Spiladarcha Meyrick

Spiladarcha Meyrick

Spiladarcha Meyrick, 1913: 139.

Type species: Spiladarcha derelicta Meyrick, 1913, by monotypy.

Sohn (2012) provided four synapomorphies for Spiladarcha: (i) the forewing upper surface with small black spots of raised scales; (ii) the male genitalia with a pair of spiniform setal zones on the ventroapical area of the tegumen; (iii) the female genitalia with a zone of longitudinal pleats on the ductus bursae; and (iv) a linguiform antrum. Three congeners from Costa Rica share the forewing and male genital characteristics. The longitudinal pleats on the ductus bursae are absent in S. tuberculata n. sp. and the plates are replaced with a granulate area in S. puravida n. sp. The female antrum is not linguiform in two congeners from Costa Rica whose females are known. Spiladarcha also has the following general characters: head vestiture erect with piliform scales; antenna filiform, 1/ 2 as long as forewing; flagellomeres naked ventrally; labial palpus slightly upcurved, with 2nd segment as long as 3rd, acuminate apically; 2nd segment of labial palpi with a scale tuft ventrally; haustellum naked; hind tibia with long hairs dorsally in both sexes, hairs longer in male than in female; forewing elliptical, apex narrowly rounded; male genitalia with triangular uncus; costal process present (S. tuberculata n. sp. and S. septifera n. sp.) or absent (S. adamskii and S. puravida n. sp.); phallus slender (S. tuberculata n. sp. and S. septifera n. sp.) or robust (S. adamskii and S. puravida n. sp.); female ovipositor telescopic with two subdivisions; corpus bursae with one or two signa or absent.