South American “jewel acrolepiids”: a molecular phylogeny based on 8 genes reveals they represent a novel lineage of Argyresthiidae (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutoidea)

Neotropical yponomeutoids are one of the most poorly studied lepidopteran faunas, with many groups still tentatively defined. One example is the genus Dasycarea Zeller, 1877, based on a single female specimen of the type species D. viridisquamata from which the abdomen is missing. Due to the lack of information about the genitalia, different authors have assigned very different taxonomic placement to Dasycarea: Gelechiidae by Zeller (1877), Roeslerstammiidae by Heppner (1984) and Acrolepiidae by Becker (1999). Reexamination of the type species of Dasycarea revealed that it is closely related to at least eight species of South American yponomeutoids which were misidentified as acrolepiids. An updated inventory of the Neotropical yponomeutoids has found over thirty new species belonging to Dasycarea. To define their systematic position, a molecular phylogenetic analysis was performed based on eight nuclear genes, totaling 8,096bp. The resulting tree showed, in contrast to all previous proposals, that Dasycarea is the sister group to Argyresthia, currently placed in its own family, Argyresthiidae. This association is tested by morphology and receives further support.