) and African (Bengtsson 2014) species such as S. mixaula Meyrick, 1916 from South-West USA and S. cretiflua Meyrick, 1913 from South Africa. These include for instance massive gnathos, horizontally narrow point of articulation between tegumen and valva, and symmetrical and apically setose valva.

Holotype. Paraguay • ♀; Chaco: Makthlawaiya; • GSC [G. S. Carter]; 5.27.; [genitalia slide] JFGC No. 8063; NHMUK ID 010922365; NHMUK slide ID 010316672; coll. NHMUK.

Wings rather uniform purplish-grey, speckled weakly with white, without distinguishing external features. Genitalia examination is necessary for confident determination. In the female genitalia, the candleflame-shaped sterigma is characteristic.

The original description is quoted: “Wingspan ♀ 12 mm. Head and thorax purplish-grey, irregularly mixed white. Palpi dark grey sprinkled white, base white. Abdomen blackish, thickly strewn with white hair-scales, anal segment whitish, ventral surface wholly suffused white, apex ochreous-yellow. Forewings purplish-grey speckled dark fuscous and sprinkled whitish: cilia pale grey; cilia grey.”

Female genitalia. Sterigma distinct, candleflame-shaped plate; posterior apex melanised; anterior margin weakly concave. Sternum VII rectangular, 1.4 × as high as wide; posterior margin with medial incision. Apophyses anteriores 0.7 × length of apophyses posteriores.

Paraguay.

Male unknown.

Lectotype. Peru • ♂; Chosica; 2800 feet a.s.l.; 7.14.; Parish leg.; [genitalia slide] JFGC No. 8053; NHMUK ID 010922365; NHMUK slide ID 010316665; coll. NHMUK.

Paralectotype. Peru • 11 exx.; same data as for lectotype; coll. NHMUK.

Peru • 1 ♂; prov. Ancash, near Huanchay village; 10°30.4'S, 77°25.5'W; 1520 m a.s.l.; 5 Feb. 2019; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; [BOLD sample ID] KN01075; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 5/11 Dec. 2019; coll. NUPP. • 2 ♂, 2 ♀; prov. Ancash, Fortaleza River, Raquia village 13 km SW; 10°13.1'S, 77°33.6'W; 1180 m a.s.l.; 31 Jan. 2019; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg. [BOLD sample IDs] KN01076, KN01077; [genitalia slides] K. Nupponen prep. no. 1/18-XII-2019 ♀, 4/17-XII-2019 ♂; coll. NUPP.

Forewings with whitish streak on brownish background. Genitalia dissection is required for confident determination. The male genitalia are unmistakable, particularly the narrow, ventrally curved, hook-shaped gnathos; and phallus that bends at 90° angle; and densely bristled valvae. In the female genitalia, a crater-shaped margin of sterigma, adjoined by needle-like sclerotisation, are diagnostic.

The original description is quoted: “Wingspan 12–13 mm ♂, ♀. Head ochreous-grey more or less mixed with white. Palpi grey, suffused with white internally and at apex of second joint. Antennal ciliations of ♂ 1. Thorax ochreous-grey partially mixed with whitish. Abdomen light grey, anal tuft pale ochreous, ventral surface whitish. Forewings lanceolate; light grey: a double finely separated or united median whitish streak, from base, upper portion extending to about middle, lower to 0.33, both more or less enlarged into suffused spots posteriorly; an irregular elongate undefined spot of whitish suffusion in disc at 0.66; each of these whitish markings followed by a few indistinct dark fuscous scales, representing the stigmata: cilia grey, base mixed with whitish. Hindwings with 4 and 5 separate; grey; cilia grey.”

Male genitalia. Uncus posterolaterally extended trapezoid plate, margin concave medially. Gnathos asymmetrical, basally channel-like, apex spoon-shaped. Distal arm of gnathos thin, curved ventrally, hook-shaped. Tegumen hood-shaped. Phallus 0.6 × length of valva; basal 2/3 straight, then bent at 90° angle, distal 1/3 slender and straight, tip pointed. Valva long and narrow, bent at 0.4 length, distal portion straight and setose; ventrally at middle sub-oval bristled extension. Vinculum arched, short. Sternum VIII large trapezoid plate, medioposteriorly with small V-shaped indentation, laterally at 0.3 with anteriorly directed lobes. Tergum VIII small trapezoid plate.

Female genitalia. Sterigma crater-shaped, twice as wide as high, adjoined by needle-like sclerotisation. Ostium situated at bottom of crater. Sternum VII semi-circular, medioposteriorly with small concave notch. Apophyses anteriores 0.25 × length of apophyses posteriores.

Peru.

Adults were collected in moist riverside meadows.

BIN: BOLD:ADZ4797 (n = 3 from Peru). Genetically homogenous, variation 0%. Nearest neighbour: Unidentified Scythrididae from Argentina (BIN: BOLD:ACY3332, 6.54%), see Suppl. material 2.

Based on COI maximum likelihood phylogeny, taxa tibicina and sanfranciscoensis group together, associating with other Central and South American taxa, classified in apparently non-monophyletic Scythris on BOLD (Suppl. material 2). With regard to tibicina, the male genitalia are similar to S. mixaula Meyrick, 1916 from California, Texas and Montana, sharing for instance narrow and setose valva, spear-shaped uncus (termed distal arm of gnathos in Landry (1991)) and mediodorsally convex vinculum. We have interpreted the mediodorsal structure as uncus (gnathos in Landry (1991) and the sclerotised structure on its ventral side as gnathos. We justify this interpretation by the origin of the narrow and ventrally curved process, which originates from the cup-shaped apex of gnathos. See Fig. 53, which shows the origin of the structure in lateral view. We classify tibicina and sanfranciscoensis in Scythris.

Holotype. Argentina • ♂; prov. Jujuy, Rio San Francisco, by Caimancito village; 23°43.8'S, 64°36.3'W; 400 m a.s.l.; 18 Sep. 2017; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; [BOLD sample ID] KN01036; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 2/10 Dec. 2019; coll. NUPP (MZH).

Paratypes. Argentina • 3 ♂, 2 ♀; same data as for holotype; [BOLD sample ID] KN01035; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 3/14 Dec. 2019 ♀; coll. NUPP.

Large species (wingspan 20.5–22 mm), greyish brown species, forewing with 3–5 black spots apically near cilia. The weakly resembling “batman” appearance of the male genitalia is distinctive, as well as sternum VIII with a triangular process at middle, attached to transverse plate and enormous round, anterolateral projections. In the female genitalia, a large subtriangular sterigma is characteristic.

Wingspan 20.5–22 mm. Head, collar, neck tuft, haustellum, tegula and thorax unicoloured greyish brown. Scape dorsally beige, ventrally cream; pecten cream and longer than diameter of scape. Flagellum dark brown, 0.65 × length of forewing, in male ciliate, sensillae ~ 1/2 as long as diameter of flagellum. Labial palp: palpomere I white, palpomeres II and III fuscous with a few whitish scales. Legs: foreleg femur dirty white, tibia and tarsus dark brown; midleg and hindleg dirty white except tarsus pale fuscous. Abdomen pale brown, ventrally mixed with white. Forewing greyish brown with sparsely scattered blackish scales; middle part of wing widely but irregularly whitish cream, more whitish at apical area; at 0.7 and 0.85 blackish blotches at middle of wing; apically 3–5 black spots at row near cilia line. Hindwing pale fuscous, fringe slightly darker.

Male genitalia. Uncus quadrangular plate with deep U-shaped medioposterior indentation; sublaterally with small setose flaps. Gnathos not detected. Phallus robust, longer than valva, distal portion tapered. Anterior part of valva wide with round margin, posterior part pointing upwards, incurved, with acute apex. Sternum VIII with large round anterolateral projections, anterior margin widely concave; posterior margin folded forming large transverse bent plate with projected posterolateral corners, and heavily sclerotised triangular process in middle of plate. Tergum VIII trapezoid, posterior portion quadrangular, anterolateral corners broad with small marginal fold.

Female genitalia. Sterigma large subtriangular plate, posterior portion hood-like and heavily sclerotised, tip blunt. Ostium situated in squared sclerotisation at medioposterior margin of sterigma. Sternum VII rectangular. Apophyses anteriores 0.3 × length of apophyses posteriores.

Latinised adjective in the nominative singular. The species is named after the type locality, the River San Francisco.

NW Argentina.

The collecting site is a dry river bed surrounded by forests and plantations. Plants of the family Amaranthaceae were common at riverside (Fig. 79).

BIN: BOLD:ADZ5418 (n = 2 from Argentina). Nearest neighbour: Scythris tibicina Meyrick, 1916 (BIN: BOLD:ADZ4797, 6.68%).

Based on COI maximum likelihood phylogeny, taxa tibicina and sanfranciscoensis group together, associating with other Central and South American taxa, classified in apparently non-monophyletic Scythris on BOLD (Suppl. material 2). We classify tibicina and sanfranciscoensis in Scythris.

Holotype. Argentina • ♂; prov. Mendoza, Andes Mts., Cordillera del Tigre, Mendoza River valley near Uspallata village; 32°35.9'S, 69°22.9'W; 1900 m a.s.l.; 25 Jan. 2017; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; [BOLD sample ID] KN01042; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 1/8 Dec. 2019; coll. NUPP (MZH).

Paratype. Argentina • 1 ♂; same data as for holotype; coll. NUPP.

Wings elongated without any distinct pattern, and genitalia examination is indispensable for reliable determination. In the male genitalia of S. tigrensis, a narrow distal arm of the gnathos, broad valvae and a conspicuous bifurcate formation attached anteriorly to tegumen are distinctive.

Wingspan 14 mm. Head, haustellum, tegula and thorax beige mixed with cream. Neck tuft white, collar pale beige. Scape dark brown, ventrally with few paler scales; pecten brown and longer than diameter of scape. Flagellum dark brown, 0.65 × length of forewing. Labial palp: palpomere I and base of palpomere II white, otherwise brown more or less mixed with white. Legs: femur and tibia pale beige mixed with fuscous, tarsi fuscous. Abdomen grey, dorsally each segment paler grey scales at posterior margin. Forewing pale beige; indistinct blackish spot in fold at 0.4, and small fuscous spot at cell end; greyish white scales densely scattered in apical area. Hindwing pale fuscous.

Male genitalia. Uncus narrow, digitate, slightly bent downwards. Gnathos base rectangular hood; distal arm narrow, downcurved. Phallus as long as width of valva, bent at middle. Valvae broad and straight, slightly asymmetrical: left one basally with round flap and distally more tapered. Anteriorly to tegumen large bifurcate structure of uncertain homology is attached; left furca (when viewed ventrally) funnel-shaped, longer than valva; right furca 1/2 × shorter, cylindrical, tip pointed, apex with very long and thick seta. Sternum VIII rectangular, 1.7 × higher than wide; posteriorly sclerotised with two narrow and curved projections. Tergum VIII asymmetrical, semi-trapezoid plate.

Latinised adjective in the nominative singular. The species is named after the type locality, the mountain range of the Tigre in the Andes.

NW Argentina.

The collecting site is a dry and xerothermic valley of the River Mendoza at medium altitude of the Andes, surrounded by rocky slopes with sparse and low vegetation.

BIN: BOLD:ADZ5721 (n = 1 from Argentina). Nearest neighbour: North American Neoscythris sp. (BIN: BOLD:ABA1135, 6.57%).

Female unknown. Based on the COI maximum likelihood phylogeny, taxon tigrensis belongs to an isolated lineage, being sister to a large lineage containing taxa classified in Scythris or in Scythrididae on BOLD (Suppl. material 2). Its morphology does not resemble any other species covered in the study, and even though the barcode gap analysis suggests Neoscythris as the nearest neighbour, it does not have the diagnostic characters of that genus (Landry 1991). For practical reasons, we classify tigrensis in Scythris, but more research is needed.

In our COI maximum likelihood analysis, there are five species, which are structurally heterogenous from each other, and which are distributed in different lineages in the middle-part of the tree (Suppl. material 2, marked with red vertical bar). These are difficult to combine with any North American Scythrididae genus as diagnosed in Landry (1991). We classify these five species, and morphologically similar species without DNA barcodes, to Scythris (incertae sedis), highlighting the need for further research. Potentially these taxa should be classified in several genera. These taxa are S. bicoloristrigella species group (bicoloristrigella, saldaitisi, wikstromi), S. andensis species group (andensis, mendozaensis) and S. dividua species group (dividua, medullata, notorrhoa).

Holotype. Argentina • ♂; prov. Mendoza, Andes Mts., Cordillera del Tigre, Mendoza River valley near Uspallata village; 32°35.9'S, 69°22.9'W; 1900 m a.s.l.; 25 Jan. 2017; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; [BOLD sample ID] KN01056; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 1/9 Dec. 2019; coll. NUPP (MZH).

Paratype. Argentina • 1 ♂; prov. San Juan, Andes Mts., salt lake by Cordillera del Tigre; 30°52.8'S, 68°52.4'W; 1620 m a.s.l.; 26 Jan. 2017; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; coll. NUPP.

Externally similar to L. ankylosauroides, sharing broad white streak in fold of forewing (dorsally and basally white, costally and terminally cream). Examination of the male genitalia is required to safely identify between S. bicoloristrigella, S. saldaitisi and S. wikstromi. In the male genitalia of S. saldaitisi, shape of asymmetrical valvae (left one very short) and anterior margin of sternum VIII straight are distinctive (valvae ca. equal length with incurved apexes and anterior margin of sternum VIII concave in S. wikstromi, valvae ca. equal length, right valva setose and anterior margin of sternum VIII concave in S. bicoloristrigella).

Wingspan 15–16.5 mm. Head, collar, haustellum, tegula and thorax pale beige with scattered cream scales; posterior 1/2 of thorax with longitudinal cream line. Neck tuft white. Scape dorsally fuscous, ventrally pale beige, pecten longer than diameter of scape. Flagellum dark brown, 0.75 × length of forewing, ciliate, sensillae ~ 1.1 × as long as diameter of flagellum. Labial palps: palpomere I white; lower surface of posterior 1/2 of palpomere II and palpomere III dark brown, otherwise greyish white. Legs beige, tibiae darker. Abdomen dorsally beige, ventrally dirty white. Forewing pale fuscous; in fold broad streak from base to cell end: dorsally white from base to 0.6, edged by dark brown line dorsally, costally, and terminally cream; dark brown spots in midwing at 0.5, 0.65 and 0.7; in apical area few dark brown scales. Hindwing pale fuscous.

Male genitalia. Uncus heavily sclerotised hood distally, medioposteriorly indented. Gnathos massive, upturned 90° at basal 1/3, distal portion robust and heavily sclerotised, distally tapered, tip pointed. Tegumen elongated hood, dorsally widely open. Phallus ca. as long as uncus, rather broad, beyond middle bent and chute-shaped. Valvae asymmetrical, left valva 1.3 × as long as right; left valva with semi-circular indentation ventrally at 0.3, distal 0.7 tapered, setose, apically bent, tip pointed; right valva with large triangular lobe ventrally at base, distal 1/2 with numerous thin spiniform setae, dorsally folded, subapically tapered, apex with few minute spines and dense setae. Sternum VIII rectangular, elongated, 3 × longer than wide; posteromedially with very deep U-shaped depression, posterior shanks long, setose; lateromedially margin sclerotised, forming tapered extensions; anterior margin with two short, parallel apodemes. Tergum VIII hexagonal, anterior margin widely concave.

Diminuitive noun in apposition. The species name alludes to the bicolored streak in the fold of the forewing.

NW Argentina.

The habitat is a dry and xerothermic valley of the River Mendoza at medium altitude of the Andes, surrounded by rocky slopes with sparse and low vegetation. The paratype was collected at a xerothermic locality in the middle of a dry lake with sparse halophytic shrubs (Fig. 79).

BIN: BOLD:ADY8267 (n = 1 from Argentina). Nearest species: Scythris saldaitisi Nupponen, sp. nov. (BIN: BOLD:ADZ5132, 5.3%).

Female unknown. Based on COI maximum likelihood phylogeny and morphology, South American taxa bicoloristrigella, saldaitisi, and wikstromi group together, associating next to the North American taxa classified in Scythris, Rhamphura, or Neoscythris on BOLD (Suppl. material 2). We are unable to classify these with certainty to any Scythrididae genus as diagnosed and illustrated in Landry (1991) and Bengtsson (2014). We therefore took a conservative view and classified these taxa in Scythris (incertae sedis), highlighting the need for further research.

Holotype. Argentina • ♂; prov. Catamarca, Sierra de Manchao; 28°47.9'S, 66°23.2'W; 970 m a.s.l.; 21 Sep. 2017; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; [BOLD sample ID] KN01049; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 4/11 Dec. 2019; coll. NUPP (MZH).

Identification requires examination of the genitalia. In the male genitalia of S. saldaitisi, shape of asymmetrical valvae (left one very short) and anterior margin of sternum VIII straight are distinctive (valvae ca. equal length with incurved apexes and anterior margin of sternum VIII concave in S. wikstromi, valvae ca. equal length, right valva setose and anterior margin of sternum VIII concave in S. bicoloristrigella).

Wingspan 13 mm. Head, collar, neck tuft, haustellum, tegula and thorax dark brown. Few dirty white scales exist around eye and laterally at thorax. Scape dorsally dark brown, ventrally pale beige, pecten longer than diameter of scape. Flagellum dark brown, 0.7 × length of forewing, ciliate, sensillae ~ 1/2 as long as diameter of flagellum. Labial palp: palpomere I dirty white, palpomeres II and III dark brown mixed with a few dirty white scales. Legs: lower surfaces dirty white, otherwise foreleg and midleg dark brown and hindleg fuscous. Abdomen dorsally fuscous, ventrally dirty white. Forewing with costal and apical areas dark brown, dorsal area at basal 1/2 slightly paler; black blotches in fold at 0.2, 0.35, 0.55, and at cell end, between two basal ones pale beige dash; scattered with white scales, more pronounced at apical area. Hindwing fuscous, slightly paler than forewing.

Male genitalia. Uncus elongated hood, posterior 1/2 heavily sclerotised. Gnathos base broad; distal arm upcurved, robust, heavily sclerotised and of constant width, tip blunt. Tegumen oval hood, dorsally widely open. Phallus 1/2 as long as left valva, rather slim, slightly bent. Valvae asymmetrical; left valva short, almost straight; right valva twice longer and wider, basal 0.7 straight, apical quarter somewhat twisted and curved ventrad, tip heavily sclerotised with hook-shaped process. Saccus labiate, ~ 1/2 length of left valva. Juxta narrow, 1.4 × length of phallus. Sternum VIII rectangular, elongated, 3.5 × longer than wide; posteromedially with two pronged projections with pointed tips; laterobasally with a pair of tapered extensions, directed obliquely anteriorly. Tergum VIII trapezoid, anterior margin concave and sclerotised.

Noun in the genitive case. The species is dedicated to Aidas Saldaitis, a Lithuanian lepidopterist, to acknowledge his contributions to Scythrididae systematics.

NW Argentina.

Habitat is a dry and xerothermic rocky slope with low vegetation and rather densely occuring bushes.

BIN: BOLD:ADZ5132 (n = 1 from Argentina). Nearest neighbour: S. bicoloristrigella (BIN: BOLD:ADY8267, 5.3%).

Female unknown. Based on COI maximum likelihood phylogeny and morphology, South American taxa bicoloristrigella, saldaitisi, and wikstromi group together, associating next to the North American taxa classified in Scythris, Rhamphura, or Neoscythris on BOLD (Suppl. material 2). We are unable to classify these with certainty to any Scythrididae genus as diagnosed and illustrated in Landry (1991) and Bengtsson (2014). We therefore took a conservative view and classified these taxa in Scythris (incertae sedis), highlighting the need for fur­ther research.

Holotype. Argentina • ♂; prov. Cordoba, Salinas Grandes SE shore; 29°50.5'S, 64°40.2'W; 185 m a.s.l.; 24 Sep. 2017; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; [BOLD sample ID] KN01067; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 2/12 Dec. 2019; coll. NUPP (MZH).

Safely determined only by dissecting the genitalia. In the male genitalia of S. wikstromi, the valvae are asymmetrical and sickle-shaped (right arm short and setose in S. bicoloristrigella, left arm short in S. saldaitisi), and sternum VIII posteriorly with wide indentation and wide projections (narrower indentation and long projections in S. bicoloristrigella and S. saldaitisi).

Wingspan 11.5 mm. Head, collar, neck tuft, haustellum, tegula and thorax brown with scattered cream scales. Scape dorsally brown, ventrally somewhat paler, pecten longer than diameter of scape. Flagellum dark brown, 0.7 × length of forewing, ciliate, sensillae ~ 0.65 × as long as diameter of flagellum. Labial palp: palpomere I pale cream, palpomeres II and III beige of various tones. Legs: foreleg dark brown, midleg and hindleg pale brown; lower surface pale beige. Abdomen dorsally fuscous, ventrally whitish grey. Forewing brown; black blotches in dorsum at 0.1, midwing at 0.35, and small ones above tornus and at cell end; white blotch in midwing at 0.25. Hindwing fuscous.

Male genitalia. Uncus elongate hood, posterior 1/2 heavily sclerotised with small semi-circular flap at middle. Gnathos base broad bel, attached to tegumen by membrane; distal arm upcurved, robust, heavily sclerotised and of constant width, tip blunt. Tegumen oval hood, dorsally widely open. Phallus ca. as long as uncus, rather slim, medially little constricted. Valvae asymmetrical, long and slender, basally fused by hood-like formation; basal 1/2 of both valvae rather broad, dorsally with small triangular lobes at 0.4; distal 1/2 tapered and incurved (sickle-shaped), tips heavily sclerotised and pointed, right valva 1.2 × longer. Juxta narrow, 1.1 × length of phallus. Sternum VIII hexagonal basally, medioposteriorly wide and deep U-shaped indentation; medio-anteriorly with sclerotised semicircle. Tergum VIII trapezoid, anterior margin concave and sclerotised.

Noun in the genitive case. The diacritic mark “ö” is deleted, following ICZN (2000) paragraph 32.5.2.1.The species is dedicated to Bo Wikström, a Finnish lepidopterist.

NW Argentina.

The collecting site is the shore of a large salt lake, in the zone between a dry shrubby area and low halophytic vegetation.

Not obtained (specimen submitted to barcode analysis but the sample failed).

Female unknown. Based on COI maximum likelihood phylogeny and morphology, South American taxa bicoloristrigella, saldaitisi, and wikstromi group together, associating next to the North American taxa classified in Scythris, Rhamphura, or Neoscythris on BOLD (Suppl. material 2). We are unable to classify these with certainty to any Scythrididae genus, as diagnosed and illustrated in Landry (1991) and Bengtsson (2014). We therefore took a conservative view and classified these taxa in Scythris (incertae sedis), highlighting the need for further research.

Holotype. Argentina • ♂; prov. La Rioja, Andes Mts., Sierra de Famatina, Famatina village 15 km NNW; 28°46.4'S, 67°35.0'W; 2085 m a.s.l.; 27 Jan. 2017; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; BOLD sample ID KN01064; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 2/15 Dec. 2019; coll. NUPP (MZH).

Paratypes. Argentina • 14 ♂, 2 ♀; same data as for holotype; [BOLD sample IDs] KN01063, KN01065, KN01066; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 1/13 Jan. 2019 ♂; coll. NUPP; • 1 ♀; prov. San Juan, Andes Mts., salt lake by Cordillera del Tigre; 30°52.8'S, 68°52.4'W; 1620 m a.s.l.; 26 Jan. 2017; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 4/14 Dec. 2019; coll. NUPP.

Externally resembling S. saldaitisi and S. wikstromi, sharing with those whitish blotches on forewings, and reliable determination can be achieved by genitalia examination. In the male genitalia of S. andensis, gnathos with tooth-like extensions on ventral margin, valvae are slim and asymmetrical, phallus is very short, and sclerites on segment VIII are asymmetrical and elongated. In the female genitalia the sclerotised, rocket-shaped sterigma is characteristic.

Wingspan 12.5–13 mm. Head, collar, tegula and thorax pale fuscous; thorax laterally and collar with few white scales. Neck tuft white. Haustellum base cream. Scape dorsally dark brown, ventrally white with pecten of same colour. Flagellum dark brown, 0.7 × length of forewing, in male ciliate, sensillae ~ 1/2 as long as diameter of flagellum. Labial palp pale brown, palpomere I and upper surface mixed with white. Legs white, upper surfaces more or less mixed with different tones of brown. Abdomen dorsally fuscous, ventrally dirty white in male and white in female. Forewing pale fuscous, more or less densely scattered by white scales; large white blotches at midwing subbasally, at 0.35 between fold and dorsum, and above tornus; large dark brown blotches between fold and dorsum at 0.2 and 0.45, and spot of same colour at cell end. Hindwing pale fuscous.

Male genitalia. Uncus as long as gnathos and tegumen together, basally subquadrangular, distally narrow and shallowly upcurved, tip pointed. Gnathos long and robust, tip bifurcate, at base large asymmetrical extension; ventral edges with heavily sclerotised tooth-like extensions, four on right side and five on left side; dorsal surface subapically long and slender with weakly sclerotised extension, with two small basal thorns (potentially anal tube). Tegumen hood-shaped. Phallus thick, straight and very short. Valvae long and narrow, asymmetrical; left valva tapered distally, right distally spatulate. Saccus short, labiate. Sternum VIII large, elongated, triangular basally but asymmetrical, posteriorly digitate. Tergum VIII narrower and little longer than sternum VIII, otherwise similar. Segment VIII is somewhat twisted in situ.

Female genitalia. Sterigma rocket-shaped, thick and robust. Ostium small, situated at tip of sterigma. Sternum VII rectangular, 1.4 × wider than high. Apophyses anteriores 1/2 length of apophyses posteriores.

Latinised adjective in the nominative singular. The name of the species refers to its geographical origin, the Andes Mountains.

NW Argentina.

The species was collected in a dry sandy river bed at medium altitude of the Andes Mts., surrounded by dry and xerothermic rocky slopes with low vegetation and sparse shrubs (Fig. 75).

BIN: BOLD:ADZ5420 (n = 3 from Argentina). Genetically slightly heterogenous, maximum variation 0.16%. Nearest neighbour: Scythris mendozaensis Nupponen sp. nov. from Argentina (Scythrididae, BIN: BOLD:ADZ5134, 5.78%).

Scythris andensis and S. mendozaensis are morphologically similar. In COI maximum likelihood phylogeny these taxa associate next to taxa, which are classified in Scythris or without genus combination on BOLD (Suppl. material 2). Structurally these taxa are not easy to combine to any North American Scythrididae genus (Landry 1991)). For these reasons we tentatively classify andensis and mendozaensis in Scythris (incertae sedis), highlighting the need for more research.

Holotype. Argentina • ♀; prov. Mendoza, Andes Mts., Cordillera del Tigre, Mendoza River valley near Uspallata village; 32°35.9'S, 69°22.9'W; 1900 m a.s.l.; 25 Jan. 2017; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; [BOLD sample ID] KN01048; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 2/14 Dec. 2019; coll. NUPP (MZH).

Externally resembles to some extent S. notorrhoa and some colour forms of L. ankylosauroides. White streak on forewing continues to tornus in mendozaensis (to termen in notorrhoa and ankylosauroides), the streak is narrow and dorsally without interrupted line (streak is broader in notorrhoa, and dorsally with interrupted line in ankylosauroides). In the female genitalia of S. mendozaensis, a large pentagonal sterigma is diagnostic. Scythris mendozaensis is known from 1900 metres altitude in the Anders, whereas S. notorrhoa is known from the Amazonian lowland rain forest.

Wingspan 13.5 mm. Head, collar, tegula, and thorax beige with scattered white. Few white scales exist around eye. Neck tuft and haustellum white. Scape dorsally beige, ventrally dirty white; pecten longer than diameter of scape. Flagellum dark brown, 0.7 × length of forewing. Labial palp white, except lower surface of palpomeres II and III brown. Legs white, tarsus and tibia mixed with beige. Abdomen dorsally beige, ventrally white. Forewing beige, fold widely white from base to tornus; indistinct brown blotches at dorsal margin of fold at 0.2 and 0.45; dark brown spot at cell end. Hindwing pale fuscous.

Female genitalia. Sterigma large, twice as long as wide, pentagonal; anterior margin concave, posteriorly tapered and pointed. Ostium small, situated at posterior tip of sterigma. Sternum VII rectangular, undifferentiated. Apophyses anteriores 0.35 × length of apophyses posteriores.

Latinised adjective in the nominative singular. The species is named after the type locality, valley of the River Mendoza.

NW Argentina.

The collecting site at the type locality is a dry and xerothermic valley of the River Mendoza at medium altitude of the Andes, surrounded by rocky slopes with sparse and low vegetation.

BIN: BOLD:ADZ5134 (n = 1 from Argentina). Nearest neighbour: Scythris andensis Nupponen, sp. nov. (BIN: BOLD:ADZ5420, 5.78%).

Male unknown. Scythris andensis and S. mendozaensis are morphologically similar. In COI maximum likelihood phylogeny these taxa associate next to taxa, which are classified in Scythris or without genus combination on BOLD (Suppl. material 2). Structurally these taxa are not easy to combine to any North American Scythrididae genus (Landry 1991)). For these reasons we tentatively classify andensis and mendozaensis in Scythris (incertae sedis), highlighting the need for more research.

Lectotype. Peru • ♂: Oroya; [11°31'S, 75°53'W]; 12200 feet a.s.l.; 7.14.; Parish leg.; [genitalia slide] JFGC No. 8054; NHMUK ID 010922357; NHMUK slide ID 010316666; coll. NHMUK.

Paralectotypes. Peru • 11 exx.; same data as for lectotype; coll. NHMUK.

Scythris dividua, S. medullata, and S. notorrhoa are similar externally. Reliable determination can be achieved by genitalia examination (DNA barcodes not available for all these three taxa yet). Uncus pentagonal, heavily sclerotised in dividua; rectangular, small, less sclerotised in medullata; oval and heavily sclerotised in notorrhoa. Valvae narrow basally, inner margin without sclerotisations in dividua; broad basally, inner margin with minute sclerotisation in medullata; asymmetrical, inner margin with large sclerotisations in notorrhoa. Segment VIII distinct in each three species, see illustrations.

The original description is quoted: “Wingspan 12­–15 mm ♂, ♀. Head, palpi and thorax dark bronzy-grey, somewhat sprinkled with whitish. Antennal ciliations of ♂ 1. Abdomen dark grey, in ♂ sprinkled with whitish beneath, in ♀ suffused with ochreous-whitish beneath and towards apex above. Forewings lanceolate; dark bronzy-grey, irregularly strewn with whitish scales, especially posteriorly; a cloudy white median streak from base to near termen, and a slenderer one close beneath it to beyond middle; an undefined subdorsal streak of obscure whitish irroration from base to tornus: cilia grey, mixed with white towards base. Hindwings 0.75, 4 and 5 separate; dark grey, thinly scaled anteriorly; cilia grey.”

Male genitalia. Uncus pentagonal, heavily sclerotised plate. Tegumen trapezoid hood; anteriorly attached to broad transverse sclerotisation having anteriorly a rectangular extension with heavily sclerotised blunt tip. Phallus short and thick, basally more sclerotised (homology interpretation tentative, this structure could also be gnathos base). Valva short, basal rather narrow, distally broad and round. Saccus labiate, longer than valva. Sternum VIII large asymmetrical plate; basal portion rectangular with anterior apodemes, arched sclerotisation medially; posteriorly two large bifurcate processes, outer lobes distally asymmetrically extended, inner lobes with three stout apical spikes. Tergum VIII H-shaped; posterior shanks bent inwards, apices with five stout spiniform setae and bunch of thick setae; tip of anterior shanks foot-shaped.

Female genitalia. Not dissected.

Peru.

Lectotype. Peru • ♂; Lima; 500 feet a.s.l.; 8–14.; Parish leg.; [genitalia slide] JFGC No. 8055; NHMUK ID 010922362; NHMUK slide ID 010316667; coll. NHMUK.

Paralectotypes. Colombia, Equador, Peru • Meyrick (1916) described the species based on 80 specimens, but only 13 remain the NHMUK/Meyrick collection, also reported by Clarke (1965).

Peru • 1 ♂, 3 ♀; prov. La Libertad, Lequetepeque River, near El Huabal village; 7°16.9'S, 79°18.2'W; 200 m a.s.l.; 1 Feb. 2019; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; [BOLD sample IDs] KN01079, KN01080, KN01081, KN01084; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 2/17 Dec. 2019 ♀; coll. NUPP. • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; prov. Cajamarca, Lequetepeque River, near Chilete village; 7°13.0'S, 78°45.3'W; 980 m a.s.l.; 4 Feb. 2019; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; [BOLD sample IDs] KN01082, KN01083; [genitalia preparations] 2 in glycerol; coll. NUPP. • 1 ♂; prov. Ancash, Fortaleza River, Raquia village 13 km SW; 10°13.1'S, 77°33.6'W; 1180 m a.s.l.; 31 Jan. 2019; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; [BOLD sample ID] KN01085; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 3/17 Dec.2019; coll. NUPP. Argentina • 1 ♂; prov. Salta, Rio San Francisco, by Algarrobal village; 24°38.0'S, 64°54.5'W; 620 m a.s.l.; 16 Sep. 2017; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; [BOLD sample ID] KN01039; [genitalia slide] K. Nupponen prep. no. 2/13 Dec. 2019; coll. NUPP.

Scythris dividua, S. medullata, and S. notorrhoa are similar externally. Reliable determination can be achieved by genitalia examination (DNA barcodes not available for all these three taxa yet). Uncus pentagonal, heavily sclerotised in dividua; rectangular, small, less sclerotised in medullata; oval and heavily sclerotised in notorrhoa. Valvae narrow basally, inner margin without sclerotisations in dividua; broad basally, inner margin with minute sclerotisation in medullata; asymmetrical, inner margin with large sclerotisations in notorrhoa. Segment VIII distinct in each three species, see illustrations.

The original description is quoted: “Wingspan 11–12 mm ♂, ♀. Head, palpi and thorax dark violet-bronzy-grey, somewhat touched with whitish. Antennal ciliations of ♂ 0.75. Abdomen dark grey, suffused with ochreous-white beneath with both sexes. Forewings lanceolate; dark violet-bronzy-grey, either irregularly sprinkled with whitish except towards base, or with two closely adjacent whitish longitudinal streaks from base, upper median; reaching to about 0.75, lower reaching to beyond middle, and with every transitional variation between these two forms, the streaks and irroration varying in development but always one or the other present; plical and second discal stigmata more or less perceptible as obscure spots of dark fuscous suffusion, and sometimes one or two other similar spots in disc: cilia fuscous, variably mixed with whitish towards base. Hindwings 0.66, 4 and 5 separate; dark fuscous, thinly scaled anteriorly; cilia dark grey.”

Male genitalia. Uncus rectangular, small. Gnathos base narrow belt; distal arm robust, rectangular with sclerotised tip. Tegumen hood-shaped. Phallus as long as gnathos, slim and shallowly bent, posterior quarter tapered, tip pointed. Valvae short, asymmetrical, broad, as long as gnathos; left valva slightly narrower, inner margin with minute sclerotisation, ventral margin with small sclerotised extension; right valva with semi-circular and heavily sclerotised extension at ventral margin, apical margin dentate. Sternum VIII large asymmetrical plate; basal portion rectangular with anterior apodemes, V-shaped reinforcement at middle; posterior part with two large extensions, left rectangular with horn-shaped lateral extension, right rectangular with rounded corners and posteriorly with seven long pegs. Tergum VIII small asymmetrical plate with bunch of long bristles.

Female genitalia. Sterigma funnel-shaped, broad and rather short. Ostium round. Sternum VII trapezoid, medioposteriorly cleft, anterior margin chitinised. Apophyses anteriores short, one quarter length of apophyses posteriores.

Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru.

The moth inhabits moist riverside meadows (Fig. 80).

BIN: BOLD:ADZ5133 (n = 6 from Costa Rica and Peru). Genetically slightly heterogenous, maximum variation 0.49%. Nearest neighbor: North American Neoscythris sp. (Scythrididae, BIN: BOLD:ABA1135, 0.29%).

New to Argentina. Originally the type series comprise 80 specimens, but only 13 exx. remain in the Meyrick collection (Colombia, Cali, 500 feet; Caldas 4400 feet; La Crumbre 6600 feet, in May. Ecuador, Huigra 4500 feet, in June; Peru, Lima 500 feet, in June; Chosica 2800 feet, in July and August (Parish). In the original description S. medullata is mentioned as an externally very variable species, and the variation being to some extent localised, the specimens from one locality being mostly externally similar.

Lectotype. Brazil • ♂; Amazonas, Manaos; 11.19.; Parish leg.; [genitalia slide] JFGC No. 8065; NHMUK ID 010922363; NHMUK slide ID 010316671; coll. NHMUK.

Paralectotype. Brazil • 17 exx.; same data as for lectotype; coll. NHMUK.

Scythris dividua, S. medullata, and S. notorrhoa are similar externally. Reliable determination can be achieved by genitalia examination (DNA barcodes not available for all these three taxa yet). Uncus pentagonal, heavily sclerotised in dividua; rectangular, small, less sclerotised in medullata; oval and heavily sclerotised in notorrhoa. Valvae narrow basally, inner margin without sclerotisations in dividua; broad basally, inner margin with minute sclerotisation in medullata; asymmetrical, inner margin with large sclerotisations in notorrhoa. Segment VIII distinct in each three species, see illustrations.

The original description is quoted: “♂ ♀. 10–12 mm. Head bronzy-fuscous, sides ochreous-whitish, or in ♂ wholly suffused ochreous-whitish. Palpi fuscous more or less suffused ochreous-whitish. Thorax dark bronzy-fuscous, an ochreous-whitish, on inner side of patagia, in ♂ more or less suffused ochreous-whitish. Abdomen dark grey, beneath suffused ochreous-whitish. Forewings ♂ fuscous, ♀ dark bronzy-fuscous: a broad ochreous-whitish median stripe from base to termen, sometimes with slight apical projection above, dorsal area below this stripe in ♂ wholly suffused ochreous-whitish, plical stigma sometimes marked on lower margin of stripe: cilia grey, in ♂ paler and more or less suffused ochreous-whitish on termen. Hindwings 0.6, 4 and 5 separate; dark grey; cilia grey.”

Male genitalia. Uncus heavily sclerotised, oval, slightly pointed on apex, surface granulate. Tegumen hood-shaped. Valvae asymmetrical, margins reinforced at basal 1/3: left valva longer, rather narrow, subapically with elongated and heavily sclerotised ventral extension, apex with long setae; right valva beyond middle with two large and complex heavily sclerotised extensions, apex with long setae. Phallus not detected on the lectotype slide (JFGC No. 8065). Sternum VIII large asymmetrical plate; basal portion rectangular; anteriorly with deep quadrangular concavity; posteriorly with two extensions: one short, the other triangularly extended with three stout apical pegs. Tergum VIII pentagonal, posteriorly extended, apically with six stout pegs; anteriorly with deep U-shaped concavity.

Female genitalia. Not dissected.

Brazil.

Originally the type series comprised 80 specimens, but only 20 specimens remain in the Meyrick collection (Clarke 1965).

Holotype. Argentina • ♀; Alta Grazia; CB. .32; C. Bruch leg.; [genitalia slide] JFGC No. 6153; NHMUK ID 010922354; NHMUK slide ID 010316673; coll. NHMUK.

Unmistakeable both externally (wings, thorax and head brownish-grey with white streaks) and by a characteristic ring-shaped sterigma in the female genitalia.

The original description is quoted: “Wingspan 17 mm ♂. Head light brownish-grey, white lateral streaks. Palpi white, second joint with grey subapical ring, terminal joint with grey lateral line. Thorax light brownish-grey, five light lines. Forewings narrow-lanceolate; grey-brownish; markings white; a short very oblique streak from base of costa; a fine line on dorsal edge towards base; an oblique streak from costa at 0.2 to fold; an oblique streak from costa at 0.4 in an even curve through middle of disc to costa at 0.8; a line running from fold at 0.4 to dorsum in middle of wing, thence to disc at 0.66, and returning to termen beyond tornus; a streak from disc at 0.75 to apex: cilia light brownish-grey, a white bar at apex and finer one above tornus. Hindwings and cilia grey.”

Female genitalia. The genitalia are partly destroyed by museum pests. Sterigma thick ring-shaped. Ostium round, situated approximately at middle of sterigma, lateral margins reinforced by semi-circular and arched sclerotisations. Apophyses anteriores 0.8 × length of apophyses posteriores.

Argentina.

Male unknown. Syntetrernis neocompsa Meyrick, 1933 is transferred from Scythrididae (Hodges 1997) to Cosmopterigidae incertae sedis, following a consultation with Jean-François Landry (pers. comm.): “An examination of the type, shown in Fig. 74, strongly suggests that it is not a Scythrididae. The long, sickle-shaped labial palps are not found in scythridids; some spatulate scales are discernible on the head (vertex), and such scales are not found in scythridids but in other gelechioid families such as Cosmopterigidae, Momphidae, and Gelechiidae. The forewing pattern is atypical of scythridids (not trustworthy by itself but significant combined with the other characters). The female genitalia (Fig. 74B) shows a sterigma that is reminiscent of some Cosmopterigidae (e.g.Triclonella Busck, 1901, Hyposmocoma Butler, 1881, Asymphorodes Meyrick, 1929). These features suggest that this is likely a Cosmopterigidae. The original genus Syntetrernis was transferred to Parametriotinae (now in Elachistidae) by Hodges (1997), however, the taxon neocompsa doubtfully matches that subfamily.” The male is unknown.