Phyllocnistis perseafolia

Adult (Fig. 2D): Length of forewing: 2.6-3.2 mm. Head: Frons shiny white, smooth glabrous. Flagellomeres with faint orange luster above but becoming smoky toward apex. Labial palpus white, long, slender, subequal to height of head, slightly upcurved; basal segment subequal to segments 2 + 3. Thorax: Scaling of patagia and tegulae damaged. Longitudinal fascia ending before transverse fascia; anterior side ill-defined with orange scales often reaching to costa, especially towards base of wing; lower side straight and clearly delineated; fuscous scales, if present, only along lower edge. Transverse fascia edged inwardly and outwardly with black scales; upper arm leaving costal margin at 30-35° angle, with distal reach curving toward apical dot; often interrupted through cell; arm of transverse fasciae from inner margin more strongly edged with black along outer edge; proximal edge of fascia where it leaves the inner margin vague, with faint dark scaling. Second costal fascia ill-defined, with little black scaling, sometimes conjoined with transverse fascia. Three costal and three apical strigulae modestly differentiated. Apical spot well developed. Black fringe scales about tornus reduced in extent, many replaced with smoky orange fringe scales; none raised appreciably above plane of wing. Legs essentially silvery white and unmarked with exception of faint orange luster to dorsal and outer surfaces foretibiae and foretarsi and distal tarsomeres sometimes with smoky overscaling. Abdomen: Silvery white and unmarked. Male Genitalia (Figs 19A-C): Similar to P. hyperpersea, with approximately straight valva, except valva relatively shorter, ~ 1.6? length of vinculum; basal apodemes of valva more widely divergent than in other species, with ventral apodeme approximately straight (Fig. 19B). Female Genitalia (Figs 19D-E): Similar to P. longipalpa, with ductus bursae joining corpus bursae near caudal end; corpus bursae elongate-ovoid, enlarged, ~ 0.5? length of elongate ductus bursae; ductus seminalis ~ 2.25? length of corpus bursae. Larva: Not examined. Larval Mine (Figs 3C, 4A-B): Similar to that described for P. subpersea. A long, slender, serpentine gallery, containing a dark, narrow, median frass trail, present on either the underside or upperside of the leaf, with pupation occurring in a slightly enlarged, elliptical chamber at the mine terminus along the leaf edge. Serpentine mines of possibly this species have also been observed by Francisco Posada on avocado fruit at the type locality. Pupa (Figs 14A-15D): Similar to P. hyperpersea except: Length of largest pupa 3.4 mm. Vertex similar to that of P. vitegenella Clemens in possessing single, large apical spine (tip of spine broken in all 3 pupae examined) with minutely serrated, low ridge descending laterally from spine (Figs 14A-B). Abdomen with apices of greatly lengthened SD1 seta on A2-7 spatulate; mid-dorsal cluster of spines on abdominal terga 2-7 (Figs 14C-D) with median series of low, strongly recurved spines relatively larger than in hyperpersea and fewer in number, arranged instead in 2 short columns as in subpersea in about 2 ranks; 3-4 smaller, scattered spines immediately caudad to larger, median spine rows; pair of slightly larger, strongly recurved spines immediately lateral to caudal end of median cluster and nearly contiguous to D1 seta; sternum A6 with spinules arranged in ~ 20 longitudinal ridge-like rows (Fig. 15D); A10 with pair of relatively large, stout, caudal processes directed mostly laterally (Figs 15A-C) as in subpersea.

Currently reported only from the type locality in the Department of Caldas, west-central Colombia, but probably widespread over northern South America wherever avocado is cultivated.